Healthy food choices - the good, the bad and the ugly

[familycruzinnewbie]

Carnival offers some healthier options in the dining room and various options on the lido. Which ones are good tasting and which ones taste like crap? I like a wide variety of things, but am trying to make better choices this time.

[CARNIVALCRUISE3]

At the Blue Iguana Cantina, I love the whole wheat burrito with chicken and mild sauce. It is absolutely delicious. From the deli, I have a grilled tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread. It has very little mayo, and I ask them not to put any mayo on the bread. From the main dining room, I love the grilled chicken with veggies, and the lobster(I do not put any butter on it). From the buffet, I always choose any baked or grilled chicken that they have. At the omelette station, they have egg white omelettes available. At Fat Jimmy's BBQ, I have the BBQ chicken. At the Italian restaurant, I have a New York style Italian steak with rosemary potatoes. It is absolutely delicious.

 

All I drink is water, and may have 1 or 2 virgin pina coladas the whole cruise.

 

I don't like fried or salty foods. I like to eat healthy food, but on a cruise I splurge on desserts. I have the warm chocolate cake, the chocolate covered strawberries from the specialty cafe, and the soft vanilla ice cream from the machines on lido.

 

I train at the gym everyday on the ship.

[przyk]

I suppose it depends on what ship you are on. On my recent Sensation cruise I liked the Mongolian Grill. I used bean sprouts as a base instead of pasta.

 

In the MDR I had grilled tilapia one night and Mahi Mahi on another night that were both good. You can always order a side of steamed vegetables and a baked potato, which is okay if you don't drown it in butter and sour cream.

 

I had the cherries jubilee for dessert. Fruit is healthy, right.

[SadieN]

If the ship still has a grill (not Guy's) they'll grill up a chicken breast for you.

 

 

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[familycruzinnewbie]

We will be on the Valor so will have most of the Funship 2.0 options but will still be on the classic 8 day menu at the MDR as the American Table doesn't come into effect until the fall. I am mostly familiar with the menu - just have not ordered the healthier options. I do like chicken and fish. I'm not sure if the diet desserts are low calorie or just made with splenda or what. I create healthy options at home that taste good, but you can also end up with cardboard or a tasteless mush. Are there frozen yogurt options and are they any healthier?

[tandemcruzr]

For breakfast, I usually have a veggie omelet - no cheese, or cereal and fruit.

 

Lunch at the deli, I get one or two scoops of tuna on lettuce - no bread, or get selections from the salad bar.

 

Love the grilled salmon, the talapia and mahi mahi. Salad before dinner, but splurge on some desserts - Bitter and Blanc and Crème Brulee.

 

Sometimes I get the fresh fruit plate as an appetizer or a dessert.

[pcvtmom]

I love the fresh fruit for breakfast, and the salad bar is always well-stocked at lunchtime.

[ABQrobin]

First cruise I ate a lot more than normal, dessert every night, and I gained 2 lbs, DH gained 5 lbs!

 

After that, we learned our lesson.

Breakfast - hard boiled egg or omelet with no oil, yogurt, fruit, maybe oatmeal with fruit. Skip the pastries.

 

Lunch - salad bar at least half the time, only 1 time to Guys and if you do Blue Iguana, don't go overboard.

 

Dinner - love the salmon, any other grilled fish. Menu has the Heart Healthy selection marked, go for that. Skipped dessert about half the time. Fruit is good appetizer or dessert.

 

This way.... skipping the high calorie stuff HALF the time, we still were able to endulge every now and then.

 

I gained ZERO on our last two cruises.

Edited June 5, 2016 by ABQrobin

[SadieN]

Many of the pizza guys will allow veggies brought over from the salad bar for pizza toppings.

 

 

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[tea4ular]

The omelet bar (on Lido) at breakfast will make egg-white only and "no oil" - they balk about the no-oil but I assure the chef I am not concerned with the look! By day 2 they're ok with it (I try to hit up the same one each morning). I add onion, mushroom & if they have it, spinach. I walk around and find salsa to add myself. With that omelet I will enjoy the gluten free toast (I'm not gluten adverse, but it's good!) with some pb & marmalade, and a ton of fresh fruit.

 

There's cottage cheese and fruit if you like that (my H does, I don't care for it).

 

I find that when I'm on board I can be as health conscious (or not!) as I decide I'm going to be.

 

I also walk every day on board (and at home too), 3 miles. Some yoga, a few gym sessions, the stairs on the ship VS the elevators, and I'm good.

[summersigh]

Carnival offers some healthier options in the dining room and various options on the lido. Which ones are good tasting and which ones taste like crap? I like a wide variety of things, but am trying to make better choices this time.

 

In the MDR you can order the meat or fish in many entrées without the sauce or gravy they come with. Likewise you can order baked potato and/or broccoli as the veggie rather that more calorie laden things on the plate. Contrary to what some might say on the boards - Staff didn't mind doing that when DH politely requested it on our cruise last month on the Sunshine.

[balcony bound]

About the "diet cake" - I avoided these during our first few cruises, thinking why would I want diet cake with all these others to choose from? Well, the joke was on me, I couldn't resist trying the mango diet cake one evening and have now found that those "diet cake" selections to be some of the best tasting deserts offered.

