A guide for healthy eating while on holiday

A VEGETARIAN friend has mastered the phrase “Is it meat?” in several languages in an attempt to navigate his way through holiday menus.

When he’s away in exotic locations, he’ll point at the menu and say, “is it meat?” If the answer is ‘no’, he’ll order it and hope for the best.

As a guide to holiday eating, it’s ingenious though not without its downfalls. In France, he was once served a dish with big hunks of ham in it.

“Ah,” said the Gallic waiter with a shrug, “that’s not meat, it’s ham.”

Eating on holiday can be a sybaritic adventure, but it can also be a minefield.

You might be all geared up to try the donkey stew or the steak tartare — raw steak — but your stomach might not be quite so willing.

Many a holidaymaker has had their long-awaited break ruined by a case of Delhi belly, as it is commonly known. It hits an estimated 10m travellers every year.

While it’s most common in India and other tropical countries, nearly half of all holidaymakers are affected by some form of the infection, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

There’s been talk of a Delhi belly vaccine but that has yet to materialise.

Even if, or when, it is perfected, it won’t prevent the minor stomach upsets that seem to be part and parcel of travelling abroad.

Anything can cause simple traveller’s diarrhoea, for instance: a change in diet, dehydration from flying, a change in climate, stress or even lack of sleep.

In high-risk holiday destinations — check before you travel — it makes sense to opt for bottled water, to skip the ice cubes in your drink and avoid salad or other raw foods.

As for food, the standard recommendation from public health institutes is, “boil it, peel it, or forget it”.

For most of us though, the summer holliers don’t involve trips to far-flung regions with unpronounceable wonders on the menu.

The biggest upset is usually the simple fact of departing from the everyday. Routine usually goes out the window at holiday time, says dietician Ruth Charles.

That can bring with it several pitfalls, she says. There’s a profusion of treats on the menu, many of them high in fat and sugar.

Holidaymakers eat out more and many of their regular foods just won’t be available, she says.

Couple that with a spirit of adventure and the insistence from the little ones — “can I have, can I have, can I have?” — and it all adds up to quite a digestive challenge.

However, that does not have to cause stress, says Charles.

“The most important focus of family holidays should be socialisation, relaxation and fun; eating meals together and talking,” she says.

However, she adds, it does make sense to agree some realistic ground rules from the start:

* Drink (safe) water as a main drink when eating out as fizzy drinks and juices really add to the bill and contain lots of empty calories (sugar).

* Have breakfast — cereal and milk — back at base (apartment, hotel, hostel).

* If having a cooked breakfast, consider that your dinner for the day. There’s no need for an extra “main meal” the same day.

* When eating out agree to have a starter or dessert, but not both. You can say, “no chips tonight”.

* For children, try to pick half portions of adult dishes rather than the kids’ menu which is most often based on high-fat, high-salt, low-fibre foods such as chips, chicken nuggets and sausages.

* Try to eat where and what the locals eat: “That’s usually a sign that the food is good,” says Charles.

She also advises holidaymakers to be realistic about treats such as fizzy drinks/sweets/ice cream and allow one a day — but no more.

“Try to get everyone on the move and physically active for at least 60 minutes a day where everyone gets red in the face and sweaty. Make it fun and do something together.

“Most importantly, have fun, but remember that overdoing it with food on a two-week holiday can take a lot longer to undo.”

It's a wrap

THE latest BFree quinoa and chia seed wrap seems to be free from just about everything.

It’s gluten-free, egg-free, soya-free and dairy free.

Apart from chia and quinoa, it contains teff seeds and flaxseed, good news for those with food intolerances.

The high seed content makes it a little dry but wraps in general are never that tasty.

And it’s certainly good for you.

Each wrap has just 105 calories and is high in fibre and protein.

A pack of six costs €4.60 and you’ll find them in the ‘free from’ section in supermarkets or online at www.bfreefoods.com

Salad alert

IT’S salad season but be careful what you consider healthy.

A quick recce of the supermarket salad shelf makes for sobering reading.

Some salads labelled as healthy have nearly as many calories as a plate of burgers and chips.

Make sure to check the fat content, the salt content and the overall number of calories before popping a supposed healthy option into your basket.

Look out for sauces too and check the label carefully. Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s good for you.