Whats healthiest (lowfat/lo sodium) item on ea menu?

[imgoingtodisney]

Starting to look through the menus for the healthiest item for me (lowfat/low sodium) so Im ready once I step into the restaurants. I find when dining out if Im prepared w/what Im ordering its easier. Any suggestions? Do the servers/cooks really not mind leaving off sauces/etc?

 

[my3kids]

I honestly couldn't tell you 3 specific things I ate on the ship, much less the most healthy of all the options. There is a plain chicken breast or something at the bottom of every menu, I think. I'm sure the servers will be able to address specific questions at each meal.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

oh my - I am sooo in trouble - everything that I shouldnt be eating looks so delicious
Especially the sweet stuff at Parrot Cay!

 

[alexandrew]

relax...you are on vacation....throw caution to the wind and indulge for 7 days of your life....


marrone!!!!

 

[my3kids]

It is all good. My bet is you didn't book the cruise to eat plain chicken, and the different foods are all part of the experience. I would try what I wanted, in moderation. The portions really are not large. If you gain a pound or two, it isn't the end of the world, or of the diet....You pick back up on the more cautious path when you get home. You can have the wonderful, and unique foods, and still not gain much weight. Eat at the meals, but not all day long...walk up the stairs instead of the elevator. Enjoy the trip without trying to count every calorie.

 

[dmfuru]

You could stick to salads and items on the "lighter fare" menu.

 

[jiminy579]

imgoingtodisney,

Don't worry so much. You will find once on board there are so many things to keep you and your mind busy.....your tummy will be just fine!

Yes, the food is out of this world and within your grasp 24 hours a day, but with all of the activities, it seems to balance out. Coming from a woman who can't keep a lot of chocolate in the house because it beckons to me late at night, you will be fine!!!!

HAVE FUN!!!!

 

[Doctor P]

Portion control is the real key, I think. With my newly diagnosed Type II diabetes, I am asked to lose weight and to eat a healthy diet that is prescribed for me (it's very similar to Weight Watchers, but I need to each more complex carbs than I remember from Weight Watchers). Anyway, we have planned our second 7 night cruise for next September and I am very much looking forward to it. I did not make any real effort to eat healthy on our last cruise, and I found that looking back through the menus and what I ate I would have basically been fine except for a few of the desserts. I just would not have been able to eat the full portions at every one of the meals--that would have been fine, actually. For example, dinner entrees that I ate included beef tenderloin, grilled shrimp, seafood stew, baked lobster tail, mixed grill, and the veal chop. The mixed grill probably would have been the closest to a higher fat meal, especially because of the sausage. With the option for a grilled chicken breast at each dinner, you should find it pretty easy to find something you can and want to eat. Opt for smaller portions as much as possible and that should even make things so that you can have your cake and eat it too! Good luck.

 

[Lisa F]

I don't know about you, but I can't live on plain chicken breast and salads forever. I'm convinced that the only way to maintain a loss for the long term is to PLAN times to enjoy yourself and eat the foods you love. A cruise is a perfect time for that, because it is a special occasion. I have no problem whatsoever passing on high calorie foods when I know that a "treat" is coming up (even if it is months away) but if I feel like the rest of my life will be plain chicken and lettuce, I just want to give up.

When I go out to eat at a nice restaurant, I don't order things plain or without sauces, I count them. I start EVERY meal with a salad (dressing on the side) and a large glass of water to take the edge off my hunger. I don't go into any meal STARVING because then I will eat too much before I realize I am full. I eat slowly and savor each bite and stop when I am full. I order a dessert and have one or two bites and leave the rest (or share it with my husband).

Obsessing about food and setting up ultra strict rules for yourself is the surest way to fail in the long term on any "diet." You need ot re-learn how to eat and how to function in society. You need to realize that enjoying good food doesn't make you fat, but eating too much makes you fat. Everything in moderation, and you will be a lot happier than the cycle of eating chicken breast and lettuce til you want to scream and then binging on everything in sight when you can't take it anymore.

That said, I would pick ONE meal a day when you just eat what you want (starting with a salad and stopping when you are full). For breakfast I like to have an egg beater omelette because they are big and filling and fairly low calorie. For lunch, we generally hit the buffets and I will load up on salads and seafood type things (again, filling and lower in calories). Dressing always on the side and dip your fork into dressing before spearing salad. Be careful of premade salads as they will have lots of fat and calories. Seafood is not something I make for myself at home very often but it's even lower calorie/oz than chicken is (don't get me wrong, I like chicken, but I eat it all the time at home).

I've found the dinner portions to be quite reasonable on DCL. I would order things like shrimp cocktail, veggie appetizers or fruit salad, and green salad or veggie soup (like the gazpacho), and fish/seafood for my main course. I would stay away from anything fried, any cream soups, and red meat most nights (though I generally have the filet at Palo, oh and I also eat my entire dessert there too!). A little common sense goes a LONG way!

Lisa

 

[Masonpips]

my strategy includes:

1) eating loads of seafood and filling up on shrimp, shrimp cocktail, etc. first

2) sticking to recognizable foods: veggies (green beans, squash), meats, etc. Skip breaded items, breads themselves (unless you can see the grains i.e. multi-grain stuff)

3) think protein first - meats & cheese, then healthy carbs (veggies and fruits) then sugar carbs (dessert)

4) eat a few bites of dessert so you can try it, but don't finish it unless you're still hungry! (exception: souffle at Palo's)

5) Take the stairs at all times except formal night

6) walk on deck 4 a few times during the cruise

7) hit the exercise room a few times

 

[FredS]

Imgoingtodisney, I am with you. With several choices, all of which I might enjoy very much, I would love to know which ones have heavy sauces or lots of oil (which I would not like, not only because of the fat factor but I tend to prefer less oil, period.)

I didn't take her post to imply that she was planning on plain chicken and water!! Or that she was obsessing about dieting. Having some insider info about menu items which are "lighter" than others, or conversely something particularly rich or heavy (particularly if that might not be obvious from the menu listing) would be helpful.

I don't plan to deprive myself but, like imgoingtodisney, would like a bit more information to help make my choices. My choices definitely don't include the gym on board or eating tiny portions!