My Experience Eating Healthy at Disney World
Walt Disney World has some incredible, totally unhealthy foods. There are also plenty of ways to eat healthy at Disney restaurants without consuming nothing but boring and bland salads. This post covers my recent quest to eat good food, while sticking to a somewhat healthy diet while visiting Walt Disney World.
I know, this is heresy. “Calories don’t count on vacation” is a popular mantra, but in fact-checking it, I’ve discovered it might not be true. To my surprise, it’s also not true that healthy food at Walt Disney World is boring, bland, or borderline inedible. Before we dig into that, I should probably offer an explanation as to why I’m writing about healthy living.
If you did a double-take when you saw this post title, assuming it was clickbait or perhaps a late April Fool’s entry, I don’t blame you. This blog has long celebrated all things gluttonous, and has been a leading advocate in the crusade to eat cupcakes for breakfast and ice cream multiple times per day at Walt Disney World. Seeing this post on this blog might feel like a *record scratch* *freeze frame* kinda deal. Yup, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I found myself eating healthy at Walt Disney World…
Unfortunately, during a visit to the doctor earlier this year, I was questioned about my normal dietary intake. It was an offhand query, but when I answered honestly, my doctor had a horrified look and drew my labs. Turns out, I have high cholesterol. I was just as shocked as you are–who could’ve possibly known that a steady diet of theme park food, ramen, In-N-Out burgers, and soft serve was unhealthy?! (The moral of this story: always lie to your doctor.)
In any case, I was advised that I needed to change my diet. Over the last few months, I’ve done exactly that, although probably not to an excessive degree. When we’re home, my diet is mostly “plant-forward.” When we’re traveling, it’s about 50/50 in terms of healthiness, but I don’t hesitate to eat things that are ridiculous. From my perspective, good food is essential to a good life. I’m perfectly willing to cut some jun, but not all of the fattening masterpieces that put a smile on my face.
To that end, on our recent Walt Disney World trip, I made a concerted effort to eat healthier with that 50/50 approach. This proved to be a herculean task, because I was tempted by so many delicious-looking foods. Once I powered through the temptation, I was surprised that the healthier options I ordered were much better than expected. Here’s some of what I had, followed by overall thoughts on eating healthy at Walt Disney World…
The first step to eating healthier didn’t require sacrificing much of anything. We ate large breakfasts, with plenty of fruit and vegetables. As fruit at the in-park stands is expensive (and portions are ridiculously small), we opted to order groceries. This is fairly par for the course for us.
In our Getting Groceries at Walt Disney World post (and elsewhere) I’ve covered how we normally do breakfast in our hotel room to save money. Walt Disney World breakfast is typically bad, so I have zero regrets about doing this over buying items at the food court or in the parks. It saves money, calories, and time. There’s almost no downside.
We followed our same breakfast strategy as normal, but also ordered additional fruits and carrots this time and ate larger breakfasts in our room. I also tried to carry an apple and protein bars with me into the parks everyday, which replaced my normal pre-lunch cupcake snack. (I didn’t have a single cupcake on this trip, which was a huge victory as compared to the norm.)
Although it’s not a new approach for us, we also carried coffee sticks in lieu of ordering Coke for caffeination purposes. We each use about 3 of these per day rather than ordering large Cokes, which is a decent amount of empty calories.
While I absolutely love Coca-Cola, those are “unnecessary” calories and an unnecessary expense that we cut from our trip budgets a couple years ago.
One of the things I was dreading the most was ordering salads at counter service restaurants instead of my normal entree choices. I know from Sarah’s experiences that salads have improved dramatically in the last few years, and are no longer just iceberg lettuce with a small ration of vegetables tossed in for color, but I still wasn’t looking forward to this.
Nonetheless, I was surprised at just how good some of these salads tasted. Although quinoa is my long-time nemesis, the Vegetable Quinoa Salad at Electric Umbrella was especially tasty, and arguably one of the standout items on the menu. (It took every fiber of my being not to order the Brisket Sandwich.)
