Having to juggle kids, aunts and in-laws can make a vacation to the family cottage more stressful than you bargained for. Dealing with a variety of picky eaters makes the trip all the more frustrating. When one kid will only eat hot dogs or your dad calls all salads "rabbit food," you can't be blamed for wanting to give up and take everyone to the nearest fast food joint every night.
Don't despair - even with all these conflicting opinions, you can still manage to eat healthy while enjoying all the culinary benefits of being on vacation. Here are a few tips for maintaining a healthy diet while at the family cottage:
Eating healthy at the family cottage isn't as hard as it seems.
Dine out at restaurants with quality food
You're on vacation, so you obviously want to splurge a little when it comes to what you eat. There's no reason to deny yourself a taste of the local cuisine - that's part of the fun of exploring somewhere new or different - but be mindful of the restaurants you choose. The healthiest options source their food from local, organic farms, ensuring that what's on your plate is of the highest quality.
Bring your own ingredients
Home cooking tends to be healthier than eating out, but one reason cooking on vacation is such a challenge is because it can be hard to find everything you need. Even if you can find every ingredient at the local supermarket, no one wants to spend money on a bunch of spices and condiments they already have at home. Why not pack up some versatile ingredients and bring them with you? Throw in a few essential spices - Bon Appetit suggested bay leaves, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper, among others. You can also bring dry goods like brown rice, steel-cut oats and whole-wheat pasta.
"Local, seasonal fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients."
Focus on seasonal dishes
Local, seasonal fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients. Also, since they don't have to be picked early and then shipped to a supermarket hundreds of miles away, they tend to taste better than the alternative. Find out what's available at your nearest farmer's market, load up the car with produce and make a meal. Pumpkin soup and roasted root vegetables are delicious in the winter, while grilled corn and fruit pies are perfect for summer. If you need inspiration, the BBC has a great list of seasonal recipes to choose from.
Make meals as a group
Every vacation comes with at least one day where everyone just wants to spend time around the house. Instead of sitting by while everyone goes off into their separate rooms, bring the family together to cook something healthy. Try baking your own bread or making healthy breakfast burritos with fresh eggs, avocado and homemade salsa.
You want to stay healthy on vacation, but remember that it's okay to treat yourself every now and then. Just keep these tips in your back pocket as you head to your next stay at the family cottage, and you're sure to come up with a healthy solution that suits everyone's taste buds.