Once upon a time, I ate a Twix and drank a Sprite for
breakfast daily. I spent more time in fast
food restaurants than the gym. I grew up in my family’s fresh fish markets
and restaurants, so I knew how to cook and what healthier options were, but had
gotten lazy...really lazy. All of a
sudden, life changed. Due to the dietary
needs of my husband and daughter, I had to figure out how to feed my family
without being a short order cook. My
family began eating clean to not only for health reasons, but to save my sanity
and some money, too.
My beloved Dole Whip Float |
I am often asked how we continue to eat clean while visiting
Disney Parks. The short answer is that
it is dang near impossible. The long
answer is…well, long. The best thing to
do is explain what eating clean is, and then those of you who are frequent
guests of Disney parks can form your own opinion on the subject.
There are basic principles of what we consider eating
clean. In my opinion, it’s eating real
food including lots of fruits and vegetables, specifically those that are
organic. Meat is definitely allowed, but
preferably right from the butcher and not pre-packaged meat products. Avoid processed food. Processed food contains a million extra
ingredients necessary in preserving it over long periods of time. If you must buy processed, read the
labels. If there are contents that are
difficult to pronounce, leave it on the grocery shelf. Do not shy away from grains. There is a lot of information about why
grains should be avoided, but sticking to complete, organic grains are a safe
bet.
This can be quite overwhelming at first, it certainly was
for me! I had a rough time giving up
McDonald’s fries and just the other day actually pulled into the drive thru
because my tummy was rumbling. Once I
rolled the window down to order and the smell billowed into my car, I promptly
excused myself from the line. Those of
you who follow my blog know that I have a love affair with Dole Whip floats,
and despite my attempts to avoid them, Adventureland is my first stop as soon
as I check in to my resort and my last stop before the dreaded ride home.
Gluten free and organic snacks at Sunshine Seasons |
Rather than torture ourselves, we make plans before leaving
home. The fresh fruit offered at kiosks
around the parks are heavily waxed and not organic. We arrange for a grocery delivery service so
we get produce delivered to our resort and it is taken daily to avoid
purchasing lots of expensive and unhealthy snacks, even though there are a few
organic options being offered. We make
advanced dining reservations at table service restaurants that we know serve
fresh, locally sourced items such as California Grill, The Wave, Kouzzina, Coral
Reef, Tokyo Dining, Hollywood Brown Derby, Jiko, Boma, Flying Fish Cafe and Garden Grill, which I have yet to get a reservation
for. Any table service restaurant is a
great option and if you ask, the cooking staff is happy to tell you how their
food is sourced and make changes/offer suggestions if you would prefer
something else.
Seared Scallops, California Grill |
Quick service restaurants are more likely to have processed
food, the hot dogs at Casey’s Corner is a good example. We've been to the parks annually for at least
ten years and this year was the first time I ordered a hot dog. While it was delicious, my stomach quickly
reminded me that I should not have eaten it.
Since I was at the Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest would have been a better
option, if the line weren't so long.
Other good quick service options are Flame Tree Barbecue at Animal
Kingdom, Sunshine Seasons and Katsura Grill at Epcot, and ABC Commissary at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Enjoying some fun food at Le Cellier |
Here’s what it all boils down to. For those of you already eating clean, great,
but you’re on vacation, live a little!
Have a Dole Whip, an ice cream bar, maybe even a hot dog or a waffle
sandwich slathered with nutella. Fun
food is a great treat when you are on vacation.
You don’t have to totally compromise your lifestyle to have a good time. For the rest who are striving to be clean
eaters, or just want to be healthier, Disney parks are a great way to start
paying attention to what you eat since cast members are so willing to share
what the ingredients are, and even give you other options, and that isn't always the case at your neighborhood bar and grill.
Have fun, eat well and enjoy the parks!
You are good Lottie! I'm lucky to get in 1 healthy option on some days. Lol
ReplyDeleteKelly,
DeleteIf you want to eat better, take it one day at a time. Give up something small first, like vending machines & progress from there. I hear things become habits at 21 days. I'm no where near where I'd like to be; you'd better believe all bets are off during Christmas dinner.
This is great Lottie! I joined emeals.com for the clean eating recipes and was happily surprised to find that it's really not as difficult as I thought. I must admit that since we don't do it because we HAVE to, that all rules go out the window on vacation!
ReplyDelete