This post was written by Jimmy Smith who also writes on Online Schools
Back in the days of the early explorers, travel was driven by the stomach. Marco Polo followed the silk road to gain spices, and Portuguese sailors looked for trade routes to more easily bring tea and other goods from India and the Far East.
Food, and items to help make food taste better, encouraged the exploration of other cultures, and today, not much has changed. Modern-day travelers choose destinations not just on sights and attractions but on unique foods that cannot be found anywhere else at the same quality.
However, enjoyment of new tastes should not lead to overeating, and for too many travelers, it often does. Indulge, but don’t overindulge, by following these vacation eating dos and don’t s to strike a happy balance after just a little thought and planning.
Do:
* Pack healthy, tasty snacks for long travel times. Bring granola bars, fruit, and other healthy, filling snacks for long plane, train, and bus rides. The food offered on planes and trains is overpriced, unhealthy, and simply not very good. Save the $7 or 8 major airlines now ask for a sub-par meal and pack yourself a sandwich, or skip the candy bars and peanuts on the train and bite into a juicy ripe apple.
* Eat with the locals. Particularly abroad, restaurants that cater toward Western tourists go for the worst of our diets: gigantic portions of fried food at exorbitant prices. Instead, skip the global chains or American-themed restaurants and eat locally. Find local cuisine by simply asking around: natives will be more than happy to share their favorites with foreigners. Local eateries will be cheaper, have better portion sizes, use better ingredients, and taste a whole lot better. Who wants to eat familiar foods on vacation anyways?
* Sample local fast(er) food. Each region or country has their own type of fast food, but thankfully, most are not as unhealthy as our country’s average deep-fried offerings. For a quick lunch at a cheap price, see what curb-side carts and trucks have to offer. Get handmade tamales in Mexico, small pizzas in Italy, or awesome baguette sandwiches in France.
* Frequent bars and pubs. The bar food of America is greasy and overpriced, but in other parts of the world offer some of the best-priced homestyle dining available. In Spain get tapas, small snacks that will fill you up and are usually included with drink orders, or in China get a homemade bowl of noodles and humbow.
Don’t:
* Let your waiter talk you into special “tourist” menus. These multi-course menus are pricey and offer too much food, often dishes geared toward tourists that leave off local offerings. Unless in Spain, where these menus can be a steal and are what the locals eat for lunch, order off the normal menu, one dish at a time.
* Eat out every meal. Restaurants are pricey, and if you’re on a long trip, at some point you’ll probably crave simple favorites. Go to a grocery store or market and pack yourself a picnic for a day in the park, or stock the fridge in the hotel room. It’ll help you control your portions and eat healthier. And don’t feel like you’re cheating yourself out of cultural delicacies: markets are great for finding fresh, native fruits and vegetables, and ingredients for sandwiches may include very high quality breads, meats, and cheeses.
* Splurge on drinks at every meal. It may be tempting to grab a bottle of wine with each dinner or several pitchers of beer — savoring local spirits or simply celebrating being on vacation is certainly allowed — but don’t go overboard at every meal. Get a glass instead of a bottle or a pint instead of a pitcher. No matter where you go in the world, drinks are overpriced, and restaurants are out to get you — and so are empty carbohydrates.
* Eat alone. If traveling independently, or needing some time away from the group, don’t eat alone. You’ll rush through your meal, eating more than you need to be full. Instead, find friends or make some. Conversation allows you to slow down when eating, giving your body a better chance to tell if you’re full. Even better, eat family style and share small portions of a bunch of different tasty local offerings.
