Your eating plan can take a vacation, too.
Vacations are rare. So why stress about what you eat? (Spoilers: I’m not perfect at this)
This newsletter is being sent to you as I wrap up my last day of vacation in Minnesota. Well, it wasn’t really “vacation”—you can’t really take time off right after starting your own business. I’m in the middle of establishing some key client relationships that deserved some attention, so I worked remotely from my in-law’s cabin. But truthfully, it felt like a vacation. And my eating habits eventually followed suit.
PAID: Listen to the essay here!
When I first go to the cabin, I was massively determined to continue eating healthily. I mean I normally do—I’m such a nerd about nutrition and I’m determined to consume 30 different kinds of plants during the week. So when we arrived at our little Minnesota escape two weeks ago, I had all of these grand plans to eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. But eventually, those plans drifted far away with the north wind that rolled along the lake. By our last day, I was enjoying my mother-in-law’s sugary rhubarb muffins, fat BLT sandwiches with freshly baked sourdough, gooey slices of Special K bars (or “scotcheroos” as some may call them), and heavy pours of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc. And you know what? That’s the way it should be.
As my normal eating plan slowly dwindled and my habits completely changed (you can say I was on “lake time”), I found myself thinking about a particular graphic that I see circulating the Internet around the holidays. Essentially the graphic shows a balanced plate of food or a salad or something healthy to represent each week of the year. But then when we get to the holidays, the weeks look different—usually with a cake or candy representing those weeks.
But what really catches my eye is the consistency of it all. Normally, I enjoy eating a healthy diet. It boosts my energy and my health, and after all of my research, I know it helps my longevity. But when I hit that week of vacation, or that holiday week in December? My eating plan derails.
And that’s what, 14 or 21 days out of the 365 of the year? It’s not like all of the work I put in for my health is going to completely reverse in just a week or two.
Being healthy is about being consistent.
This graphic is usually shared around by different registered dietitians who essentially let their followers know that it’s okay if you enjoy yourself once in a blue moon. A week or two of vacation is not going to make much of a difference compared to all of the other incredible work you’ve done for your physical and mental health the rest of that year.
I think this is also an important lesson for how we approach every meal as well. If we’re choosing to eat nutritionally-dense meals most of the week that include all of those essential macronutrients (protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates) and a variety of vegetables and fruits (for vitamins, minerals, and fiber), one “fattier” meal on the weekend won’t change all of that.
I mean, we hear about the 80/20 rule all of the time. What if we put that into action? If 80% of the time we make healthy choices, and 20% of the time we choose to eat the foods that aren’t as nutritionally healthy for us, it’s not like that 20% is going to ruin us completely. This is what balance looks like.
I am certainly not perfect at balance—I think it’s going to be a lifelong practice. But I know for a fact that if I don’t allow moments to enjoy those “unhealthier” foods I love from time to time, my healthy eating plan will derail completely. That’s because I know research states dieting and restriction do not work. By incorporating those types of meals and moments into my life, I am able to stay even more consistent with my nutrition plan for that 80%.
Vacations should be enjoyed.
I was silently laughing to myself as I snapped a photo of my lunch plate a few days ago (pictured above). I was eating a BLT sandwich with two slices of bread (I typically go open-faced), and instead of a side salad or sliced-up bell pepper, I was enjoying leftover fried fish grandma made with grandpa’s fresh-caught bass. Containers of freshly cut watermelon and sliced cucumbers sat on the table, which I did pick at. But I didn’t fill half my plate, which is my usual motto. I just nibbled, and when I was full, I stopped.
And this is just how vacation is supposed to be. It means choosing to throw together a giant plate of nachos to go with frozen strawberry margaritas for happy hour. It means snacking on homemade Chex mix or Special K bars or ginger snap cookies. It means cracking open a kombucha and floating on the lake until your skin starts to feel crispy and you know if you don’t get out now, you’re going to regret that sunburn. It means buttery ears of sweet corn and thick-ass slices of watermelon on the table at all times. It means tangy rhubarb crisp with big dollops of vanilla ice cream as the sun is lazily still setting past 9 p.m. It means baking two loaves of sourdough bread in the morning because you know one just won’t be enough for all of the people you have to feed that day. It means going to bed with a full tummy and a full heart, knowing that these are the moments you are going to be thinking about for those other 351 days of the year.
Tomorrow, I’ll wake up in my apartment in Brooklyn, and I’ll feel satisfied. I won’t get on the scale because it’s only going to tell me what I already know—that I chose to enjoy time with my family. I will not let that number take those sweet memories away. Plus, as soon as I start back up with my usual nutrition routine, that number will change yet again.
But the memories I have from the lake? Those won’t change. Those last forever.
Don’t miss the meal plan!
Tomorrow all of the paid subscribers of Forkful will be getting their monthly meal plan. Feeling a little bored with your usual go-to meals? Spice it up with some new ideas! Each meal plan comes with suggested meals for each week, as well as a corresponding grocery list.
That’s it—we’re making dessert. Because we just talked about enjoying ourselves dammit, and this cold 5-Ingredient Key Lime Pie is the perfect summer treat after a long day at the beach or the lake or the pool or wherever else you are this summer.
My recipe does teach you how to make a homemade crust, but I honestly just grab a pre-made graham-cracker crust. It tastes just as good and it’s lazy, and in the summer, we’re all about being lazy.
So make some pie. And don’t forget the whipped cream.
Here are a few of my latest published pieces. Happy reading!
Drink This Every Day For Lower Blood Sugar and Better Gut Health, Says New Study. What can’t green tea do?!
Eat This Fruit Every Day for a Longer Life, Says Science. If you’re not sure which fruit to choose for your morning oats or yogurt, this would be a great go-to.
Klondike Is Discontinuing the Choco Taco, and We’re Heartbroken. Okay but side note, do you people know what the Choco Taco is? Apparently, it’s not as popular as I thought!
9 Old-Fashioned Recipes From the Back of Iconic Product Boxes. It’s just fun, honestly.
Restaurants Are Shrinking Portion Sizes Right Now—Here’s Why. Wrote a little about “shrinkflation” and it’s fascinating…and frightening.
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