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Eating my way through a vacation without ever feeling deprived or off my skinny track is easy and delicious when following a simple strategy.   This week, I’m in New England with different destinations each day, so almost every meal is ordered out.

What’s my vacation eating plan?

Every morning, my breakfast goal is to find some farm fresh protein and large fresh vegetables or fruit for breakfast at a top local spot.  I ask the residents for their recommendations for the best ingredients served at a non-tourist restaurant.  Then, I know I can order fluffy eggs and fruit, or a thick vegetable omelet, or even plain yogurt with a large variety of fruit.   Volume is key to feeling full, so pick a place with tons of low-calorie thick vegetable and fruit options to mound high on any dish.

This beautiful omelet was filled with zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, and basil.  Instead of toast, bacon or home fries, I had a side of Grilled Tomatoes.

My other breakfast secret:  I don’t waste my calories on white refined carbs at breakfast unless it’s a local, house specialty of the region.  Are the hash browns or potatoes excellent or do they look like fried Tator Tots?  Peek on other plates.  I can get potatoes at home, so why bother?  I can have toast at home, so why mindlessly munch on it just because it is offered with most breakfast entrees?

As for that great specialty regional cuisine, go ahead and try some of those award-winning pancakes with fresh Maine blueberries, but share it!  Have it just one morning on your vacation, love it, and move on.  Tasting the region’s best is different from gorging on the region’s best.

Dinner in New England is easy for me.  It’s easy for anybody!  The lobster and clams are incredibly fresh and plump, and the pureness of steaming is the popular way to prepare it.  The skinny trick is to watch all of the sides and extras that may come with it.  It may seem like a no-brainer, but most people just eat whatever sides come with a perfectly healthy steamed entrée.  I watch; I know.

My dinner plan:  I order a large steamed lobster and/or steamer pot of clams, but say no thanks to the French fries, cole slaw, potato chips, pasta salad or white rolls that comes with a meal.  Choose one of the local, non-tourist lobster shacks for the best price, and skip the sides.  This one pound hard-shell steamed lobster at a local shack was only $9.95.

Better yet, buy a lobster right off the dock with no extras added to save calories and even more money.  We found a few lobstermen who steamed it right on the spot.  And BYOB!  My bottle of wine purchased at the local shop was perfect on the picnic table at the dock, poured into a smuggled crystal goblet from the room in my B&B. 

The biggest skinny obstacle with any steamed seafood is the amount of melted butter used on steamed seafood.  Now, I adore and savor the taste of real butter, but I use just a little.  Guess what else I do on my New England vacations?  I buy a small bottle of butter spray, carry it in my bag at dinnertime and whip it out on the picnic table with no remorse.  It’s my back-up after a tiny
bit of pure butter.  Sometimes I use it, and sometimes I don’t (…yes, I realize it’s not 100 percent pure, my friends), but I never feel deprived of the butter taste.  Spritz away.

A large steamed and buttery tasting fresh lobster, along with a large glass of wine is the perfect waterfront vacation meal to me!

What about my mounds of vegetables I usually order at dinner?  I don’t worry about it at dinner on vacations in Maine, so I make certain that my lunches have as many vegetables as possible.

My lunch plan:  One vacation favorite is find a local corner shop that has whole-wheat wraps.  Then, I ask them to stuff as many vegetables as humanly possible in it and add hummus for some protein.  Or add cheese for the protein and a little balsamic to it.  Another option is to find a gourmet salad place and load up on the vegetables then, while using lemon or salsa for dressing.

This was my lunch from the local market shop with field greens, onions, cucumbers, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes and the best housemade hummus for a protein/good carb power punch of a lunch.  It kept my lunch substantial, yet light and delicious, with no worries about finding whole grains or vegetables at dinner.  My fat, huge and inexpensive lobster or buckets of steamer clams are waiting for me!

This IS vacation.  Eating healthy never tasted so good!