Standard Breakfast at our Hotel in Capri: Cappuccino & Pastries
I’m definitely one of those people who likes to indulge, food wise, on vacation. And even more so when we’re in a place like Italy! You truly cannot get pasta and pizza in the States like they make it there, so all the more reason to go big while you’re there. That said, I don’t normally eat a whole pizza for lunch or a heaping plate of pasta every night for dinner (topped off with several glasses of red wine and gelato), so my body could use a surge of extra healthy eating to get back on track this week.
I call this effort my post vacation detox. Detox is probably too strong of a word, as I won’t be consuming just raw juices or something for the next week. This is just my method and meal structure for getting things back in balance after a period heavy on the dairy, sugar, and carbs. Here’s what my meal plan looks like :
Beverages: Tons and tons of water, and a little coffee in the morning
Breakfast: Two eggs over easy with whole grain toast, scrambled eggs topped with salsa and Greek yogurt, or steel cut oats with sautéed apples, ground flax seed, and milk (on a side note, I’m trying to work more veggies into my breakfast, so if I can get my act together the plan is to make veggie scrambles).
Lunch: Salad topped with a protein- either tuna fish, chicken, or some other fish, plus whatever vegetables I have in the fridge, olives, and a dollop of hummus. For dressing I just make some version of a homemade vinaigrette, like this one.
Snack: raw almonds, apple with peanut butter, or a Kind Bar (both breakfast and afternoon)
Dinner: Similar to lunch- heavy on the protein and vegetables, which can either come in the form of more salad, or sautéed spinach or kale. Now that the weather is cooler, my plan is to make a few batches of soups and stews that are full of hearty root vegetables and lean meats to keep in the freezer (I’m making this Winter Squash Soup tonight!).
The truth is, this outline pretty much reflects my regular eating habits- except with a bit more cheese, pasta, and sweets thrown in. I have way too big of a sweet tooth to resist sweets completely, but I’m thinking of following a friend’s advice and limiting desserts to the weekend. Hmmm… we’ll see how that goes!
What do you eat to get “back on track”? I’d love your recommendations!
This pretty much sums up what I’ve been doing the past 8 weeks! Low carbs/high glycemic index foods, lots of water, the “no white food” rule.
it usualy takes me ages to get on to my post-holiday detox but i would follow exactly what you’re doing plus lots of exercise. a couple of weeks of this and i’m normally back on track
xx
To get back on track I always go for english muffin with jelly for breakfast with a green tea and maybe a fruit, turkey and cheese on a salad or small wheat pita for lunch with grapes or something to crunch on on the side, snack – fiber bars or trail mix, and for dinner tons of greens like broccoli or spinach with lemon chicken and cous cous. I try to stock up on lean cuisines though too for alternatives to mac n cheese or lasagna for days when i just need a healthier version of comfort food without cooking!
When I want to detox I do the following:
Breakfast: Frittata made of 2 whole eggs 1 egg white spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, onions, red peppers, with a dollop of cottage cheese ( on the second week I add whole grain toast)
Snack: green apple, or cucumber and lime, hummus with broccoli
Lunch: Huge spinach and lettuce salad with veggies and whatever protein
Dinner: Huge bowl of home made veggie( mix of everything) soup, with diced chicken. Or a repeat of lunch.
Good luck!
These are great recommendations- thanks, Vanessa!
Sounds similar to my mornings. I usually have yogurt and fruit, or oatmeal with fruit, plain yogurt and honey. Lately I ran out of groceries and made some savory oatmeal with two fried eggs. Quite nice though, basically a healthier version of eggs and grits.
But on the weekends when I have more time, I love making veggie omelets. I usually sauté up garlic, onions tomatoes, sometimes peppers, set them aside and put them back in the pan once the eggs have started to set. Finally I add spinach on top of the veggie pile towards the end. Another thing I love doing is using leftover veggies from dinner the night before. I had some zucchini and eggplant with oil and balsamic I’d made the night before, so delicious inside a warm omelet!
That is pretty much my version of a detox but with a couple of green teas thrown in. I usually only last about a week before a brownie passes my lips though!
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