Eating Your Way through the Vacation Buffet

Take a deep breath—it’s time for vacation! Healthy eating might be the last thing you want to think about with your toes in the sand and a cocktail in hand. But if your R&R plans are taking you to an all-inclusive resort or cruise, it’s really easy to get out of sync with your usual eating habits, and indulge on the many tempting food options. Here’s how to treat yourself without completely overdoing it at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

7 Healthy Tips for Tackling the Buffet

Only hit the buffet once per day. You should never feel guilty about enjoying a few special occasion meals and treats. But not every vacation meal has to be a heavy one! If you’re going big on brunch, balance that by ordering à la carte for dinner.

Don’t show up starving. If you sleep so late that you barely make breakfast, or skip snacks because you’re looking forward to a luxurious dinner, you’re doing your stomach a disservice. Try to keep some semblance of regular mealtimes, and set yourself up with healthy snacks between.

Check out your options. Before you dig into that first steaming dish, take a walk through the dining room, and get a sense of your choices. That way, you can spot your favorites and make room for them, rather than piling on more … and more.

Grab a plate, not a tray. Do you really need five different plates of food? Probably not! One standard dinner plate helps set limits—as long as you still pay attention to portion sizes, and don’t build a mountain out of mashed potatoes.

Fill half of your plate with plants, right away. If you stick to that one plate, it’s easy to visualize the classic nutrition advice: fill up half with fresh fruits and veggies, leaving a quarter for lean protein, a quarter for whole grains.

Try different stations every day. Overwhelmed with all of the options, from eggs, waffles, and pastries to pasta, pizza, roast beef, and sushi? Pick one station every day, so if you hit waffles on Monday, save the bagel bar for Tuesday. By rotating through, you’ll still feel like you get a chance to try everything.

Try to resist return trips. Pick a table at the edge of the room, so you can focus on that gorgeous view of the ocean! If you can’t see and smell all that food, you’ll be less tempted to keep swinging back for more. And remember, not every meal has to end with ice cream.

Your Best Choices at Every Meal

Starting to get the idea? With those healthy tips in mind, here are some specific suggestions and better choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

At breakfast, set yourself up for success. Get good protein from eggs and plain Greek yogurt, skipping salty processed meats, like sausage, bacon, and ham. Resist covering eggs in hollandaise or cheese! Try a veggie omelet or scramble, made with two eggs. Hit whole grains with oatmeal, granola, bran cereal, whole-wheat toast or bagels, or maybe a bran muffin or oat scone—any pastry means butter, but these offer redeeming fiber. Pick whole fruit over juice, grabbing grapefruit, honeydew, or cantaloupe. And drink plenty of water, to start your day hydrated and happy.

At lunch, keep up the good momentum. Steer clear of burgers and fries, and go for grilled, broiled, baked, or steamed options. Again, you want protein, veggies, and grains, so that could look like a big salad with grilled chicken or fish, a turkey or chicken sandwich with plenty of greens, or a veggie and bean soup. Decide whether you want dessert now, or if you’d rather wait for an afternoon treat or dessert with dinner. Skip the soda fountain, and snag a piece of fruit, like a banana, for your afternoon snack.

For dinner, compromise. Say no thanks to bisque and brie and focus on light starters instead, enjoying the salad bar and fresh seafood, like shrimp or crab cocktail. Go for grilled fish or lean steak for your main, but eat a reasonable portion, with a big side of veggies. Pass on white pasta or potatoes drenched in cream, and tuck into a whole-grain roll from the bread basket. Or skip carbs altogether to indulge in a glass of wine or a chocolate dessert. When it comes to alcohol, a glass of wine, light beer, or a spritzer is a better choice than a big cocktail brimming with sugar and calories.

Most important, even if you’re in full-on vacation mode, you can still listen to your body. “Just because you see it, doesn’t mean you need to eat it,” says Fitbit nutritionist Tracy Morris. “Say it with me: Step away from the buffet! Tomorrow is another day!” You might even enjoy your trip more, if you take her advice. Lighter meals mean more energy for awesome active adventures, like beautiful beach runs, paddleboard yoga, breathtaking headland hikes, and wandering through little towns. All of those steps will help to offset the occasional ice cream cone or cocktail, and make it less of a shock when you step onto the scale when you get back home.