Disneyland is the best. It just is. The wonderful rides, the nostalgia, the scent of churros, the magic of it all, and every other amazing detail that makes Disneyland fantastic. I love it. It’s hard not to feel like a kid again when you are walking right down the middle of main street USA. I write all the time about moderation. I think that eating healthy the majority of the time and indulging in something you love every now and again is absolutely fine. However, most people live with the opposite mindset; eating whatever they want the majority of the time…occasionally dipping into the healthy stuff every now and again. I can promise you, if you want to see any type of progress in your health and weight loss you HAVE to consistently eat well. It is just the way it is.
With that being said, I thought I’d give you some tips on how to be healthy at the happiest place on earth.
1. Pack your own goods. If you are worried about finding healthy options that you will like in the park, or if you just want to save some cash on food…bring your own food! We brought a small cooler pack with our own lunch. I had turkey, hummus, and veggies. It was delicious. I also brought a Questbar, fruit, nuts, popcorn, and water to snack on throughout the day. If you don’t want to carry your cooler, put it in a locker outside the park. It’s like $7, and you won’t have to worry about lugging it around. I would also suggest Larabars, apples, bananas, nuts, dried fruit, turkey jerky, and cut up fresh veggies if you don’t want a cooler because they are easy to carry around.
2. Seek out the healthy restaurants. Believe it or not, there are actually some good finds in the park as far as eating is concerned. I had grilled chicken and veggie kebabs that were at the restaurant right across from the Indiana Jones ride. These were delicious, and moderately priced as well. Amanda found a similar option with Mediterranean skewers in California Adventure at the Paradise Garden Grill, located on Paradise Pier. Hers came with a cilantro sauce that looked divine.
3. Look for the healthy snack stands. There are kiosks all over Disneyland and California Adventure that offer snack sized fruit bowls, packs of nuts, pineapple spears, apples, bananas, hummus, cut up vegetables, and vitamin waters. The key here is looking for these options. It is very easy to find yourself starving and reaching for the quickest, (and most heavenly smelling) option that is close by. Plan ahead. Set yourself up for success, not failure.
4. Choose your indulgences wisely. If there is something that you can’t live without at Disneyland, the dole whip, the churro, the chocolate dipped banana…whatever it may be…choose to make the majority of your day as healthy as you can and then enjoy every bite of that waffle cone. Instead of feeling sick after your day of fun, you’ll be proud of yourself for walking like a fool and practicing some self control. It will make your indulgences taste that much better!
Oh…and FYI: On average…Park Hoppers who spend the whole day at Disneyland walk between 15-20 miles, burning 180-350 calories per hour, depending on how much you are walking. THAT is awesome.