Also in Epcot, I ordered the Vegan Korma with Gardein Meatless Chik’n at Sunshine Seasons. I was incredibly skeptical of this, but it was good. The spicy curry masked the flavor of the “Chik’n” and that helped fake the flavor of meat. The end result was much better than I expected.
With that said, I was selective about where I ordered salads. Since I am not “all in” on this whole healthy eating thing, I did choose unhealthy meals about half of the time. Basically, whenever the salad or vegetarian options sounded suspect, I just fell back to my tried and true favorites.
The Vegan Korma with Gardein Meatless Chik’n at Sunshine Seasons is what I’d view as an “extreme” meal. I wanted to order the salmon, which I love and is sufficiently healthy, but that ordering bay was inexplicably closed during our visit. In retrospect, I’m glad I tried the Vegan Korma to “expand my horizons,” but I’d opt for the salmon going forward.
In general, ordering salmon is a good tip for eating healthier at Walt Disney World. There’s understandable apprehension about ordering counter service salmon, but our experience with it has been pretty good at Sunshine Seasons, Columbia Harbour House, and ABC Commissary.
Another solid choice for ‘do it yourself’ healthy meals is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn. Several menu items are particularly healthy, and there are several items on the toppings bar that further increase the healthiness of these entrees.
Ordering one of the rice bowls and then loading with toppings is an inexpensive, filling, and healthy choice in Magic Kingdom.
Sarah advised me that my customization choices in ordering the Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl at Satu’li Canteen made it “not healthy.”
I feel like I deserve the win here. Compared to what I wanted to eat (St. Louis Rib Dinner at Flame Tree BBQ), this dish was healthy. From my perspective, making healthier choices deserves some points. It’s all relative, right?
Saying I always ate healthy during our stay at Port Orleans French Quarter would be disingenuous. While I did have the above salad one day, I also had Beignet Ice Cream Sundae. Remember, this is the 50/50 approach, not extreme dieting.
When I didn’t order salads, I tried to order my food as an “entree-only” or with a side of fruit. The entree-only move is a tip we’ve shared in other posts, but it doesn’t work everywhere.
You also might recall from our Woody’s Lunch Box Review that even though we were able to get those decidedly unhealthy sandwiches without sides, I ended up eating pretty much everything because Sarah ate at Ample Hills on our walk to DHS. (In my overzealous effort to be healthy, I didn’t eat any Ample Hills this trip, and I regret it on a daily basis.)
In the past, I’ve been averse to ordering fruit at Walt Disney World, as you receive a pathetic amount as compared to fries. That’s still my opinion (and I further believe that if Disney were doing more than paying lip service to their healthy living initiative, they’d make the fruit sides more appealing), but I did it anyway in a couple of situations when no-side was not an option.
Normally, if I wanted to eat healthy at Walt Disney World, avoiding buffets would be my course of action. They’re too conducive to excessive consumption, as I always want to get the most ‘bang for my buck.’ Nevertheless, we did 1900 Park Fare this trip.
My strategy here was starting with a large plate of fruits, followed by some items I seldom pick at buffets because I consider them filler that gets in the way of the meats. (Seriously, look at any of our past reviews from buffets–it’s very easy to see which photos are of my plate and which are Sarah’s!)
In fairness, I still ate a bunch of junk at the 1900 Park Fare buffet, but part of that is “necessary” to providing thorough and useful reviews.
Reviewing a buffet based upon the fruits and vegetables would be about as useless as a vegetarian reviewing a steakhouse. In the end, I’m betting I consumed about half as many calories at 1900 Park Fare as I would’ve on a normal trip. Thus, another victory even if I did eat a bowl of strawberry soup that probably had like 2,483 calories in it.
I was pleasantly surprised with my experience eating healthier at Walt Disney World. Obviously, I didn’t go all out, but I feel my balanced approach suited me well, and allowed me to still have a lot of ‘fun with food.’ On our next visit, this probably won’t be quite as easy, since the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will be underway and there are a ton of the Halloween snacks that I “have” to eat. I’m still going to make an effort to balance that out with lighter and healthy dishes.
