Healthy Food Options When on Vacation!

So I just got back from a fun, crazy weekend trip to Las Vegas! However, after 4 days out on vacation, I definitely ate a TON of CRAP food. In N Out, BBQ, Taco Bell, AYCE Sushi... just to name a few. And my body took a toll, because by the last day I just felt disgusting. And I knew so many people out there are going through the same problems as me this summer. You want to enjoy your vacation and it's so hard to resist all those bad foods! That is why I decided to make this blog post about some healthy alternatives that you can bring along while you are on vacation to keep you on track for your goal towards health and fitness!

Before I give you some snack/food options, here are some suggestions I have for when you are on vacation:

Stay Somewhere with a Kitchen

Our group stayed at the Tahiti Village in Las Vegas and the coolest part about this hotel room was that it had a kitchen! It came with a fridge, stove and microwave. If there is a kitchen, you can bring your own food which not only can save you a ton of $$ but you can keep eating healthy too! Anything that might be perishable (i.e veggies, soy milk, fruits, yogurt etc.) you can just stick in the fridge! How awesome is that. And by having a stove top, you can control how much oil and sauces you use in your meals! You might not be cooking for every meal (because let's be real, you are on VACATION), but at least try to cook some meals!

This is the exact room I stayed at the Tahiti Village! Having a kitchen was great!

Bring a Cooler Bag! (If There is No Kitchen)

 Now most hotels you stay at are not going to have a kitchen. If you're lucky you MIGHT have a mini fridge if that. So if you know you are just going on a weekend trip, bring yourself a cooler bag. When you first leave, make sure you have some ice packs in there, and once you get to your hotel room, bring some plastic baggies that you can fill with ice from the ice machine to stick in the cooler bag. You can pack some pre-made snacks (I shall list out later) that you can snack between meals so you don't starve yourself at any point. 

Don't Forget to DRINK WATER!

I know we're on vacation, but we can't forget to keep at our routine of drinking water!! Stick to drinking 8 or more cups of water a day. If you are out in the sun all day, you'll want to drink more to keep hydrated! 

Stay Motivated, Try as HARD as You Can to Not Be Persuaded!

This is something I struggle with not just on vacation, but on an every day basis. Not everyone of your friends is going to be as health conscious as you. Especially on vacation they are just going to tell you to "pig out!" "don't worry you're on vacation!" "one time won't hurt!"... and it's so hard to say no. But just remember, when you come back home and you've eaten all those bad foods, your body is going to pay for it. It's okay to "live a little" and splurge sometimes, but just remember your future goal towards fitness!

All You Can Eat (AYCE), Maybe Just Once?

When you're in Vegas, it's realllllly hard to avoid the AYCE buffet. I just went to one! Makino's sushi buffet. nomnomnom... So I get it! But, what you can do is, especially if it's just a weekend vacation, just go ONCE to the buffet, and when you're there, still eat all the healthy stuff! Try to salad bar and stick to fish, avoid fried, saucy, foods. And for dessert, instead of the chocolate ice cream, go for the fruit!!

Alright so I hope those were some helpful tips, I know I will definitely be taking my own tips into consideration when I go to Vegas in November (for the Marine Corps Ball!). So as promised, here are some healthy snack options that you can bring on your trip!! 

Healthy Snacks to Bring

• Brown Rice Cakes
• Apple Sauce (the above two make a GREAT healthy snack)
• Veggie Sticks (carrots, cucumbers, celery)
• Peanut Butter Sandwiches on 100% whole wheat/multigrain bread
• Fresh Fruit (apples, bananas, peaches, pineapples, strawberries... some of them you may have to keep in the fridge)
• Oatmeal (GREAT for breakfast, and if you bring the instant one you can just mix it with some hot water!)
• Pretzel Thins
• Hardboiled Eggs (this is something you might have to finish on the road trip there...might spoil)
• Canned Tuna (don't forget a can opener)
• Canned Veggies (corn, green beans)
• Cereal/Granola
• Yogurt (make sure you have somewhere to store it)
• Bottled Water!
• String Cheese
• Nuts/Trailmix (but make your own instead of buying the sugary ones)

I hope this helps! Comment below if you have anymore suggestions!