Tips for Eating Healthy on Family Vacation this Summer
Summer break is upon us here in Canada. While our Foundation has covered how to prevent learning loss during the seasonal stretch, there is another area that parents want to be mindful of at this time of the year, especially as it applies to family vacations; nutrition loss!
While family vacations in the summer are certainly supposed to be enjoyable free-spirited experiences, there is a tendency to take the foot of the gas when it comes to keeping kids fueled with important vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats. From the minute households head for the airport or open road, home-cooked meals are tossed out the window and replaced with easily accessible fast food, theme park treats, and vending machine snacks.
What’s a family to do? Is there a way to eat healthy on vacation, without diluting the footloose feeling of a summer holiday? Absolutely! Check out the tips below.
Five Practical Tips to Eating Healthy While Your Family is Away on Vacation this Summer
Accommodations with Kitchens
One of the best things about the rise of the short term rental industry, is that families who opt-in have access to more than a hotel mini-fridge and microwave when on vacation. Research shows that nearly 90% of Airbnb listings feature a kitchen. By choosing a rental over a hotel/resort, your family can plan and prepare healthier breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
If there are no grocery stores in walking distance and you don’t have a vehicle, download an international food delivery app such as UberEats, Instacart, and DoorDash. These services don’t just pickup and deliver from restaurants, they offer grocery delivery from a variety of stores, including supermarkets and specialized grocers such as WholeFoods and others that feature healthier options.
Equally beneficial, is the fact that you’ll save money not just by eating-in more often, but by choosing a rental over a hotel/resort. While price differences vary significantly based on location, Airbnb stays are typically more affordable than hotels/resorts, with an average nightly rate of $156 compared to $208 for hotels. Worried about what the kids may say about eating in more often while on vacation? Let them know that the money saved by staying in a rental and buying groceries can be put towards an abundance of super-fun vacation activities and attractions. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Download Schedule of Farmers’ Markets at Your Vacation Destination
Farmers’ markets aren’t just a great place to get healthy and natural food, they are highly entertaining places to visit while in a new town, city, province/state, or country. While you’re selecting nutritious fruits, vegetables, and proteins (dairy, meat, et cetera), your kids will enjoy all of the rest that is typically found at summertime farmers markets, such as artisan crafts, games, live music, and more.
Planning ahead is the key to integrating farmers’ market visits on summer vacation. While the number varies by destination, there are typically more than a dozen weekly markets in medium to large metropolises. For instance, East-Coasters traveling to our coastal nook of western Canada will be pleased to know that the City of Vancouver currently has 16 farmers’ markets on deck for the season. Or, a health-conscious BC household heading to Southern California for summer break will be beyond delighted to learn that there are nearly 170 farmers’ markets within Los Angeles County alone!
Perform an online search for markets at each destination that you plan to travel to this summer. Identify those that your family is most interested in, based upon what they see from the Instagram profile of each. From there, create a schedule and download it to the smartphones/tablets of every family member so that you’re all aware of when and where the next market is.
Visit a Farm at Your Vacation Destination
Farmers’ markets are great, but if you really want to get the kids excited about choosing healthy food on summer vacation, add farm visits to your destination itinerary too. There are numerous farms offering visits near major vacation destinations in Canada, the U.S., and around the world. Online research will identify farms with activities, animal encounters, and as per the intent and purpose of this article – options for your family to select, gather, and pick its own food. Open up your Google search browser and type in “farm visits (add destination city)” to unveil healthy opportunities for exploration, fun, and satisfied tummies!
Pack Snacks for the Days’ Adventures
In each of the instances above, we provided guidance for how your vacationing household can bring healthy food back to the accommodation. However, there will be plenty of times that your brood won’t be anywhere near the property, for hours on end. To cover these periods, prepare healthy and portable snacks that can be carried in backpacks and fanny-packs (yes, they have made a comeback) so that they can be accessed whenever hunger pangs strike on hikes and shopping excursions alike.
Premade shakes blended with banana, berries, and even a natural health supplement powder or oil (see below) is also a great idea. These days, nearly every child, pre-teen, and teen has their very own vacuum-insulated, stainless steel water bottle (i.e. YETI, Hydro Flask, etc.). These trendy vessels are designed for outdoor adventures and are known for their ability to keep drinks cold for extended periods.
Pack Supplements
Natural health supplements are a great addition to your strategy to eat healthier during a family vacation. There are quick, convenient, tasty, and kid-friendly chewable multivitamins, easy-to-mix protein powders, and teaspoon-able essential oils that will keep everyone feeling great and energized.
Are you traveling internationally? Check that supplements are permitted and sold in any country that you’re traveling to, just to ensure that you’re not violating any regulations by transporting them to the destination. Multivitamins are generally OK. If you prefer to err on the side of caution and give customs agents an excuse to poke through your packed underwear, simply visit a health supplement store when you get to where you’re going to buy reputable products. For example, if your household enjoys Natural Factors products, and is traveling to the United States, you can use this store locator to find out where to buy them in-store.
Bonus Tip: You’re on vacation, so it’s totally fine to allow your kids (and yourself) to enjoy sugary and sweet snacks in moderation. That being said, we encourage you to treat these treats as rewards for participating in physical activities while on vacation. This will grow your kids’ enthusiasm to go on a bike ride, enjoy a hike, go snorkeling, take a surf lesson, or any other physical activity that is available at a given destination, instead of hanging around the hotel/rental to play on their smartphones/tablets.
We hope everything above was helpful. Meanwhile, please note that the Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation inspires and promotes healthy living and learning for kids across Canada. You can help us help the next generation by pledging your support too! View more on how you can get involved.
