Healthy Life Eating healthy and delicious fare on vacation
Vacations do not have to mean neglecting health thanks to these tips and tricks
My three greatest pleasures in life are love, food, and vacations, preferably all together. In other words, the world is my oyster. I love oysters. I love good food, and by good food, I mean fresh, locally sourced (when possible) organic vegetables and fruits, fish, grains, and legumes. In other words, I am a 20 plus year vegetarian turned pescetarian. One who almost always travels with carnivores. I also believe, “When in Rome…” So, when I travel to a new destination part of the thrill is experiencing the culture and that includes the food. And even a healthy diet allows for the occasional fresh-baked bread, creme brûlée or, gasp, parmesan truffle fries.
That said, I rarely pick a vacation spot for its food, which you might think makes eating well a challenge. Not true. I am no longer the exception in today’s health conscious world where people brag about their daily Fitbit step count like golf scores at cocktail parties, and scrutinize package ingredients at grocery stores as if they contain hidden code for a happier life. Where I once was limited to steamed vegetables as my only option at many restaurants the world over, the offerings have caught up with the fitness demand, in restaurants, resorts, and grocery stores. Moreover, if you don’t see something that fits your dietary health needs, the majority of chefs will tweak a menu dish upon request. Just ask politely. My point is, when traveling to a new location, healthy eating can be as easy as walking around the corner or riding the elevator to a hotel restaurant. This holds true for foreign lands with foreign foods, large U.S. cities, and all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean islands. It’s all a matter of where you look and what you choose.
In the past year, I travelled to all three - Marrakech, New York, and Jamaica. I ate like a queen in each. Three simple rules, gleaned from three very different environments, illustrate the ins and outs of eating healthy and delicious fare, particularly on vacation.
The first rule of thumb, best exemplified by Marrakech, is: Stick to the native fare. There is a reason it is the native fare. The dishes are made from local ingredients, and that means fresh. Moreover, they’ve been perfecting and embellishing these recipes for centuries, and that means delicious. Moroccan cooking, with all of its exotic spices and herbs, has something for everyone. Aromas of cinnamon, cumin, tumeric, ginger, paprika, and saffron set the stage for a mouth-watering meal. In fact, “Moroccan Spice” combines twenty-seven exotic spices.
The traditional dish “tagine” is a savory stew made with locally sourced meat (lamb, beef, or chicken) or fish with an abundance of locally grown vegetables. Tagine is slow-cooked overnight in an urn shaped terra cotta cooking vessel, also called a “tagine,’ for tender falling-off-the-bone dishes. Tagine, like all meals, is accompanied with bread, also used as a utensil for sopping up the tagine. But not to worry, Marrakech also provides numerous options to satisfy the most discriminating vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten and lactose-free palates, including cold and hot salads of raw and cooked vegetables. Couscous is a staple of Moroccan cuisine. Made of small balls of steamed semolina (wheat), couscous is usually served with exotic stew based toppings, including tagine, vegetables, chickpeas and lentils. The entire experience of eating a Moroccan meal is a smorgasbord of delight and deliciousness. And who doesn’t love eating with their hands?
Then there’s the green tea with fresh mint, the most widely consumed drink in Morocco. A daily ritual among friends and family, the skilled and proper pouring technique is considered an art form. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients and improves brain function, fat loss, and is associated with lower rates of cancer, among other health benefits. Rule number one: Go local. Go great.
The second rule of thumb, learned in bustling New York City, is: Feel free to keep it simple. Lo and behold, around the corner from my hotel, on a residential street of brownstones in Midtown Manhattan, I chanced upon gourmet food trucks and kiosks at Bryant Park. A quick and easy lunch option on a pack-filled day of sightseeing and shopping. How to choose? Fresh Mediterranean salads and gyros, wood fired pizzas with vegetables, Indian samosas, Ethiopian stew and injera bread… New York City is truly a world class melding pot of cultures and cuisine. I eventually chose a Mexican taco bar inside a red food truck. The taco bar offered fresh grilled fish tacos, among other taco varieties, along with all the usual scrumptious toppings; homemade guacamole, salsas and tortilla chips, fresh grated cheeses, roasted peppers and onions, all made fresh each morning before opening at 11am. A fiesta of flavors on a bench in the park; I felt like a native New Yorker.
Restaurants abound in New York City, running the spectrum from inexpensive to expensive, simple to gourmet, fried to lean and green. Eating healthy in restaurants was as simple as skipping greasy spoon corner breakfast joints or ordering an egg-white-only omelet with a side of fruit instead of pancakes with bacon at the hotel restaurant. When in doubt in New York City, as to entertainment, culture, or where to eat, go to a museum. You can’t go wrong. Just blocks from my hotel, sat the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Lunch on day two, decided. Or so I thought. There are actually three fantastic restaurants at the MOMA. Cafe 2, Terrace 5 and The Modern, ranging from soups, salads and an espresso bar to elaborate dishes like slow cooked sea bass with sunchoke rissoles and watercress broth accompanied with exquisite wines and curated cocktails. So much for keeping it simple.
We opted for Terrace 5, with its spectacular view of the sculpture garden and health-smart choices like carrot ginger soup, arugula and roasted beets, tuscan kale and farro, and a seared tuna Salad Nicoise.
As for simple, it doesn’t get simpler than rule number three: Do your homework on the internet before you travel. If food is your priority choose a vacation spot that caters to “foodies.” For other Keyword searches think along the lines of “gastronomy,” “gourmet,” “farm to table,” or whatever satisfies your tastes in both cuisine and budget. Always check out the restaurant and menu selections before you travel. After a short half hour of internet surfing, I selected an all-inclusive five star resort in Montego Bay with a commitment to creating exquisite culinary experiences for our family vacation. Welcome to paradise in Jamaica! On this trip, I hit the jackpot - an exotic breathtaking resort filled with sun, sand, and clear blue water, and memorable dining from sun up past sun down. Not to mention Reggae.
While I chose the resort for the whole shebang, it was the first vacation spot I have visited where every family member from age five to fifty years left the table each meal with a smile of satisfaction and a happy tummy. The resort boasted three restaurants, offering steaks and fresh fish, Cajun, and sushi, as well as an international buffet. As a caveat to all that delectable eating, gourmet dining does not always translate to spare dining. There remained ample opportunity, as at most resort restaurants, to choose yummy but heavy foods on the many menu offerings. French fries with that grilled fish burger on a white bread bun sitting at the poolside bar, no problem. Remember on vacation, as at home, an occasional good cheat is the well-deserved prize for consistent healthy eating.
Perhaps nowhere are there more opportunities to choose indulgences on vacations than at brunches and buffets. Definitely requiring strict restraint, but not to be missed, was the beautiful array of dishes presented each morning at the resort’s breakfast buffet. An assortment of quiches, casseroles, fluffy pancakes, breads of every shape, flour, and flavor, varieties of fresh ceviche, bacon, sausage, a choose-your-own ingredients omelet bar and fruit galore…. it truly gave a new meaning to the word “feast” in my lexicon as well as “temptation.” You have to see the dessert table to believe it!
Which leads to my conclusion. The Golden Rule of eating healthy and delicious fare, particularly on vacation: Choose your foods and quantities wisely. If you know how to do that when you are at home, chances are with a few rules and adaptations, you will have no problem doing the same on vacation. Bon Voyage and Bon Appetite.
MARCIE WARRINGTON I 1/06/2017
Photography by Cordon Press
