What does a holistic nutritionist eat on a cruise?
When I travel I aim to strike a balance between nourishing myself so that I feel good, while still enjoying the new tastes of wherever it is i’m going. It can be a tricky balance, since being in a vacation mindset can lead us to make more indulgent choices than we would in our day to day lives. Yet, when traveling, we want to feel as good as possible, since we often will be waking up earlier, staying up later, and overall expending more energy than normal.
This March I took a 5 day cruise on the Disney Wonder with my family. While I wasn’t able to 100% honor my whole- foods and anti-inflammatory diet, I was able to stick to gluten- free and vegan fare and still eat some fresh fruit and vegetables.
I thought it might be helpful to share a realistic look at what I eat on a vacation- and this time specifically a Disney cruise on the Disney Wonder. (I thought it also might be helpful for those looking into taking a Disney vacation and want to know what types of accommodations are available for those of us with restrictive food sensitivities. (Spoiler alert: they do a pretty great job!)
Breakfast
Wherever I go, I find breakfast to be one of the easier meals to find something to eat (fruit, avocado toast, oatmeal are my go-to’s) On the Wonder, I was able to enjoy sit-down breakfasts with multiple courses!
Each morning I started with a glass of water, coffee (iced with almond milk + a packet of raw cane sugar in the above picture, to be precise), and a grapefruit. I don’t know what it is about fruit on cruises, but it happens to be some of the most delicious fruit I come across.
After hydrating and enjoying the grapefruit, I moved onto the main course. Above are the 3 I rotated between throughout the cruise.
Going from left to right:
Allergy- free mickey waffles (no complaints!) and hash browns. The hash browns were very greasy and salty, so I didn’t finish them, and ended up asking for a big side of berries, which they were happy to bring me.
Oatmeal with brown sugar, toasted pecans, and golden raisins (hot coffee this time!)
The most creative offering: a plant-based yogurt parfait (unsweetened soy yogurt with shredded coconut, kiwi fruit, and banana chips!)
Lunch and Dinner
Each lunch and dinner was also a sit- down, multiple course meal (besides the 2 times I ordered room service :)).
Due to my restrictions, the chef had to prepare special meals for myself and the other vegans in my family. These ended up being mostly “surprises”, but I was down for the adventure!
All meals started with bread and dip. They had a special bread and dip for me that I was happy to indulge in (dinner was at 8:30pm and I was usually starving by then- I usually eat dinner at 5pm!)
After bread was a salad and soup course, which were always my favorite parts. They would bring me a nice fresh salad with olive oil and vinegar (I skip the oil), and the soups were usually very flavorful, but sometimes too salty. While I enjoyed a few sips of a shirley temple here and there, I mainly stuck to arnold palmers or just plain old water for my drink of choice!
The main courses varied greatly day to day, but sometimes I ended up just eating the soup, salad, and bread as my meal. I didn’t capture any of the mains, but here are a few examples of what they served:
Fried Rice with veggies and soy meat
Pasta with veggies and soy meat
Room Service
The Disney Wonder offered 24/7 all inclusive room service, which was hard to pass up- especially when paired with the hundreds of Disney movies offered on their in room tvs. It’s important to note- as this is a holistic wellness blog- that both meals were enjoyed leisurely, on the bed.
Above, left to right:
Plant based chicken sandwich with fries, iced tea, and their option for allergy free dessert (partake chocolate chip cookies, which were very reminiscent of famous amos) + Muppets Treasure Island
Plant based chicken sandwich with fries, and the detox juice (+ $7) which was delicious- and unfortunately I didn’t order that until the last day otherwise I would have had it every day!
Snacks and Treats
When it comes to treats, I often go for the sweet drink, and this cruise was no exception. They had a coffee bar on board that I tried a few times throughout my trip. [Un pictured was the popcorn that I enjoyed during the shows on board!] Pictured below left to right:
Iced caramel latte with almond milk
Cold brew with vanilla
A fruity- piña colada style drink that was offered at sail away party on the first day
Final thoughts
While Disney went above and beyond to honor my sensitivies and avoid cross- contact, the gluten free and vegan food on board was often heavily processed, salty, and oily and didn’t make me feel my best. I noticed I had more headaches, digestion issues, and my fingers were noticeably swollen. The Sakara probiotics I brough on board helped with my digestion, but nothing beats good ‘ol whole fruits and veggies.
Since the cruise was only 5 days, I was able to get back on track quickly. I think that in a holistic sense, its important to realize that being flexible and enjoying the moment is often more important than being strict and rigid. It’s about knowing when to bend, and when to not- in order to enjoy our lives the most we can!