Moreover, and as much as I hate to admit it, I felt better after several of the meals on this trip. Quite often, I eat too much (another shock, I know!). This makes me feel lethargic, and I just want to ride the PeopleMover or sit in air-conditioned stage shows afterwards. Not that there’s anything wrong with that approach, but there’s definitely something to be said for having extra pep in your step while at Walt Disney World. Had I actually done a hardcore vegetarian diet, perhaps my body would’ve felt even better.
On the other hand, I doubt my mind would’ve been happier. I definitely had fewer memorable dining experiences on this Walt Disney World trip. The best salad cannot hold a candle to even the worst burger. (I feel like that’s a line from the Gospel According to Ron Swanson.) I have vegetarian friends who claim “you can’t taste a difference” in whatever meatless stuff they’re eating, but that’s patently false. Once you become habituated to salads and vegan dishes, you think they taste delicious. Then BAM, one tender porterhouse and it’s like upgrading from a 1960s RCA black & white television console to a Samsung 88″ 8K UltraHD model.
Ultimately, this is why I was satisfied with my 50/50 healthy approach. I ate healthy enough so that I felt better, but unhealthy enough so I also felt happier. Even after I “cure” my high cholesterol, I’ll probably stick with such an approach. Unfortunately, I’m not getting any younger. It seems like the good ole days of a cupcake for breakfast followed by an ice cream cookie sandwich for brunch followed by a burger for lunch followed by poutine fries for an afternoon snack and so on without any negative consequences are probably behind me. If I manage to keep this 50/50 approach up, I’ll do updates with healthy options I try (and enjoy) on future trips to Walt Disney World.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you eat healthy at Walt Disney World? What are some of your favorite healthier options at WDW restaurants? Any other tips for those who want to trim some calories from their Disney diets? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m so grateful for this post Tom, my husband is a lot like Sarah, it was his first trip to the US in 2015 and he still hasn’t stopped moaning about how awful the food is, everything is beige and fried and we only ever saw corn or broccoli served at restaurants. We are going back to WDW in Feb 2019 and I’ve literally spent the last year researching healthy options in park and healthy eating places outside the parks just so I don’t have to listen to his whinging! I know you don’t have kids but I really struggle with the kids menus, the healthy options are often things our kids won’t eat but the other options are always the same, nuggets, a burger or mac n cheese 🙁 I had to google what an uncrustable was and was just speechless that they are considered a healthy option :/
My favorite healthy snack at WDW is mini Babybel cheese and cherry tomatoes. I’ve bought them at DAK and HS, pretty sure I’ve seen them at MK too. We also take in manadarin oranges. My favorite breakfast buffet is Boma. I only eat from the first 2 buffet bars. I have roasted tomatoes, asparagus, pap w/ stewed tomatoes, bobotie (eggs w/ veggies), carved turkey and corn beef hash. The hash might be the one unhealthy item. I’m not really sure about it, but hey, I’m doing better than 50/50 😉 Also, I drink tons and tons and tons of water. I’ve lost 60 pounds in the past 4 months. I’ve made 2 Disney trips during those 4 months. It’s definitely possible to eat healthy. I always narrow down my “silly junk” foods to my most wanted. I force myself to eat the healthy foods first so that I’m already full by the time I reach the “silly” foods. Good luck with your quest to eat healthier!
Congrats on your weight loss! You seem to have the key to healthy eating!
Just wanted to give you some words of encouragement and kudos on “re-imagining” your diet! My husband and I made similar changes years ago when it became apparent my husband, who has a family history of high cholesterol and a love of delicious (aka horrible for you) foods, could either start taking cholesterol medication in his 20s or change his evil ways. In our experience, something like your 50/50 approach is a great way to create a lifestyle you can actually live with long term! One negative comment — NEVER compromise when it comes to Ample Hills. It’s dairy. Do it for your bone health.
