Going on a vacation? Where’s my strategy when deciding what to eat at an all-inclusive. This was a Virgin cruise! This post originally appeared on my Substack but I wanted to republish it for saving on the blog.
^^ Yuzu tarts with meringue at Test Kitchen
What To Eat At An All-Inclusive
Unlimited desserts. Endless pizza. Restaurant-quality meals at every turn. If intuitive eating works anywhere, it should work on an all-inclusive vacation.
One of the foundations of intuitive eating that I had a hard time grasping when I first started to learn about the concept was that no foods were good or bad. Food was just food. And your job was to listen to your body, honor your hunger and fullness, and not worry so much about whether or not your meals were perfectly nutritionally balanced.
In a recent post I wrote about how perfection is not the goal. Some days you might optimize for energy. Other days for comfort. Some days for a reset. Some days for pleasure.
On a cruise, I try to find the perfect balance between eating anything I could possibly desire and feeling great the whole time.
I went on a five-night Virgin cruise last winter, and the food was definitely a highlight! Everything was restaurant quality, and the options were fantastic.
Read the cruise recaps here: Part I, Part II, Part III. I highly recommend Virgin!
^^ Small plates at the Bimini Beach Club
“Feeling great” has been my goal for a few years now when I travel. Speaking from experience, when you eat or drink too much, you feel terrible. And who wants to feel badly when on a lovely vacation? That ruins it.
Eating until you’re comfortable and satisfied doesn’t mean eating “perfectly.” It means tuning in and noticing when pleasure turns into discomfort and adjusting without shame. When I travel, I listen to my body even more than I would at home.
The Dessert Lesson
One day on the cruise I discovered my favorite two desserts: the S’mores in a Jar and this Passionfruit Tart with a marshmallowy meringue topping. They were INCREDIBLE. I ate them too fast, not letting my stomach catch up to my mind – fork after fork of toasted meringue and gooey chocolate. I ate so much I felt sick for a few hours!
But I didn’t spiral. I didn’t swear off sugar. I didn’t skip dinner. I just noticed: okay, that was too much for my body.
The next day, I recalibrated and had a large salad and still enjoyed my two favorite desserts – I just shared them instead of eating them all.
^^ The best desserts and a really good salad with fried ricotta balls!
The Brownie Myth
When people learn about intuitive eating, they think “I would definitely eat brownies all day, every day if I could.” But would you really?
The fantasy is that we’d lose control. The reality is that the novelty fades shockingly fast.
Freedom with food is surprisingly boring. No one really wants to keep eating brownies until they feel sick. One day of only brownies and I bet you’d start craving the foods that make you feel good again.
What I Actually Ate On My All-Inclusive Trip
I had the option to eat a gazillion things on this ship for free. So why didn’t I? Because I chose my favorites, ate until I was satisfied, and moved on to more exciting activities. No offense to cookies, but they were not tempting at all next to meringue desserts. Focus on your favorites and ignore the rest.
Breakfast was often chia pudding and overnight oats with tropical fruit because these sit well with me and I love them.
Lunches were healthy-ish small plates or salads with a fun treat after. I loved this grain bowl with olives, peppers, and parmesan cheese, plus an olive dressing.
And dinners were grand occasions shared with friends. This wedge salad was one of the best I’ve ever had!
We loved eating at Gunbae, the Korean BBQ restaurant where everything was shared.
And aside from that one dessert overload, I felt great the whole trip. And enjoyed every bite! (I am equally as careful about drinking too much alcohol on trips because hangovers are even worse then feeling too full!)
I’d love to hear from you:
What is your eating style on vacation? Are you all-in indulgence? Do you squiggly line your way through the week going from too much to much less? Or do you eat basically the same as you do at home?
Other posts I’ve written on intuitive eating:
