How to Stay on Track at Disneyland
Summer is arguably the hardest time of the year to stay on track. There are so many barbecues, block parties, beer, beaches, road trips – you get the point. In addition your whole schedule gets thrown off. A little change in plans doesn’t mean you can’t stay on track with your healthy eating and fitness programs though.
My family and I are Disneyland Annual Passholders and we typically go about once per month. The best thing about Disneyland is that they do allow you to bring in your own food. This saves a TON of money in addition to unnecessary calories. For those traveling from out of town, you can still pick up healthy snacks from a local grocery store to bring into the parks with you.
We usually prepare protein pancakes and egg whites the night before and either take them with us or eat while we are getting ready in the morning. We almost always swing by the Coffee Bean drive thru along the way. Coffee is definitely a necessity to help power us through the fun filled day ahead. I bring a soft sided insulated bag stuffed to the brim with snacks to feed our family of 4 throughout the day and 1-2 gallons of bottled water as well. Here is a look at what we pack to stay on track while away from home. *Disneyland does have drinking fountains if you do not bring in your own water*
How to Stay on Track at Disneyland
Morning Snack: To keep your body in a fat burning state, you should aim to eat a protein based meal every 3-4 hours or 5-6 meals per day. When I’m busy or on the go, I like to have a 1st Phorm Level-1 meal replacement shake. I like 1st Phorm over any other brand because it doesn’t give me heartburn, gas or indigestion like most proteins. It also keeps me full between meals and it mixes together really smooth. The morning commute to Disneyland can take anywhere from 1.5 – 3 hours. I usually drink a shake while waiting for my first ride.
Lunch: Since we are only visiting for the day, we don’t let a single minute go to waste. Everything we bring is perfectly portioned and easy to eat while standing in line or walking from ride to ride. I really like these Hillshire Farms “small plates” because they are pretty well balanced as far as fats/protein/carbs are concerned. You can find them at Vons and Walmart here. Since micronutrients are just as important (if not more) than macronutrients, I like to bring a side of raw fruit & veggies as well.
Afternoon Snack: When that late afternoon slump hits, I like to reach for a protein bar like a Power Crunch bar or Oh Yeah! One bar instead of cotton candy or churros. Sometimes I’ll add another serving of fruit or raw veggies too.
Just in Case: For those of us that have kids, you can never have too many snacks on hand. I don’t know what the phenomenon is but kids can be “too full” for meals and then “starving” for a snack literally less than 5 minutes later *insert eye roll*. Also, Disneyland is filled with exciting stimuli that can get a little overwhelming for kids. I like to keep some snacks and treats in my bag to use as bribes when the girls get unruly. I also like to keep shelf stable things like tuna or jerky available if I need something more substantial to hold us over until dinner.
Dinner: We are typically famished by the end of the day and have to grab some food on the way home. Most of the time we make sensible choices such as a burrito bowl/salad from Chipotle. However, sometimes decide to indulge in something a little less healthy. With all of the extra walking throughout the park we usually double – sometimes triple – our average daily steps. So we can afford a few of the extra calories guilt free. Regardless of what we decide, we make sure to get right back on our regular schedule the next day. It’s also important to be sure that you drink extra water too.
How do you stay on track while traveling? I’d love to hear what your favorite grab and go meals and snacks are. Also, if you want to read some more Disneyland insider tips and tricks, check out this post: An Insider’s Guide to Disneyland and California Adventure
xo,
Erika
