Keto at Disney?

[Texans_loyal]

Has anyone done the keto diet at Disney? Any advice?
I know it sounds ridiculous to diet on vacation but I've lost weight and have no interest in eating the way I used to.

 

[rwdavis2]

I would recommend looking at various menus and see which once meet the criteria. If you know what you can and cannot eat it should not be too hard.

 

[Jeremy Nolen]

Good luck Based on my experiences there a few weeks back, staying lo-carb and eating in the parks is pretty difficult, especially eating quick service. I think it is technically possible if you are really committed to it.

I have been lo-carbing since January and I decided not to stay on my diet while @ WDW for Spring Break - I didn't go too crazy but I did eat my fair share of Dole Whips. Despite walking ~27K steps per day I managed to gain 6 lbs in 8 days, which seems physically impossible, but scales don't lie.

the good news is that adjusting back on to my diet was pretty easy, and as of yesterday morning I had lost the 6 lbs (only took about 9 days.) Based on how fast the weight went on-and-off I suspect a fair amount of it was water weight? I normally don't see a lot of rapid weight fluctuation (even when I am not dieting) but obviously that wasn't the case this time.

So unless you find re-starting your diet to be extremely difficult, you could consider just eating what you want for your vacation.

 

[armerida]

I think it's totally doable - my husband and I follow a paleo-style, low carb diet and have been able to maintain this at Disney. I would think most restaurants will allow you to sub veggies for any starchy sides, we've had good luck with that. Breakfast is easy - eggs and bacon at hotel or wherever. Some restaurants we've frequented : La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot has a giant meat platter that is a carnivore's paradise! Sanaa let me just do veggies as my side with buttered chicken. And I usually order burgers with no bun/lettuce wrap (D-Luxe actually has this option on their menu). Of course there's the turkey leg for a snack at Magic Kingdom...And at Animal Kingdom, Satuli and Flame Tree are good bets. We usually just splurge on skinny margaritas but not on carbs when we visit and have thoroughly enjoyed every meal.

 

[OneinThree]

I was under the impression that all food at Disney was carb-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and calorie-free? Who knew!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I've been living a low carb life for over 20 years and although I consider it "my diet" my meaning probably differs from that of those who think of the word as a short term fix to a long term problem. For me a diet is what you eat full stop.
It's quite easy for me to maintain @ WDW and enjoy it too.

Not sure what restrictions exists for keto since I really don't look into the latest iteration of low carb anymore yet whether CS or TS, there's always something to tempt the eye.
Now if you also have restrictions on fried or heavily processed foods, sodium content and ingredients you can neither pronounce or spell then perhaps avoiding QS is a good idea.
I opt to eat at table service restaurants for the most part in and out of the bubble and can always find quite a few low carb choices on the average menu. Need to modify that burger? tell the waitstaff "no bun" for it.
Don't worry you won't starve at Disney.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

So, you can certainly eat a keto diet at Disney, but may not stay in ketosis, if that makes sense. There's no telling what is actually in Disney food, unless you have dietary restrictions (like allergies) and have the chef come to your table. The turkey leg, which on paper is a dream-come-true for keto'ers may actually be brined in tons of sugar.

But as far as staying on the keto diet (or showing good faith):
- Charcuterie - tons of it in and around Disney World. It's more or less meats and cheese.
- Biergarten - brats, sausages, fish, pork, etc.
- Buffets - allow you to build your own plate and more times than not have a ton of meat choices
- Turkey leg - take it for what you will
- Pork rinds - now sold at Golden Oak Outpost in Magic Kingdom

Worst comes to worse, order grocery delivery and stick some jerky, almonds, and cheese sticks in your fridge.

As far as weight gain, you'll gain some water weight no matter what you eat in Disney. It's full of sodium. Try and drink a lot of water and don't be mad at a few pounds. You'll be back down in a week or so.

 

[Texans_loyal]

So, you can certainly eat a keto diet at Disney, but may not stay in ketosis, if that makes sense. There's no telling what is actually in Disney food, unless you have dietary restrictions (like allergies) and have the chef come to your table. The turkey leg, which on paper is a dream-come-true for keto'ers may actually be brined in tons of sugar.

But as far as staying on the keto diet (or showing good faith):
- Charcuterie - tons of it in and around Disney World. It's more or less meats and cheese.
- Biergarten - brats, sausages, fish, pork, etc.
- Buffets - allow you to build your own plate and more times than not have a ton of meat choices
- Turkey leg - take it for what you will
- Pork rinds - now sold at Golden Oak Outpost in Magic Kingdom

Worst comes to worse, order grocery delivery and stick some jerky, almonds, and cheese sticks in your fridge.

As far as weight gain, you'll gain some water weight no matter what you eat in Disney. It's full of sodium. Try and drink a lot of water and don't be mad at a few pounds. You'll be back down in a week or so.

I figured I won't stay in ketosis, which is fine. I just don't want to adapt bad habits again. If i really want something, a bite is fine.

 

[Texans_loyal]

I was under the impression that all food at Disney was carb-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and calorie-free? Who knew!

