One of the most difficult things to do is to get the right nutrients and balance them with fun foods. Then throw a vacation in? Forget it.
Then the guilt sets in, and makes it even more difficult to relax and enjoy yourself. So how can it be made easier?
This week I will be focusing on Disney Cruise lines; how easy I found it to balance healthy and fun foods, and still be able to relax.
About DCL: Magic and Wonder
I started cruising with Disney about a year ago, with my first one being on the Wonder. So far in total, I have tried two ships. Honestly, I found it fairly easy to stay on task with my goals to eat healthy enough to live longer. This was due to the wide variety of eating options available on board. Below I will go through each option and give a synopsis of the foods I found at each. But first, I wanted to give a brief summary of both the Wonder and the Magic.
Both ships belong to the Magic class, which was the original ship class for Disney cruise line. They are the smallest ships of the fleet, but make no mistake, there is so much to do on board, you cant get it all done in one cruise!
They are the exact same size, weight, and height( 11 floors!!) both feature three main dining restaurants, plus a fourth option for adults only: Palo. (The latter is an added cost, so quite frankly I have not tried it.)
Not counting Palo, each ship has two themed restaurants different from the other, and share one similar rotational themed location: Animators Palate. Each comes with a four course menu, with varying options based on the restaurant type.
Both feature a buffet ( which you will have access to upon entry on embarkation day) that is open for breakfast and lunch called Cabanas. Aside from that, there are many quick food counters featuring different fair: pizza, hotdogs/ sandwiches, salads, noodles, you name it.
In addition to the many physical location on board where you can locate good eats, they have 24 hour room service with a diversified menu. Soda fountains are also available 24/7 on deck 9 in the event you need a lemonade, soda, water, etc.
Quick Service Healthy Options
Now that we have done a brief over view of the two main ships in the Magic class, lets dive into what healthy options are in the quick service.
Daisy’s De-Lites
Probably one of my favorite spots to grab food was Daisy’s De-Lites. Here you can find different fresh fruits; like apples, grapes, pineapple, and more! Each day they feature different pre-made salads. Honestly could not tell you my favorite because they were all 10/10. Additionally, there are light sandwich options, like tuna or chicken wraps( in small portion) or my favorite, the greek wrap. Need something a little warmer? They offer a noodle bar where you can customize your dish with different vegetables and proteins. I always felt like it was so easy to get in my vitamin and proteins here without even sacrificing taste. Everything was fresh and delicious.
Pete’s Boiler Bites
Need to get in protein, but for one reason or another need to follow a low carb diet? Have no fear! Pete’s Boiler Bites is the perfect stop for your post pool snack. While this location features burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, and french fries, you can customize your order. I highly recommend ordering the protein you want, and asking for it without a bun. that’s it! Top with lettuce ( or lettuce wrap your protein), some onions, tomato, and a little sauce. It’s a great and extremely tasty way to stay on track mid day.
Cabanas
This buffet is pretty typical for what you may expect. Many options at the ready to grab and bring anywhere you’d like( you can also take it back to your room). I found that both for breakfast and lunch there were many different proteins available that werent drowned in sugar, fats, or wrapped in carbs/ fried. Yes those still exist there, because common’, they’re delicious. But its great to be able to add or subtract what you want.
Specifically, I want to highlight the carving stations and seafood, and omelets The carving stations often featured iron rich meats cooked to about a medium. Aside from scarmbled eggs, there was always both a meat and veggie omelet available. Absolutely delicious and nutritious proteins available all the time.
As for whole foods, Cabana’s did not slack. There were many different fiber heavy options, and fresh fruits/veggies. I loved the salad bar, and the dessert counter which featured a fruit salad. Vegetarian? Those options were also on the line.
Rotational Dining
As stated previously, rotational dining featured three main restaurants on both ships. For the Wonder, there was a more fine dining experience called: Tritons. Additionally, there was two casual restaurants: Tiana’s and Animators Palate. For the Magic, the fine dining was: Lumiere’s, and the casual dining was: Rapunzels Royal Table and Animators Palate.
Menus had stark variations between Tiana’s and Rapunzels’. However, food options were very similar between Triton’s and Lumiere’s.
I could get into the many differences and the different themes around the food, but that is a whole article for another week. Let’s get a general idea of food availability.
Appetizers
In the appetizers, there would usually be a few options with proteins, and vegetables or lightly processed fair available if you wanted to eat healthier.
Soup/Salad
The next course was soup and salad. I typically went for the salad options, but there were some light soups on the menu if you preferred that. My favorite was the Bosc Pear salad, which featured greens and a red wine soaked poached pear. There were typically at least two soup or salad options. This allowed for greater choice if I wanted something with more greens.
Entrees
Aside from a regular offering, each menu features separate entree options for both ‘lighter’ fair and vegetarian.
Dessert
Every menu also offers a no sugar added dessert option. They are not necessarily keto, but a great alternative for those wanting/needing to reduce sugar intake. I personally loved the deconstructed carrot cake from Animators Palate, but there were so many good options its hard to pick the top favorite.
Room Service
If you are not really feeling any of the available food options, and just want to chill in your cabin, there are still ways to stay healthy when ordering room service.
It can vary ship to ship, but typically fruits, salads, and lean proteins are available to order. If you are following a keto diet, the charcuterie tray offers an array of cheese, meats and fruit.
Modern Food Explorer 