Great post, I’ve been vegetarian and had FL WDW season passes for 10 years and you discovered 2 vegan options I wasn’t aware of!
It might interest you to know that cholesterol in food is NOT what raises serum cholesterol. Go ahead and enjoy those steaks, eggs, shrimp, etc.
Cholesterol is NOT a problem, it is a symptom, the cause of which is also the cause of health issues that have been blamed on cholesterol. The cause of both high serum cholesterol AND cardiac issues is inflammation. The cause of inflammation is mostly dietary – but not fats! It’s from sugars. All sugars from all sources, to include grains and starches.
So, unfortunately, ice cream remains on the “bad food” list, but not because of the fatty cream, but because of the sugar. Cheeseburgers are bad, not because of the meat, the cheese, or even the bacon, but because of the bun.
Your doctor won’t tell you this because he/she has been heavily educated that everything can be cured with a pill, and their go-to for high cholesterol is to prescribe statins, which introduce a whole new set of problems from side effects.
I completely agree! Sugar and grains, that turn into sugar the minute you consume them, are the culprit. And I can attest that eating Grain free at Walt Disney World is not hard. Sugar free is very hard! But I try to eat 90% sugar free and just splurge on things I absolutely can not get anywhere else. And eating Gluten Free at Walt Disney World is very tasty!
“Your doctor won’t tell you this because he/she has been heavily educated that everything can be cured with a pill, and their go-to for high cholesterol is to prescribe statins, which introduce a whole new set of problems from side effects.”
Perhaps one benefit of me ‘keeping it real’ with my doctor is that he does the same with me. He specifically said that there’s no reason someone as active as me and with my health history should need to take Lipitor (or anything like it)–that what I need to do is start by addressing my diet.
Other than that, thanks for the info about sugars and their impact on cholesterol–I’ll have to read more about that!
I am a physician of 30 years (internal medicine), one of the concerns I have in the “internet era”, is the astounding amount of advice/mis-advice that can be found. Some is driven by fear, some paranoia, some plain old being misinformed.
For patients trying to make reasonable decisions regarding their health care this can be overwhelming. What is even more fun is the things we advise you to do today can in the future be refuted. (And in my years of practice this has occurred with some frequency). I do believe we should all function with some basic common sense, but, definitely rely upon well established organizations to guide recommendations for all of our health. There are very reliable sites to visit for dietary recommendations, the American Heart Assoc, The Diabetes Assoc, etc. In our hospitals and all of our offices we rely on a source called, appropriately, UpToDate. I just looked to see for you and your readers, there is a patient portal but is via subscription only. I apologize I do not know the cost. (Probably not cheap)!
Regarding Elle’s advice on eating all of the fats you would like, lipid (cholesterol) management is a very complex process. Even within our resources you will find conflicting information that will include the gamut of dietary supplements to decreased carb and fat intake, etc. But with that said, without having certain medical diagnoses including diabetes, known vascular disease or very elevated lipids, (I was joking with you in a prior post), but numbers and other factors, do go into calculating your risk for vascular disease. (We actually use an app that anyone can download and use that can tell you if you should consider lifestyle changes vs medical therapy). Most doctors will not “go to a pill”, (unless you have some of the above medical problems), but will initially recommend lifestyle changes as it appears your doctor has done for you.
Big take home message is no one should listen to anyone (including me), except their trusted health care provider and any resources they may refer you to.
Thank you Cynthia for your well-articulated and constructive reply!
May I suggest Columbia Harbour House at Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, so far the healthiest option I’ve found.
We will be in DW the first week in October, so I read your post about getting the most out of snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan. I felt like I had gained 10lbs just looking at all the options on the top 10 list. The 50/50 approach makes sense and I’ll “try” to follow it. Thanks Tom. Your blog has been very helpful in planning this trip with my family.
