By Sofia Segounis, Nutritionist

With fruity drinks, creamy salads and yummy desserts everywhere, the temptations to ditch your diet while on vacation are abundant; but vacation does not mean you have to forget about your weight loss plan. You have worked hard getting that beautiful bikini body, show it off and don’t let all the work go down the drain. Eating healthy on vacation IS possible if you have a plan.

Eating on the flight
It is a well known fact that airplane food is not the greatest, so chances are you will be served something that you don’t like. Come prepared; pack a small snack in your carry-on just in case. That snack may also come in handy if you are stuck in the airport for a few hours because of a delayed flight.

Some healthy snacks that are easy to pack are:

• Nuts and seeds
• Dried fruit
• Protein bars
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Bottled water

Eating at the resort
Resorts and hotels offer a wide variety of food as far as the eye can see. This allows you to be your own boss. Choose healthier options:

• Go for grilled foods instead of fried.
• Load up your plate with plenty of veggies.
• Try to stay away from refined carbohydrates. These places probably won’t be equipped with non-refined, high fiber grains. Get your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.

• Choose the fish over the meat, and again remember to choose grilled over fried. Many resorts get fresh fish daily—enjoy it while you are there!
• Remember the plate method: ½ of your plate should contain low glycemic carbohydrates, ¼ should be lean proteins and ¼ should be healthy fats.
• Don’t overload your plate. Stick to the portion sizes you are used to eating at home while following your weight loss plan.
• Enjoy fresh fruit for dessert instead of cakes, cookies and pastries.
• Drink plenty of water. Remember you will need extra water because of the water lost through sweat and indulging in alcoholic beverages. Make sure you stick to bottled water; many places don’t have safe drinking water.