Your South Beach Travel Guide: What to Eat on Vacation

Once you’ve worked hard to lose weight, you don’t want to see your progress slip away on vacation. While it’s an easy time to overindulge, you don’t want to fall victim to vacation weight gain after too many bad food choices high in carbs, sugar and calories. You can still have fun on vacation while making wise decisions about what to eat on vacation.

If you’re on the South Beach Diet, you’ll want to make low carb choices to maintain your healthy eating routine. After all, it is a vacation, and you’re going to want to see the sights and eat like the locals do at restaurants. Learn exactly what to eat on vacation while making smarter choices, depending on where you’re dining. Follow our guide for staying on track with low carb dining options so you can keep up your diet and weight loss progress intact.

Check out our easy-to-follow guide and find out what to eat on vacation :

1. Coffee shop

You’re going to be all out of sorts on vacation if you don’t get up and find some form of breakfast and possibly caffeine. It’s smart to start your day with a good meal, even while on vacation, so your body can maintain your normal eating schedule. There are some simple, South Beach-approved breakfast drinks and foods you can find at a coffee shop to jumpstart the fun.

Try:

• Plain black coffee
  You know you’re going to eventually need coffee or a pick-me-up at a cafe. Fortunately, you can enjoy a plain black coffee without sugar or milk to stay on-plan with your diet. If you need to sweeten it up, add some almond milk or cinnamon for a diet-approved option.
• Tea
  Try any flavor of herbal tea to give you a caffeine boost without any unhealthy extras. Black, white, green and oolong teas are known to offer positive effects for weight loss, according to Healthline. If you need to sweeten your tea, just do it in a healthy way with coconut milk or almond milk.

Avoid:

• Any bakery items
  You definitely don’t want to start eyeing up any muffins, bagels or donuts packed with complex carbs and sugar. Try a fruit cup or poached eggs if they’re available.
• Drinks with dairy
  When you’re on keto-friendly plan and at the coffee shop, stick to your basic coffee drinks. You want to avoid added carbs from add-ins like syrup pumps, whipped cream and other toppings.

2. The Boardwalk

The boardwalk is often the most fun stop of vacation—with its alluring lights, games, people and food, it’s hard to resist. The best way to stay on track when wondering what to eat on vacation as your peruse the boardwalk is to find out which of your beloved boardwalk treats makes the cut for your low carb diet.

Try:

• Hot dogs or burgers minus the buns
  If you ditch the buns, hot dogs and hamburgers are diet-approved foods to savor during your walk on the boards. Just make sure to choose a quality, lean dog or burger and go simple for the toppings⁠—mustard is a delicious addition, and it’s South- Beach-approved.
• Sit-down restaurants
  Your best bet on the boardwalk is to eat somewhere you can order from a full menu. Most of the stands or fast food boardwalk places are full of carb-heavy treats you don’t want to have on your conscience. Find a restaurant where you can order a healthy meal. Go for a light salad with avocado, any type of seafood, chicken dishes or bunless burgers.

Avoid:

• Boardwalk fries
  Try not to follow the delicious smell of boardwalk fries, which are shamelessly loaded with carbs, fat and sodium. These greasy starch sticks won’t do your body any favors and should be avoided at all costs.
• Fudge, taffy and candy
  Most types of classic boardwalk candy are made with refined sugars and carbs that won’t make you feel good while you’re trying to have fun on vacation. Avoid taffy, fudge, caramel popcorn and other sugary treats you may find at candy shops on the boardwalk. Instead, stop for fresh fruit smoothies and berries when you get the chance.

3. Seafood house

Seafood is a healthy option for almost any diet, including South Beach Diet. Fish and shellfish are loaded with protein, healthy fats and omega-3s, providing your body with numerous positive health benefits. Just make sure when ordering you request your seafood to be cooked in a healthy way without heavy oils or high-calorie sauces.

Try:

• Grilled shrimp
  You can eat shrimp almost any way. You can try a shrimp cocktail sans sauce, or go for lemon and herb grilled shrimp skewers! Either way, you win when you eat shrimp because it has less than one total carb, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Eating eight or nine shrimp (3 oz.) also gives you about 17 grams of protein and just 84 calories.
• Crab legs or salmon
  Crab and salmon each contain less than one carb total, so if you’re working hard to keep your carbs low, seafood is a smart choice! You can’t go wrong with some fresh crab legs or salmon off the grill, so savor each bite without looking back!

Avoid:

• Fish n’ chips
  Fried fish turns a healthy and fresh ingredient into a fatty, greasy meal overloaded with carbs. Stick to grilled shrimp skewers, raw clams or steamed oysters for healthy, fresh-caught meals that will help you stay low carb and on track! Skip any fried fish platters at the seafood house such as fish n’ chips⁠—they don’t even taste fresh and are made with heavy batters and bread crumbs.

4. Smoothie shop

A smoothie stop is a must on vacation, especially when you need a refreshing boost to help you bounce back into the fun. Learn how to stay on track with your diet and order your smoothie the right way to get the most out of every sip!

Try:

• Berries
  Although some fruits are high in carbohydrates, you definitely want to go all natural when it comes to ordering your smoothie. Ask for fresh fruits instead of flavorings or syrups to avoid an excess of sugar and carbs. Choose raspberries, blackberries or strawberries for your smoothie⁠—these fruits are high in fiber and antioxidants for major health benefits.
• More greens!
  If made correctly, a smoothie can be a great vessel for eating more vegetables. A sweet and refreshing smoothie can enhance the taste of some amazingly healthy vegetables to ensure you eat somewhat healthy while you’re away. Go for low carb veggies such as spinach, kale or celery to create a green protein-packed smoothie to fuel your body for more fun!

Avoid:

• Dairy Overload
  Dairy products are often high in calories, so you want to order your smoothie a specific way to stay on track. Avoid ice cream additions, flavored frozen yogurts, and when choosing a base, be sure to ask for a one-cup serving to stay in line with your South Beach portion sizes.

5. Deli

A vacation is never complete without a trip to the deli for some lunch meat and fixings to bring back. Fortunately, deli meats made with lean cuts are okay on the South Beach Diet—just be sure to stick to a two-ounce serving.

Try these:

• Wraps
  Sandwiches are usually a must at some point during a vacation to supplement big appetites and busy schedules. Order or make your sandwich without bread and either a low carb wrap or lettuce wrap (if it’s available). Make sure to skip heavy condiments like load of mayo, and instead top on tomato, avocado and cheese for a carb-friendly alternative to a traditional sammie.
• Healthy lunch meat
  You can still eat a filling and flavorful sandwich without ruining your weight loss progress. Lunch meat has little to no carb content because it’s all meat. Choose lean, lower-fat lunch meat that’s South Beach Diet approved such as roast beef or smoked turkey to make your sandwich.

Avoid:

• Club sandwiches
  Needless to say, club sandwiches or any type of classic sandwich comes with thick slices of bread and an overdose of carbs. Go for a low carb wrap or simply eat your lunch meat with just veggies for a more modern, twist on deli takeout.
• Chips
  You don’t have to skip the snack aisle altogether, just avoid the chips, cookies and other unhealthy treats. Instead, ask for a side of cucumber or bell pepper slices.