I really appreciate the post on healthy eating! Have you ever considered doing a post on how Disney accommodates special dietary needs? My son has Crohn’s Disease and has a very strict diet. We are planning a trip in October and I’m nervous how it will go. I’ve done a lot of research, and most of what I find online focuses on table service restaurants. We have the free quick-service dining, so won’t be using too many table service restaurants. I’ve spoken with Disney directly, and they have been very good helping me develop a strategy. Still, we won’t know until we get there!
David:
Have you considered upgrading your Free Quick Service dining to Disney table service dining (with one quick, 1 table and 2 snacks per day)? There is a charge, but we find it worth the extra cash.
We are going at the end of September. I upgraded our free Quick Service to the table service dining plan.
My son has celiac so he cannot eat gluten.
In my experience from our trip 5 years ago, the Quick Service locations will help you and you will be safe but the table service locations go well out of their way at helping and making you comfortable.
We really got used to the chef coming out to our table and if it was a buffet, walking my wife and kids through everything everything being served then going back to the kitchen to make everything fresh for them.
It took longer than “eat and run”, but the piece of mind that my family was safe made up for it ten times over.
We are a family that really cannot go out to eat often due to all of the pitfalls of having to eat safely.
When we get to Disney, they roll out the red carpet. I can’t quite explain the feeling of knowing my family is eating well and safe while being treated like royalty.
My most frustrating part of planning is the counter service meals. The counter service locations have allergy friendly menus. Because menu items may change, the allergy friendly menus are not published. It is the hardest part of our trip to nail down. You cannot be sure what you can get at a quick service location until you talk to a manager.’
By the way, Bricker – your blog rocks!
Greg,
Thank you for sharing your experience! You are the first person I’ve heard from with experience with quick service. We considered upgrading, but it would be and extra $1000 that I doubt we can swing (although I’d certainly love to). I’ve done a lot of research on it and I have a plan. Anyplace that serves straight up roasted meat is great. Plain hamburger patties are easy to come by, and a few counter service use Chedder cheese (which is “legal”) and not American cheese (which is “illegal”). Disney sent me a list of counter service restaurant that are much larger and better able to accommodate us, so I am trusting that everything will work out alright.
And I agree, Briker’s blogs are great! I’m an avid reader!
Greg,
Thank you for sharing your experience! You are the first person I’ve heard from with experience with quick service. We considered upgrading, but it would be and extra $1000 that I doubt we can swing (although I’d certainly love to). I’ve done a lot of research on it and I have a plan. Anyplace that serves straight up roasted meat is great. Plain hamburger patties are easy to come by, and a few counter service use Chedder cheese (which is “legal”) and not American cheese (which is “illegal”). Disney sent me a list of counter service restaurant that are much larger and better able to accommodate us, so I am trusting that everything will work out alright.
And I agree, Bricker’s blogs are great! I’m an avid reader!
David, I have celiac (medically gluten free), a peanut allergy, and some other intolerances, so I know a lot about special diets at Disney World and a lot about ingredients there (we go 1-2 times a year usually). Can you tell me more about Crohn’s restrictions? And what he likes? I’d be happy to share more info to help you. I know how overwhelmed I’ve been at times and I’m always grateful to those who helped me and happy to do the same for someone else!
Thank you, Amanda!
My son’s diet I know as SCD, or Specific Carbohydrate Diet. If you’ve heard of the Paleo diet, there’s a lot of similarties. Basically, no sugar at all. The only sweetener he can have is Honey. No grains either, not even rice. That leaves out all bread, even the typical gluten free varities. Most dairy to illeagle, too, but not all. Aged cheese andnyogurt made at home. Meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables are all safe. He can eat plain hamburger patties so I’m planning on QS dining at places with burgers or roasted meats.
How is your experience working with the quick service restaurants? Will they make a custom meal, or are you pretty stuck with the advertised menu?
Thanks again!
