I just recently went on a long break back to my hometown Penang. At the mention of Penang, most people would immediately think of Penang’s yummylicious hawker food – char koay teow, laksa, hokkien mee, nasi kandar, pasembur, etc. As a result of stuffing their face silly, some friends end up with indigestion at the end of their Penang trip! Seriously!

On an interesting note: My man observed that when a specific place is mentioned, we Malaysians could only think/talk about the food of that place. He said other non Malaysians would think of the place’s famous landmark/history. Hmm.. do you think Malaysians are just “gila makan” (crazy about eating)??

Back to my vacation.. With all these delicious food, it can be challenging to stay healthy when on a vacation, even more so as I love trying out the unique delicacies of the place I visit. I always avoid weighing myself after coming back from vacation because I know I would have put on weight!

Here are some healthy diet tips that I found useful when I’m on vacation:

1. Make your own snacks (bake chips/nuts/dried fruits) to munch on the flight/drive.

2. Visit local market to stock up your daily intake of fruits

                     

3. Pack your walking shoes with you. Visit and go for walk/jog @ local park such as beautifully landscaped Youth Park in Penang. Get fresh air, beautiful sceneries and burn some calories.

4. Share with your travel buddies and test out more varieties of food in small portions. Don’t deprive yourself of all of the great things your destination has to offer. Every city has unique foods and treats that you shouldn’t pass up. Enjoy yourself and remember the key is moderation!

5. As travelling will dehydrate you more than usual, drink loads of water to hydrate and try avoid soft drinks and sugared beverage. I prefer bringing my own water bottle to avoid throwing away plastic bottles.

What do you think? Share your tips with us.