As long as it's Mickey shaped, I should be fine

 

[Jeremy Nolen]

So, you can certainly eat a keto diet at Disney, but may not stay in ketosis, if that makes sense. There's no telling what is actually in Disney food, unless you have dietary restrictions (like allergies) and have the chef come to your table. The turkey leg, which on paper is a dream-come-true for keto'ers may actually be brined in tons of sugar.

But as far as staying on the keto diet (or showing good faith):
- Charcuterie - tons of it in and around Disney World. It's more or less meats and cheese.
- Biergarten - brats, sausages, fish, pork, etc.
- Buffets - allow you to build your own plate and more times than not have a ton of meat choices
- Turkey leg - take it for what you will
- Pork rinds - now sold at Golden Oak Outpost in Magic Kingdom

Worst comes to worse, order grocery delivery and stick some jerky, almonds, and cheese sticks in your fridge.

As far as weight gain, you'll gain some water weight no matter what you eat in Disney. It's full of sodium. Try and drink a lot of water and don't be mad at a few pounds. You'll be back down in a week or so.

Good point on the buffets. I forgot about that (as I don't generally like the WDW buffets) but that is a smart way to make sure you are only getting lo-carb foods.

I also agree with the above poster regarding 'what's in the food' - you can certainly taste a ton of sugar in, say, the meat skewers at 'Ohana, even though on paper that should be all protein.

 

[GalInSpace]

I have been lo-carbing since January and I decided not to stay on my diet while @ WDW for Spring Break - I didn't go too crazy but I did eat my fair share of Dole Whips. Despite walking ~27K steps per day I managed to gain 6 lbs in 8 days, which seems physically impossible, but scales don't lie.

I can explain (my background is in nutrition science)! When you are lo carb/in ketosis, your muscles are completely deprived of their normal glycogen stores. Glycogen in muscles store a lot of water which typically accounts for about 5lbs of weight (yes there is such a thing as 'water weight'!). If you stayed within your daily caloric need (burned about the same as you ate) then none of that weight gain was probably 'real' and once you were back to lo carb is dropped off pretty quickly. In reality, it was probably a little bit of 'real' weight, but mostly water stored within your muscle glycogen!

 

[Lisa F]

I had bariatric surgery and while I do not eat quite keto, I eat low carb. And I pretty much 'ate what I want' on my disney trip, but what I wanted was mostly low carb with a few bites of treats here and there.

They will substitute sides freely at all TS restaurants... even at a signature, if you look at the rest of the entrees and find something you want more, they are happy to sub. So find two interesting veggies and go for it. My son got the filet with the mac and cheese side from another entree at CA Grill and they did not bat an eye.... of course that's carby but you get the idea.

I'm sure you know this already but be wary of "no sugar added" desserts as they are packed full of carbs, and even natural sugars, just not any additional added.

I stuck to my "eat mostly protein and veggies" and did have a few bites of starchy food (like the ear off of a mickey waffle or a couple of tater tots) and the taste was enough for me, it did not set off any cravings. But the bulk of my meals were protein and veggies.

I eat so little I never worry about condiments and sauces because I'm so portion controlled (per my nutritionist). If I were on vacation though, I still would not worry about it if my goal was to maintain more or less my normal style of eating vs. staying strictly in ketosis... but that's just me. YMMV.

Satu'li Canteen is a dream come true, I found the salad base delicious.

There are salad options in all of the parks, maybe not at every QS but at lots of them. At MK there is Pecos Bill's, Columbia Harbor House (which also has a salmon entree you can get with double veggies) and Cosmic Ray's (you can also get a roasted chicken at dinner, sub more veggies for mashed potatoes). At Epcot, Sunshine Seasons has tons of options... besides salads, there is the grill and you can sub double veggies for the starchy sides with your chicken or pork chop... they will let you have anything at that station but won't go to another station. Eating around the world is a bit harder but I think France also has a nicoise salad and the ice cream macaron was actually one of my planned indulgences (and worth it). Also Liberty Inn at the American Pavilion has a new grilled chicken cobb salad that sounds quite good, I'd be all over that (I know, boring to eat THERE but hey). I find most of world showcase to be pretty carb heavy... everything has a lot of rice or noodles or chips or bread. I don't know if they will substitute more tabouleh for couscous and you can skip the bread...don't know how you feel about hummus, I eat it and beans (which is part of my "low carb but not keto" because I can't eat it in quantity to get a ton of carbs in.) In HS I never eat QS but I know that Backlot Express at the very least has a salad option. We didn't go to HS this time. If I was traveling without kid and wanted a lunchtime salad I'd go to the Brown Derby Lounge and have the cobb.

Buffets are of course easy but I'd doublecheck the menu, something like Trail's End might not be as meat/salad/veggie heavy as some other choices are (with things like fried chicken and bbq featuring heavily). Breakfast buffets are super simple to eat low carb if you can resist the temptation of the carby stuff (I had a few bites with every breakfast, I admit!) But there are tons of egg options (usually premade eggs and some kind of frittata and some have made to order eggs/omelets) and plenty of breakfast meat... most of them have some kind of grilled veggies too if I remember.

