Is it possible to eat healthy on a cruise????.....tips please!!!

[Sandy_Peter]

Of-course, it is! Just because you are taking time off, doesn't mean that your health should too! Haha. I usually make sure that I don't go for the extremely oiled or deep fried stuff that's available on the buffet! I try to eat as much as fish and boiled eggs I can during lunch. Dinner is usually spent lurking around the salad bar ;). My main reason for all this is that I'd been on a weight loss diet for a while now. When I told my trainer that I go on a cruise every now and then, he gave me tips and links to online material to read on so as to ensure that even though I'm on a cruise, that wouldn't affect my weight loss goals. Unless you are on a strict diet regiment, I'd say there's not much to worry about. Most cruise lines have a salad bar and healthier alternatives. If you're able to inform them about your need for healthier food, feel free to do so. Most of them try their best to make you comfortable.:):)

Edited August 3, 2016 by Sandy_Peter

[westendgirl]

This is a great thread with so many good suggestions! Like Pam, 50+ cruises and have never gained weight on a cruise - but I am not a thin person to begin with. To maintain my weight (or even lose a couple pounds), the key for me is portion control, limiting carbs and desserts, and walking as much as possible on the ship and in port. It's possible if you keep your 'treats' to a minimum. Having said all that, gotta have crème brulee and fettucine Alfredo once per cruise. YOLO

[PrincessLuver]

I've been eating really healthy the last two months and want to continue on our upcoming 7 night cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This is our first time on Princess and I would love some suggestions on how to order in the dining room and what to look for on the menu....or the buffet. I am not a buffet person except for lunch probably. I've been staying with baked, broiled or grilled fish & chicken along with salads and steamed vegetables. If any of you have been able to stay with a healthy diet on a cruise I'd love to hear from you! I will stay away from the breads and desserts. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

We go to the health club every morning and exercise for an hour and then eat almost all of our meals in the MDR or International cafe because it is easier to control portions and even though there are limited choices they are still more then ample. When I go to the buffet or grill/pizza I go out of control and always put more on my plate (platter) then I can eat but I still try and do it anyway..:)

[cb at sea]

There are "healthy" options on every cruise line...it's up to YOU to choose the foods you feel are healthy!

[ggprincess2004]

While some may advise you to avoid the buffet, there are always options available. The salad bar has plenty of fresh veggies just waiting for you, there is always fresh fruit, and you will frequently find simply prepared low fat proteins are there as well.

 

While the grill that serves burgers and hot dogs might present temptation for some, there is also a great option there - grilled chicken breast with lettuce and tomato, skip the roll if you wish.

 

Granted, you have to make the healthy choices and avoid the unhealthy ones, but that is always the case, at home or at sea.

 

In the dining room, breakfast, lunch and dinner, whether you see it on the menu or not, you can always get a fresh fruit plate - for any course you wish. There should always be a fish option on the dinner menu, and even if you don't see a tossed salad as an option, it is almost always available - dressing on the side.....

 

If you are feeling like you are not getting enough of the protein you want, at breakfast you can always get the salmon - you can get two orders, without the bagels, and I always ask for extra lemon. It makes a very high protein, low carb, healthy fat way to start the day. Takes willpower to do that some mornings, but it is a far better choice than pancakes.:p

 

International café does have some options for you. They also have an array of "naughty foods".....

 

My downfalls on Princess are their ice creams, which they make, but I ask for one scoop only and then only eat two or three bites, and their breads, OMG....luckily by now I have identified my absolute favorite ones, and indulge only if they are present. Yup, one fav breakfast bread which doesn't always show up, and one (grrr.....) incredible dinner roll which luckily only shows up a few evenings.

 

I confess to not being able to stick to a low carb, high protein eating plan throughout the cruises, but I consciously try to make healthy choices most of the time. That means I don't feel so guilty about indulgence at Crown Grill or Chef's Table...and the blasted pizza, the best pizza.

