According to Karishma Shah, an integrated nutritionist and health coach, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself to follow a diet on vacation. If you’re on vacation, it’s okay to take a break from dieting. But that doesn’t mean going overboard on everything, which will only leave you feeling guilty.

Who hasn’t been guilty of bingeing on vacation like their life depends on it? Relaxing, eating, relaxing some more and then going back to eating and drinking — that’s what most of our routines look like on vacation. But this diet can leave our stomachs upset and our guilt skyrocketing.

According to Karishma Shah, an integrated nutritionist and health coach, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself to follow a diet on vacation. If you’re on vacation, it’s okay to take a break from dieting. But that doesn’t mean going overboard on everything, which will only leave you feeling guilty.

One way to eat right and to be guilt-free can be through mindful eating — it focuses on the eating experience, mouth feel, chewing and emotions, Dr Eileen Canday, HOD, Nutrition and Dietetics, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai said.

Here are some ways you can enjoy a guilt-free vacation, but still enjoy the local food.

Don’t go crazy with breakfast

Often on vacation, people tend to gorge on the breakfast buffet and eat everything on the menu, but Shah recommended to never go overboard on breakfast as that will leave you feeling heavy the entire day. It’s important to keep your stomach filled, so you can have a bowl of cereal, nuts, eggs, any local fruits, for a healthy breakfast while being mindful of your day.

Canday advised including protein-rich foods in the meals for better satiety and energy levels.

Carry some food from home

Take a page from your mom’s book and always pack some food with you when you’re on vacation, Shah said.

She explained that you should pack an SOS meal in your bag, containing a trail mix, nuts, or roasted makhanas for the time you might not have access to food. Often times, if we skip a meal, we tend to eat more in the next meal so this SOS food box will be helpful then.

Canday suggested consuming regular small meals for better metabolism and to avoid extreme hunger and, hence overeating.

Keep sugar, carbs and alcohol in moderation

Explaining that many people go overboard on sugar, carbs and alcohol during their vacation, Shah said to keep them all in moderation. On the other hand, Canday recommended portion control on calorie-dense and fat-rich foods.

“You can make a plan and have one on one day. So, for example, if you’re eating a lot of desserts today, skip on the excessive carbs and alcohol,” Shah said.

She added that you should keep yourself well-hydrated on the days you drink alcohol to keep your gut healthy.

Make sure you walk around

Shah suggested walking around and getting to the places you want to go while on vacation as that will not only help you discover the places that might not be on the map, but it will also help you shed those extra calories and improve digestion of food.

Have the local cuisine

A lot of people tend to shy away from eating the local cuisine but you shouldn’t do that, Shah said.

“The minute you travel somewhere, your gut microbiome has to adjust to that nature, species and water. The best way to support it is to eat local food, grown in the local soil,” she explained.