Snacks are tougher but there are some veggies and ranch dip and babybel cheese options out there. Most of the snacks are things like ice cream and popcorn and fruit even as healthier choices. but honestly if you eat decent meals you won't NEED to snack and then it can be a choice to treat yourself if you wish.

Anyway that is kind of my go-to stuff. I was exactly the same weight when I came home (I was on a cruise too and ate significantly worse there) and within 2 days of being in the bathroom nonstop had peed out 3 lbs, so it all worked out. Hope it's helpful!

 

[Lisa F]

I have been lo-carbing since January and I decided not to stay on my diet while @ WDW for Spring Break - I didn't go too crazy but I did eat my fair share of Dole Whips. Despite walking ~27K steps per day I managed to gain 6 lbs in 8 days, which seems physically impossible, but scales don't lie.

Scales don't lie but they measure weight, not fat, and there's a lot of things that make up weight in your body... fluid is one of them. and of course GallnSpace's explanation is correct for what happens with keto.

I eat about 800-1000 calories on a typical day and have put on 4 lbs since Thursday. The scale is not lying but I'm guessing it has more to do with the fact that i've been ice skating 3 times in that time after a long period of no exercise and it's inflammation in my muscles, which felt like jelly after each session. I've started and stopped exercising a few times because I couldn't deal with the massive weight gain but going to stick with it this time as I am nearing the end of the "magic period" of my surgery and need to work to maintain my metabolism. It's discouraging and perturbing but there's just no way I've put on 4 pounds of FAT eating what I eat. I can't even consume 14,000 calories in a week let alone 14,000 EXCESS calories in that time.

So yes while the scale doesn't lie, it is not the full picture of what is going on.

 

[rentayenta]

I was under the impression that all food at Disney was carb-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and calorie-free? Who knew!

 

[Meglen]

Me and my husband just went keto 3 weeks ago we have a trip in 2 months. We are planning on reverting to non keto a week or so before than we can eat what we want than get back into keto when we are home. I can't go to Disney and not eat all them good carbs would be torture.!

 

[bluejasmine]

Me and my husband just went keto 3 weeks ago we have a trip in 2 months. We are planning on reverting to non keto a week or so before than we can eat what we want than get back into keto when we are home. I can't go to Disney and not eat all them good carbs would be torture.!

I just started keto myself and was planning on the same thing, part of what we love about our Disney vacations is the FOOD! lol

 

[absolutmey]

I've been eating low carb since the beginning of the year and didn't have a huge problem in Feb. and have planned similarly for my trip in April. I booked several buffets which, in my experience, was easy because there are lots of choices including salads and meats. I think it was helpful for me to look at menus beforehand and kind of pre-choose my food options where we'd be. This helped me make informed choices instead of "I'm hangry, just give me food now" type reactions. And kudos to you for trying to stay on track while on vacation. It's tough to do that at WDW with all the DELICIOUS temptations!

 

[KenHutch]

Good luck Based on my experiences there a few weeks back, staying lo-carb and eating in the parks is pretty difficult, especially eating quick service. I think it is technically possible if you are really committed to it.

I have been lo-carbing since January and I decided not to stay on my diet while @ WDW for Spring Break - I didn't go too crazy but I did eat my fair share of Dole Whips. Despite walking ~27K steps per day I managed to gain 6 lbs in 8 days, which seems physically impossible, but scales don't lie.

the good news is that adjusting back on to my diet was pretty easy, and as of yesterday morning I had lost the 6 lbs (only took about 9 days.) Based on how fast the weight went on-and-off I suspect a fair amount of it was water weight? I normally don't see a lot of rapid weight fluctuation (even when I am not dieting) but obviously that wasn't the case this time.

So unless you find re-starting your diet to be extremely difficult, you could consider just eating what you want for your vacation.

Sadly walking 30k steps daily only burns about 800 calories. One Dole Whip and your in the hole. Sigh

 

[DLgal]

Sadly walking 30k steps daily only burns about 800 calories. One Dole Whip and your in the hole. Sigh

That is not accurate for everyone. If I walk 30000 steps at my pace, that translates to 15 miles, which will burn approximately 1300 calories.

A Dole Whip has 250 calories. It's actually one of the better treat options out there for people trying to watch their caloric intake.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Me and my husband just went keto 3 weeks ago we have a trip in 2 months. We are planning on reverting to non keto a week or so before than we can eat what we want than get back into keto when we are home. I can't go to Disney and not eat all them good carbs would be torture.!

I just started keto myself and was planning on the same thing, part of what we love about our Disney vacations is the FOOD! lol

I usually don't deprive myself on vacay either however I don't practice keto but have years ago. If you are truly in ketosis prior to your vacay and reintroduce all those carbs back into your diet, you will likely experience some keto flu so just be prepared to not feel very well. You may want to reverse out of ketosis prior to your trips. But when you're running the test strips and your body is really utilizing your fat as fuel, your body has a tough time rebalancing what you've done. It's not fun.