Edited August 3, 2016 by ggprincess2004

[Alaskanb]

We don't eat healthy while Cruising or even at home. What works for us is we don't deprive ourselves of what we like to eat but we do use some discipline on how much we eat. Neither one of us are fans of the buffet so that helps a lot. We take the stairs instead of the elevators and we do a lot of walking in the ports we visit. We are early raiser so while my wife is getting ready for the day I walk the track every morning for about an hour and a half. In the evening we always have a couple glasses of wine before diner. We eat early traditional and once we are done with diner we don't eat anymore that evening. No late night snacks. Works for us.

This is our strategy also --rarely put on more than 2 lbs. We use the International Cafe for lunch and pub lunch when it is offered. It is all to do with quality vs quantity.

[scienceteacher]

I've been eating really healthy the last two months and want to continue on our upcoming 7 night cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This is our first time on Princess and I would love some suggestions on how to order in the dining room and what to look for on the menu....or the buffet. I am not a buffet person except for lunch probably. I've been staying with baked, breoiled or grilled fish & chicken along with salads and steamed vegetables. If any of you have been able to stay with a healthy diet on a cruise I'd love to hear from you! I will stay away from the breads and desserts. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

Stay away from carbs. I eat protein such as cottage cheese or eggs and a little fruit for breakfasts. For lunch I have salad with plenty of vegetables and protein such as chicken. Then I have whatever I want for dinner but watch the serving size. I even have dessert. It is vacation.

[greenie082756]

Your question is: Can I eat healthy on a cruise?

Answer: Oh heck yeah.

 

As many have posted already there are so many options to chose from around the clock.

There is just as much healthy choices as there are some that are not so healthy but taste sooooo good. :eek:

 

I myself have a routine for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. Breakfast is my favorite meal so its mandatory that I eat slowly.

We usually do the buffet for breakfast and lunch. I usually get oatmeal and fresh fruit. The pineapple they had on the last cruise was the best!

Lunch consists of a decent size salad and one roll.

Dinner in the MDR is usually where we get a little bit relaxed however I try to control myself with my one true weakness - BREAD.

 

Like others I try to make myself walk as much as I can around the ship to get the exercise in. Last 10 day cruise I only gained 3 pounds. :)

[easyboy]

Hard to resist temptation. Just walk around the ship after, including stairs.

[Lucky TGO]

My brother eats healthy all the time on his last cruise he lost 2 pounds. I can't say the same for me:eek:

Tony

[mrs and mrs]

It's possible but no fun. If I wanted to eat only fish, veggie's & fruit I'ed save money & stay home. :rolleyes:

 

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[UK Cruiser2]

I've been eating really healthy the last two months and want to continue on our upcoming 7 night cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This is our first time on Princess and I would love some suggestions on how to order in the dining room and what to look for on the menu....or the buffet. I am not a buffet person except for lunch probably. I've been staying with baked, broiled or grilled fish & chicken along with salads and steamed vegetables. If any of you have been able to stay with a healthy diet on a cruise I'd love to hear from you! I will stay away from the breads and desserts. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

I wouldn't bother,especially for only 7 nights. Enjoy it you are on holiday (Vacation) :)

[jpcello]

Of course -- it's all about choices. A couple of years ago my sister was following Jenny Craig. She was so worried but did great. She made healthy choices (lots of salmon and chicken), but never deprived herself (remember it's still vacation). If she wanted dessert, she would order it, take a few bites, and then ask the waiter to remove the plate. Same with things like pasta. If she wanted a cocktail or a glass of wine, she had it.

 

Remember, you choose what you eat. If you choose something "naughty", don't beat yourself up. Eat it, enjoy it, and move on.

[metairiegal]

Use the smaller plate when going thru the buffet - not the platter.

[easyboy]

I wouldn't bother,especially for only 7 nights. Enjoy it you are on holiday (Vacation) :)

Agree.