I went to WDW when I had to follow strict dietary guidlines. (I had Gallbladder Biliary dyskinesia and until I could go get my gallbladder (which I had to wait to schedule), I had to be careful of what I ate or it would send me into severe pain and possibly emergency surgery.) I also have other conditions involving severe inflammation, pain and IBS. Anyway, WDW was extremely helpful. We had free dining at the time and stayed on property. So I always informed our server or order taker at the resorts (where we primarily eat) and they special made ALL of my meals. Communicating with the staff and even the chef was crucial.
Great info, thanks! We’re a family of vegetarians/vegans on the West Coast, so we know our options at DL quite well. We’re planning a DW trip in January, so the timing of this is perfect. Now I’m off to find the vegan Disneyworld blog that someone mentioned…..
I would love to hear more about Disneyland healthy eating options.
We usually have breakfast at La Brea Bakery Cafe, but Starbucks now has some lighter items that are good so that may be once or twice on a visit. In the parks we like Rancho del Zocalo, Jolly Holiday, Bengal Barbecue (veggie skewers) & Dole Whips at DL; Cocina Cucamonga, Lucky Fortune Cookie and Wine Country Trattoria for a dinner package for World of Color. We used to eat at Ariel’s Grotto, but that’s gone & haven’t tried any of the Pixar Pier spots. Tortilla Jo’s & Napolini are good for dinner Downtown. In general, we’ve always found decent, and often surprisingly good, choices at any of the places we’ve tried.
Mother Nature catches us all eventually. 🙂 This year, I also discovered that my well established eating habits were leading to scale creep. I like your veggie forward strategy. We had the DDP at Christmas and I used a lot of snack credits for fresh fruit. Ordering kid portions at QS restaurants is also a win- you get some of the flavor you crave with reasonable portions. On our trip next month, I am looking forward to Salmon at Wolfgang Puck’s in DS. The cauliflower puree is a twist on mashed potatoes and I will wager it is better for cholesterol and calories.
Be well and good luck.
We’re heading out in 63 Days and it’ll be my first as a dietary vegan. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s on offer and hear most chefs can tailor dishes even if they’re not shown as vegan on the menu.
I’m hoping to catch Chef TJ at Trails End, he’s already a legend for coming up with exciting plant-based food so no one feels like they’re missing out.
It’s better to focus on the health gains rather than what you’re missing. I think so many more people will be eating this way soon that Disney will keep upping the ante.
Thanks for sharing your story Tom, always brightens my day to hear from you guys
I believe he is now at the Poly. Cannot remember where I read that, but pretty sure it was on a WDW vegan blog. 🙂
Have a great trip!
I was pleasantly surprised with the build your own yogurt parfait (breakfast) and salad (Lunch/dinner) section of the food court the last time I stayed at Pop Century (November 2016). I am not a fan of big or greasy breakfasts so yogurt with bresh berries and seeds was a great alternative, plus the parfait counted as a snack credit, it was a great find!
Our family has switched to a WFPB (whole foods, plant based) way of eating due to high cholesterol and some other issues. We have never felt better and absolutely loving it. But I was concerned about our next trip to WDW for this reason. Thank you SO much for posting this as most “vegan” WDW options I’ve seen is a veggie burger. That’s going to get old real quick.
Please consider updating this post as you find more of these yummy options!
I’m taking my first trip as WFPB in a week and I’ve heard that Satu’li Canteen, Pecos Bill and Fairfax Faire have great bowl options that can be customized to be plant based. Vegan Disney World has a wealth of helpful information that has made me feel more confident in making it work. Enjoy your trip.
Sad to hear you’ve had bad news in the cholesterol department! If you want to try to avoid a statin, keeping dietary cholesterol to 200 mg per day will drop serum cholesterol by 10% and a vegan diet will drop it by 20%. Add in extra aerobic exercise and you can see greater improvement. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your experience with healthy eating at WDW! I think Satu’li is officially my favorite place in the parks for a healthy meal (great protein and veggie options, can leave out the carbs, etc.), with Tangierine Cafe also in the running. Love their shawarma and meats minus the pita, carbs, etc.