 

I have no idea the caloric content or ingredients, but I love them.

[przyk]

In the MDR you can order the meat or fish in many entrées without the sauce or gravy they come with. Likewise you can order baked potato and/or broccoli as the veggie rather that more calorie laden things on the plate. Contrary to what some might say on the boards - Staff didn't mind doing that when DH politely requested it on our cruise last month on the Sunshine.

 

Our MDR staff on the Sensation were very accommodating too. One in our party needed a gluten free diet and they happily accommodated her. They didn't blink an eye when I ordered 2 or 3 appetizers every night and one of the brutes with us ordered 2 entrees a few times.

[GUT2407]

Mrs Gut eats a lot of fruit and salad and vegetables.

 

 

Gut's too sensible for that.

[watermelonqueen99]

I eat low(er) carb, high protein. In the MDR, the flat iron steak and veggies is a great option. I can always find a protein and of course the salad bar on Lido. At breakfast, they have deli meats, cheeses, bacon, eggs, etc on Lido. I will have a Guy's burger without the bun. The pizza is really thin, so I'll do that for a splurge. It really is possible to eat healthy on a cruise! But we won't talk about the alcohol calories consumed.....LOL

[cb at sea]

It's TOTALLY UP TO YOU to make wise choices! There is a plethora of food...good, bad, ugly, enticing...this is all on YOU!

[Micahs Grandad]

Many of the pizza guys will allow veggies brought over from the salad bar for pizza toppings.

 

 

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Thanks never thought of that:)

[simplelife]

I use the three-bite rule for high calorie foods. Most of the time am satisfied with three bites

[BellaSweet]

I'm currently doing Weight Watchers, getting ready for my upcoming Oct cruise and I've discussed this topic at meetings.

 

I've decided that I will eat healthy and follow the WW plan for breakfast and lunch.. I'm not a big eater when its hot and sunny anyway. My downfall will be fruity cocktails so I will limit myself to one per afternoon.

 

I plan on walking my 3 miles on the ship every morning.

 

Then at dinner, I will splurge and order what I want. I'm on vacation..I want to eat cheese and drink good wine. If I put on a few pounds, WW will help me take it off when I get home.

[BeachLoverstoo]

About the "diet cake" - I avoided these during our first few cruises, thinking why would I want diet cake with all these others to choose from? Well, the joke was on me, I couldn't resist trying the mango diet cake one evening and have now found that those "diet cake" selections to be some of the best tasting deserts offered.

 

I have no idea the caloric content or ingredients, but I love them.

We've never found the desserts on the Lido to taste good. Look good, taste dry. But, on the Elation the first day, DH asked the server at the dessert place what was good and she suggested the Diet Coconut Cake. Again, not sure how healthy it is, but it was delicious. Later in the week we tried Diet Lemon and Diet Orange and at the Chocolate Extravaganza we had the Diet Chocolate cake.

[familycruzinnewbie]

Just wondering how Chicken a la Greque and Chicken Sicilian Style compare to the Everyday menu grilled chicken. I will do Guy's burger once I am sure, but maybe on a lower fat entree night. I ordered mostly gluten free last time as I was having digestive sensitivity not sure if I will do that this time as I do tolerate it better if I make wise food choices.

[uncleg]

About the "diet cake" - I avoided these during our first few cruises, thinking why would I want diet cake with all these others to choose from? Well, the joke was on me, I couldn't resist trying the mango diet cake one evening and have now found that those "diet cake" selections to be some of the best tasting deserts offered.

 

I have no idea the caloric content or ingredients, but I love them.

 

I look forward to the diet banana cake.

[ourcruiseyears]

Carnival offers some healthier options in the dining room and various options on the lido. Which ones are good tasting and which ones taste like crap? I like a wide variety of things, but am trying to make better choices this time.

 

I've been eating healthier on our cruises & one of the things I do is ask our dining room server if I can get an Indian meal. So far I've gotten one every time I've asked & they have all been delicious!

[ourcruiseyears]

Meant to add that I've also been ending dinner with some sherbet for dessert. I can't remember if I was able to get sugar-free but I am thinking I was. I've been doing all of this for no other reason that just to feel better during our cruises. :) The older I get, the lighter I need to eat to feel well!

[summersigh]

I'm currently doing Weight Watchers, getting ready for my upcoming Oct cruise and I've discussed this topic at meetings.

 

I've decided that I will eat healthy and follow the WW plan for breakfast and lunch.. I'm not a big eater when its hot and sunny anyway. My downfall will be fruity cocktails so I will limit myself to one per afternoon.

 

I plan on walking my 3 miles on the ship every morning.

 

Then at dinner, I will splurge and order what I want. I'm on vacation..I want to eat cheese and drink good wine. If I put on a few pounds, WW will help me take it off when I get home.

DH and I actually lose a pound or 2 on cruises because, although we don't miss any meals, we don't snack between meals or at bedtime and we drink crown or scotch on the rocks. It seems to be enough to offset the "yummies":D