[srlafleur]

I don't deprive myself on a cruise, but I feel like I manage to actually eat (almost) healthier than at home - not calorie-wise so much, but balanced and plenty of variety. There are so many more healthy choices than what normally resides in my fridge or my cooking repertoire! (There are plenty of unhealthy choices, too, but some are soooo good that an occasional indulgence is necessary,)

When I look at the MDR menu to make my selections, I try to balance everything out over all the courses. For example, if my entree selection is going to be on the heartier side, I'll chose something lighter for an appetizer and/or soup/salad.

If you want something sweet at the end of the meal, you don't have to stick with what's on the dessert menu - I've occasionally had whatever fruit soup was on the menu (okay, probably made with cream, but likely not as high calorie as some rich chocolate concoction) or even just a palate-refreshing fruit cup.

[Gwendy]

Portion size, portion size, portion size. Eat whatever you like but watch the portion size. I am constantly amazed in the buffet how you can fit so much on one plate and then eat it all. Amazing, sometimes I feel I am rude as I just stare.

MDR just because they put larger portions on your plate doesn't mean you have to finish it all. I know for people of my generation, mid 60's this goes across the grain. I have had the maitre d come to my table on a long cruise to enquirer if food was OK as I was leaving some every night. I explained to him about portion sizes being too large for a sedentary person, he just shrugged and moved on. Generally it is not possible to order smaller portions to avoid waste because of the mass produced kitchen preparation lines.

Eat whatever takes your fancy, walk around the ship and on shore and portion size. I have never gained weight on a cruise.

[amymoore]

I eat healthy for breakfast and lunch. At dinner, no bread basket. Dessert if I really want it. Walk. No elevator! It is a vacation, so I do indulge some, but try to limit it to one time a day.

[lrockwitt]

I have never gained weight on a cruise. It is all about portion size and I still have my cookies each night.

I have been 60+ day cruises and never gained weight.

 

 

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[riclop]

I've been eating really healthy the last two months and want to continue on our upcoming 7 night cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This is our first time on Princess and I would love some suggestions on how to order in the dining room and what to look for on the menu....or the buffet. I am not a buffet person except for lunch probably. I've been staying with baked, broiled or grilled fish & chicken along with salads and steamed vegetables. If any of you have been able to stay with a healthy diet on a cruise I'd love to hear from you! I will stay away from the breads and desserts. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

You can eat that way on a cruise too.

[OCruisers]

It's absolutely possible. If you eat healthy at home, just basically eat the same on a cruise.

Sure, all of us "slip a bit" from time to time at home and on ships ... but "slipping a little" from time to time doesn't mean we "completely fall". :D

[hansi]

I don't eat eggs or bacon. Breakfast is fruit and cottage cheese. Lunch - salad or a small sandwich. No pizza or hamburgers or hot dogs. For dinner I'll eat my salad, have a couple of spoonfuls of soup and order fish or chicken. Lately I've really enjoyed some of the vegetarian dishes, especially Indian cuisine. I never ever eat more than a couple of bites. I do eat the veggies. Love Princess bread rolls so I'll have one of those. No butter. I don't use sugar in my coffee. I love desserts but I'll just take a couple of bites and that's it. One can order fruit for dessert.

 

I don't do elevators. I do a lot of walking whether we're in port or on sea days. A little bit of discipline is the answer for me.

 

Good luck!

 

Not much of a life is it though! You're on a cruise:D Enjoy, you can cut down when you get home.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I've generally gained little or no weight on cruises. A couple of tips I use:

 

When it is an option, I ask for sauces and dressings to be served on the side, or not at all, so I have more control over how much of them I use. They alone often contain more fat and calories than the rest of the dish. And I use mustard instead of mayo on sandwiches and burgers for the same reason.

 

If you are traveling with others also watching their intake, split any desserts right away so you aren't tempted to eat the whole thing later on.

 

Best of luck!

[UK Cruiser2]

Agree.

 

:):):)