How to Eat Intuitively While on Vacation

Vacations can be the ultimate "all or nothing" experience when it comes to food - go big or go home right? And many return from their travels feeling like they've eaten too much, too indulgantely, or not enough of what makes their body feel good. The absolute best thing about Intuitive Eating is that it can travel with you! Intuitive eaters may change WHAT they eat, but not HOW they eat.

I LOVE to travel, and get excited for any opportunity to experience something new. So, even if we're just going away for a weekend I look forward to the entire experience, and that always includes food! Vacations often involve restaurants, new food experiences, and eating outside of your usual schedule. So, while the food choices may change, you can still honour the hunger and fullness cues telling you when and how much you need. And, when we're eating in an attuned way that honours all types of hunger, the urge to eat more than we need to feel satisfied is muted, as eating beyond that "sweet spot" on a regular basis doesn't feel good either. (Read more about hunger and fullness.

Ask yourself WHAT you want before ordering. Cravings come and go even while on vacation, but it's much easier to slip into mindless eating when we're away from home and our usual routines. Take an attunement pause to ask yourself what you want and need? Fuel for a busy day of exploring? Or a little bit of a few new things to honour your taste hunger? Or perhaps you try the “add-in” technique to honour wants and needs!
Embrace the desire to try and enjoy new foods. Food is and should be, a source of pleasure and satisfaction. And if you’re a foodie like me, trying new foods is one of my favourite vacation activities. But even when you’re honouring taste hunger, you can still honour your hunger and fullness cues, which may lead to a more satisfying experience. But remember that "normal eating" can include eating beyond normal fullness. It's ok for the pendulum to swing a little more when we're on vacation.
Practice gentle nutrition while you're away What is gentle nutrition? According to Evelyn Tribole, RD, gentle nutrition can be described as: “Make food choices that honor your health and tastebuds while making you feel well. Remember that you don’t have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters, progress not perfection is what counts.”What exactly does that look like?

Eat to feel satisfied, even if that means eating more (or less) than you usually would at home.
Trust your body. Many vacations are active, and your body may need more fuel than it does at home. Or maybe you're on a beach and require less. Listen to what your body is telling you, and expect that being away from home may make attunement more challenging. That’s ok!
Let go of any expectations about food that you may have while away from home. It's all well and good to want to eat as normally as possible, but life can (and should!) get in the way while on vacation.

Embrace the freedom and flexibility that being an intuitive eater affords and go with the flow. Your pendulum will naturally find its center when you return. Interested in learning more?