Top Tips for Healthy Eating Whilst in Orlando, Florida

: Healthy tomato & buffalo mozzarella salad

It really does not have to be all burgers, hot dogs and fries during your holiday to Orlando, Florida. There are so many great healthy eating options available whether you are cooking at your vacation villa in Orlando, eating at the parks, or dining out at one of the many restaurants in the Disney, Orlando area.

: Ingredients for Healthy Eating

If you plan to rent a villa in Orlando for your vacation then you will be able to take full advantage of the local Publix or Wal-Mart store and stock up your vacation home fridge with fresh fruit, salads, vegetables etc. We usually stop off at Wal-Mart or Publix on our way from the airport to our vacation villa. We like to pick up a Rotisserie chicken and a salad for a healthy alfresco dinner by the pool on our first evening in Florida. The deli at Wal-Mart is extremely good for cooked meats and cheeses which are great for packing up picnics for days at the parks or days at the beach. We like Publix for fresh fish – Tilapia is a favourite and is good oven baked with herbs and then served with a simple salad and lemon juice. Bread is generally sweetened so it is worth checking the packaging as some of the multi grain “healthy breads” are much lower in sugar or have no added sugar. The Italian, French and Cuban breads from the fresh bakery section in Wal-Mart are also very good.

Our kids like to make pancakes for that all American breakfast when they are in Florida, we usually get the Hungry Jacks Whole-wheat Complete Pancake mix and Sugar Free Pancake syrup. I usually then like to get some whole-wheat breakfast cereal and put it in to small bags for mid morning snacks whilst at the parks.

One of the things we like best about renting a villa in Florida is being able to Barbeque by the pool and enjoy a relaxed, healthy alfresco meal with a nice chilled glass of wine, whilst watching a beautiful Florida sunset.

It’s also good to stock up on bottles of water from the supermarket and chill them in the full size fridge at your vacation rental villa, ready to take out to the parks. We often freeze some bottles of water too so that we have chilled water with us all day long....this can save $$$$ on buying bottled water in the parks. It is important to make sure that everyone drinks lots of water in the Florida heat so ensure you always have bottles of water with you.

Food offerings at the parks vary from fast food outlets to full service restaurants. There are healthy options available in all parks....check out the park maps. If you can, pack a healthy lunch or at least some healthy snacks so that you are less tempted by the giant pretzels and the funnel cakes!!

NOTE
SeaWorld’s Aquatica Water Park does not allow you to take picnic lunches into the park.

: Healthy salads instead of fries

Restaurants we like when eating out:

Restaurant portions can be large however don’t be tempted to overeat, simply eat your normal serving and have the rest boxed to take home. You can then enjoy it for lunch the following day at your vacation rental home.

Substitute fries for salad and have any dressing served on the side.