How To Eat Healthy On Vacation With Kids

We had been planning a trip to Atlantis Bahamas for 2 years…you heard that right, 2 YEARS! So I had a lot of time to research the resort and figure out how to eat healthy on vacation!

And I have to say, it worked out well! I’m so excited to fill you in on what worked so you can have the same success!

Can I Travel Abroad With Food?

This was my first question. Atlantis is in the Bahamas, which meant we were going to be leaving the country! From all my research (and there was a lot!) I determined that it is ok to travel with food as long as it is not fresh. For example, no meats, produce or baked goods.

This isn’t a big deal, unless you are eating clean! Our diet consists mostly of fresh foods, so we had to get creative. I decided early on that I was not going to bring anything that wasn’t factory sealed. My suitcases always get searched and I didn’t want to have to worry about tampering with any open containers.

Traveling with Food Allergies

My kids are reactive to dairy, eggs and wheat, so I knew it would be difficult to find food at a resort known for hamburgers, chicken nuggets and Ice cream! That meant I had to pack a lot of snacks…and boy, did we! 

Here are just a few of the allergy free items we packed:

• Gluten Free Crackers
• Applesauce packets (wrapped in a plastic bag)
• Caveman Foods Paleo Bars from Costco
• An assortment of snacks from Trader Joes
• Fruit Leather
• Mixed Nuts
• Freeze Dried Fruits
• Beef Jerky

Tips for Eating Healthy on Vacation

The food prices at Atlantis were crazy expensive…think $11 wraps, $10 salads and $10 fruit cups. Prices aren’t bad if I were only feeding myself, but a family of 4 adds up. It’s ok though, we were prepared for that. 

This green juice was $15! I couldn’t even understand what ingredients were in it, but i’m assuming it was healthy! It tasted like celery…

To offset the lunch and dinner costs, we packed breakfast food and bought a few items when we first arrived. Here are a few breakfast items that we brought:

• Oatmeal (for overnight oats)
• Peanut butter (for overnight oats and PB&J sandwiches
• Almond Milk (for overnight oats and cereal)
• Cinnamon (for overnight oats)
• Loaf of gluten free bread  (for sandwiches)
• Cans of Tuna (with pop tops)
• Gluten Free Fig Bars

Also bring bowls and spoons!

What we bought in the Bahamas:

We sent the guys to the local grocery store, but it ended up costing $100 for the cab ride! Instead, I recommend you go to the grocery store in the Market behind the Coral hotel. 

You will obtain an obscene amount of mayonaise packets and ketchup, so don’t buy those! Mayo was $11 at the store!

For the tuna, we used olive oil instead of mayo. We packed a small bottle of olive oil and it was perfect! Here’s the recipe!: How Do You Make Tuna Salad?

• Cereal
• Orange Juice
• Apples
• Bananas

Eating Out With Food Allergies

The hardest part of the trip (when it came to food) was eating dinners. Every place we went to was heavy on the carbs and dairy. But we were able to find a few things that worked!

Here are just some ideas on how to eat healthy on vacation! 

Italian Restaurant:

I know this sounds counter intuitive but it turns out that Italian restaurants have dishes with no pasta. We settled on the Chicken Marsala and Sauteed Escarole. It was delicious! 

(Sorry for the bad picture…I had to use my phone!)

The Breakwater Cafe Near The Cove Pool

We found ONE place that served salads. And they were sad salads…the one below cost us $12, but by the 3rd day we needed it! 

Asian Restaurants:

The Asian restaurants had lots of noodles, but they also had rice options! We enjoyed some chicken, prawns and sushi! It was perfect. 

Cafes:

There was a cafe next to the pizza restaurant in the Royal that had a dine in menu and a take out menu. The take out menu was filled with burgers and chicken strips so we decided to dine in. We had falafel salads, roasted chicken and mashed potatoes (keep in mind that mashed potatoes likely have milk or butter). There were a few options that were not salad! 

Tricks and Tips for Eating Healthy on Vacation

Even though we were trying to eat healthy on vacation, we did enjoy ice cream and Dole Whips a few times! I mean…it was 90 degrees and very humid! But for the most part we were able to stay on track. I always tell the kids:

We eat healthy at home (or in the hotel room) so that we don’t have to worry about what we eat when we are out!

We held true to this on the trip too! I carried healthy snacks and water around and we only ended up buying a few treats! The best part is that we never felt like we were missing out! 

When Packing for Vacation, Remember…

• Pack more than you think you need
• Pack food that is factory sealed. Plan to throw it away if you don’t eat it all at the hotel. 
• Come up with 2 or 3 breakfast/lunch ideas and pack for those. Don’t overdo it or you will be overwhelmed with choices
• Bring an insulated water bottle. You can refill it and always have cool water
• Pack a few snacks in your carry on to eat on the plane. 
• Bring a large bag that can fit your water bottle and snacks
• You will likely have to pay for the extra luggage. But we definitley saved more than $25 by bringing our own food

Want to see some of the items we packed? Check out the video below! 

Most Importantly…Have Fun! 

Looking for some recipes that can be made in a hotel room? Try these!

Overnight Oats – The Secret to Perfection!

How Do You Make Tuna Salad?

Strawberry Salsa Clean Eating Recipe