On the contrary, there are definitely some treats worth having throughout the resort (when not employing a ‘zero tolerance’ policy). For me, as an ice cream fiend, L’Artisan des Glaces and Ample Hills are high on that list.
Speaking of Ample Hills (since you also mentioned it), wanted to make sure you know about the Mickey Mouse 90th birthday collaborations! Three exclusive flavors are coming soon (and will be available to ship nationwide), inspired by different eras of Mickey Mouse and Disney magic. I need to try them (or at least the Confetti Celebration and Peanut Butter Jamboree)!
Sounds as if you did a good job for your first time doing a healthier Disney trip. I have high cholesterol along with a digestive disorder, so I’m also forced to select healthier options. Tried going without eating beef for awhile (I know, a fate worse than death), but luckily I became anemic and was told to go back on the steak/burger regimen.
What works for me is to order smart entrees, with sauces and gravies on the side. Also, no fried foods, Ribs, smoked barbecued anything, and alas, no pizza. Not a big deal since I haven’t found good pizza anywhere on Disney property. I allow myself ice cream only once a trip (Dole Whip doesn’t count as its not ice cream), and then only one scoop. Soups (not bisques or creamy soups), salads and fruits are high on the list of allowable foods. I added Norway’s schoolbread, Macadamia pancakes (Kona Cafe) and a Trails End buffet to the list because one shouldn’t live without some things.
Eat healthy and stay well Tom. We need this blog.
Glad you tried the Sassagoula Power Salad at POFQ. I don’t usually eat greenery on my Disney vacations either, but I was feeling so gross one afternoon from constant alcohol/cupcakes/whatever that I knew I needed something green. It’s a really good salad and I did perk up a bit.
I’m certain this wasn’t your intention, but this post could be perceived as quite trigger-y for people who have certain issues (in a blog that usually doesn’t contain such content amid its awesomeness 🙂 ). Might want to mark it as such, near the top?
Every blogpost from anyone on any platform can be deemed ‘triggery’ by the new powers that be! C’mon – he was having fun, tongue was firmly planted in cheek (intended! Giggle – it’s healthy) , but a lot of VERY positive information here. And I am recovered bulimic/anorexic. For those struggling, they can skip the post or take the positives – and this post abounds in the positive! I am looking forward to a healthier trip this year as well. Blessings to ALL.
Thanks for the feedback on this. I’m still not totally sure what could’ve posed a problem here? I can sort of surmise from Mary’s comment, but it’s not clear.
My goal was definitely not to offend, present problems for those struggling with certain health issues, or make light of anything! 🙂
I am totally confused by the comment too, maybe I’m a bit stupid and I have suffered with eating disorders at various points in my life
I think the point of trigger warnings is to alert people to traumatic content (not just upsetting content, but traumatic content), particularly when it’s not clear from the title or context that there *will* be traumatic content. In this case, it’s very clear from the title that the article is going to discuss “healthy eating” and cutting back on treats, and that in and of itself can act as a warning to anybody whose eating disorder might be fuelled by such articles. A trigger warning would be redundant.
Ok, I am dying to know, (you brought it up) and inquiring minds want to know.
Little bit high like a total cholesterol 220, ldl 130, or really high in the 250/170 range?
It kinda makes a difference in the advice your doctor usually gives regarding if lifestyle changes will be enough or you are looking at the happy land of statin use.
Based on the multiple posts you write regarding food at Disney you could see your lipids elevated, but you also seem to be very active, running etc. per your other posts. This does help some people with lowering their lipids.
Kudos to you. I think it’s awesome you could even do the 50/50 at Disney, I lack any kind of will power while on vacation. Thank goodness we have to walk so much there or I would come home 5-10 lbs heavier at the end of each trip!
We’re a family of vegetarians and Disney is always one of our more difficult places to plan for.
I agree! I went recently with my peanut allergic nephew and Disney did an amazing job of giving him options. His mom was so excited to be able to go to a restaurant and feel safe. But the vegetarian options were extremely limited. I’m hoping this will improve as more people seem to be eating healthier.