From table service restaurants to kiosks offering unique treats the food at Disney is far from the usual theme park fare; it is something to revel, savor, and indulge. But indulgence has its limits, especially for those of us with medically necessary food restrictions.
Our trip last December was my first journey to Disney since my diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes. I take some small dosages of medication but my blood glucose is largely controlled with diet and exercise. I knew exercise would be no problem at the walkingest-place-on-earth but what about food? Would I be able to enjoy some yummy treats and still keep my blood glucose in check? I am happy to report a resounding YES!!
One of the first snacks I had was fresh fruit and ice water from a kiosk across from Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios. My daughter grabbed a soda and Mickey pretzel and gave me a bite or two so I got to experience the classic treat while choosing a healthier (and actually tastier IMO) option for myself. Best of all my banana was CHEAP. So often choosing health means paying extra but not this time- my snack came in at under $1!
Later that evening we were ready for more than a snack. Luckily I'd done my research and looked at menus online before our trip so I knew just where to go for dinner.
Chicken roasted to perfection, corn on the cob, and baked beans (some added sugar but it's offset by the high fiber and I only had a few bites) from Fairfax Fare on Sunset Boulevard was a perfect, diabetic friendly option and it was also delicious! Not to mention that it was SO much food that my daughter and I shared and were too full to even want dessert (well, at least right away)..
Full confession time: back at the resort that evening I couldn't resist a little indulgence:
A milkshake for my daughter and some tie-dyed cheesecake for us to share. And since I said full confession, I ate most of the cheesecake; she only had a couple of bites. However I'd had such great options earlier in the day and walked so much that I was confident I'd be okay. My morning glucose level check proved me right!
The following morning we had a reservation for what I knew would be one of the easiest diabetic friendly meals of the week- a breakfast buffet!
Yes, you see a crepe with strawberry sauce peeking out back there. But it was a buffet so I was able to take a couple of bites and leave the rest without feeling like I'd wasted money or over indulged. Same with the yummy strawberry soup. The omelet bar was the place to be for the truly diabetic friendly treat though!
And my daughter, who has no dietary restrictions, also found some options those with diabetes would enjoy without worry, ham and fresh fruit! (And a delicious but not so glucose-level friendly Mickey waffle!)
Our breakfast full of diabetic friendly options happened to be at 1900 Park Fare but I think you'll find most breakfast just as deliciously stocked with foods that won't spike your glucose levels.
But buffets aren't the only place to find glucose friendly meal options, a late lunch at Be Our Guest was just as deliciously healthy!
I (correctly) anticipated that we'd be pretty full from our breakfast so we decided to share this meal which helped keep my portion sizes small, another great way to keep those glucose levels in check. Again, I had taken the time to do a bit of research and pre-ordered a meal that I knew would be a good option for my dietary needs. I ate around the crust of the veggie quiche, savored the salad, and even enjoyed a couple of bites of the grey stuff from my daughter's cupcake. Again, lots of walking made me feel better about this small indulgences.
Dinner at Pop that evening was tuna on whole wheat. It came with the not-so-diabetic-friendly homemade chips so I did have a few (YUM) but threw most of them away because I felt I'd indulged enough for one day. This trick of reminding myself that I could taste without eating the entire (usually very large) portions was important for helping me keep my glucose levels without feeling deprived the whole time.
The following day was my biggest challenge. We weren't having any full meals and were instead snacking around World Showcase. I, of course, had some indulgences, but also managed to find some amazing diabetic friendly options.
Lobster bisque in France (and a couple of bites of my daughter's baguette)
Bratwurst and sauerkraut in Germany- I didn't eat the bun and again only had a few of the chips.
Fruit juice in Italy
Egg rolls in China- healthy filling, indulgent wrapper. Seemed like a good compromise at the time. ;)
Of course the entire day wasn't about eating healthy...
Churritos in Mexico
School Bread in Norway
Kakigori with sweet milk in Japan
Sponge cake in the UK
And special-just-for-the-holidays maple bark in Canada.
This seems like a lot of indulgence, and honestly it was! But it was our only food that day, we didn't do any full meals because we wanted to eat in each country (you may notice we skipped Morroco because we were too full at that point). Plus, everything pictured was shared with my daughter so that kept my portions small. And then there's also All. The. Walking.
On our last full day we had lunch at Pop.
I'm lucky that corn doesn't impact my blood glucose as much as other carbs so I enjoyed the nachos guilt free!
Later at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party we had to try the treats.
The cookies were nothing special so a couple of bites was enough for me. I also opted for the hot apple cider instead of the cocoa and it was really good!
Dinner that night was a grilled chicken sandwich and green beans (instead of fries) from Cosmic Ray's. The bun was whole wheat but I still opted to take the top off and just eat it open faced. As you can see my daughter wasn't so carb conscious.
So, as you can see I definitely found a lot of diabetic friendly choices all over Walt Disney World. Of course, I definitely didn't eat like I would at home but still found a way to balance my indulgences with some really delicious healthier choices. This balance in addition to portion control, lots of (mandatory at Disney) exercise were the key to enjoying my vacation while still taking good care of myself.
This is not intended to be medical advice, only my experience. All people with diabetes have different dietary needs and should consult with their doctor about any changes in their diet.
Hope knows that a good vacation is all about finding the right balance for YOU and your travel party! Contact her today at Hope@SnapshotGetaways.com or find her on Facebook and she'll help you find that balance for your next trip to Disney!
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