Vacations can be indulgent without interrupting normal diets or encouraging overeating. Tourists who are also healthy eaters can enjoy exotic international trips and savor delicious local cuisine without compromising their metabolism or their beliefs.
Even vegans and vegetarians will feel welcome in the destinations described below, thanks to an emphasis on fresh produce and other plant-based ingredients. In these inviting locations, vacation is no excuse to gain weight and a special diet is no excuse to miss out on exotic new flavors. Thanks to their delicious but healthy cuisine and walkable, beautiful scenery, those with less healthy habits might even return home in better shape. If you consider yourselves healthy eaters, here are six destinations that will accord with your emphasis on optimal eating habits.
Crete, Greece
One destination for healthy eaters to visit is Crete, Greece, where the healthiest staples of the Mediterranean diet grow in abundance, especially wild-growing herbs. That’s good news for locals too, because Harvard researchers recently discovered a definitive link between Mediterranean food and longer lifespans. Greece wisely even follows its own food pyramid, an alternative to the dairy- and meat-heavy American version.
Crete is where the Mediterranean Diet phenomenon got its start, and that’s no surprise. Like the mainland, Crete’s local cuisine is full of heart-healthy Mediterranean food. Greek salads are full of leafy greens and come in generous portions, meze platters offer a way to sample everything without filling up, and rice-stuffed grape leaves known as dolmades are refreshing when drizzled in lemon sauce.
Can’t-miss attractions on the gorgeous island include the Old Venetian Harbor in downtown Chania, where cafés line the seafront, and the Historical Museum of Crete, which houses artifacts from throughout Crete’s epic seventeen-century history.
Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
Logroño, the capital of La Rioja in the north of Spain, is a well-kept secret that rarely sees tourist activity. The old, narrow streets are bordered by vibrant buildings, including many tapas bars that serve up small portions of traditional Spanish cuisine. Popular and healthy favorites include gazpacho, a cold soup with tomatoes; local seafood, such as besugo and sea bream; and dishes based in legumes such as chickpeas and lentils; all of which are perfect for healthy eaters.
Mediterranean cuisine is a significant element of Spanish diets, and so is olive oil. Spaniards use it for everything from cooking vegetables and roasting fish to drizzling on top of salads and mixing into gazpacho. It can lower cholesterol levels, while grains and legumes reduce heart disease and leafy greens keep arteries clear.
Visitors who come in September can dive right into the town’s unique culture and exquisite wine. The Riojo Wine Harvest Festival is a week-long festival in honor of the town’s patron saint, San Mateo. The Miracle of San Mateo is represented by a fountain of “red wine”, which is colored water that spurts from Gran Via at the end of an inauguration parade route. The water’s deep red gradually lightens throughout the festival, which each stage symbolizing red, rosé, and white wine.
Naha, Okinawa Island, Japan
According to the United Nations, Japan has 35 centenarians (people over the age of 100) per 100,000 people. That’s a much higher ratio than any other country, and it probably has something to do with an age-old cuisine that incorporates healthy food like tofu, squid, and vegetables with cancer-fighting qualities, such as bok choy and shitake mushrooms.
Expert culinary blogger and author Michael Booth calls Osaka the best “food city” in the world, but if first timers don’t want to load up on fried delicacies during their time in Japan, Okinawa Island is a better alternative. After all, the island inspired a worldwide gastronomic movement.
The famous Okinawa Diet was inspired by the cuisine of the Okinawa Prefecture, a series of islands off the coast of Japan, and Naha is its capital. This town at the tip of Okinawa Island is a great place to revisit ancient history; the Shuri Castle stands where the Ryukyuan Kingdom’s palace once stood.
It can be hard for a vegan to find delicious food in seafood-heavy mainland Japan, but not here. One of Naha’s most acclaimed restaurants is Ukishima Garden, a heavily macrobiotic menu that’s 100% vegan and incorporates vegetables grown on the island, as well as some European cuisine. For healthy eaters, it is a prime destination to visit.
Palermo, Italy
Palermo is the capital city of the island of Sicily, located off of the southern coast of Italy. Found as early as the 8th century BCE by Phoenician traders, it was later captured by Rome in 254. The city declined during Roman rule, but was later incorporated into the Byzantine state in 535 CE and began to steadily flourish and prosper. The golden age of Palermo reached its zenith several centuries later, under the purview of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, when the imperial politics of the Holy Roman court shifted from southern Italy to Sicily. Ownership of Palermo shifted numerous times in the ensuing centuries, until it was at last assimiliated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
With a decorated history of cosmopolitanism, it is not surprising that Palermo harbors an eclectic cuisine. As Sicily is situated in a Mediterranean climate, fresh spices and herbs thrive year-round, ensuring a diverse entrée of foods. Culinary staples of the island include pistachios, olives, almonds and prickly pears. Markets abound, where perusers can purchase fresh bounties of meat and fish.
Popular dishes include the cannolo, or cannoli: a confection baked in a crisp pastry shell, always including some variation of sweetened ricotta cheese on the inside. Often times, a cannoli is sweetened further with bits of chocolate chip or candied fruits. Another popular item is the pezzo di rosticceria, which in America would equate to a calzone. They are brioche doughs that are baked after being stuffed with an assortment of toppings. Seafood also remains a highly popular staple, not uncommon for an island nation. At trattoria’s throughout Palermo, one can discover all variety of seafood fare, including tuna, swordfish, mussels, scorpion fish, and more.
Sicilians naturally, if not entirely consciously, adhere to a Mediterranean diet. This macrobiotic diet presents many health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, weight loss, and neurological improvements.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen is both the largest city and capital city of Denmark. Though its beginnings are obscure, it is known that a small village once existed near Copenhagen in the early 10th century. Later, in 1167, Bishop Absalon built a castle off a nearby coast and fortified it with ramparts and a moat. By 1445, Copenhagen had expanded enough to become the fledgling capital of Denmark and the residence of the Danish Royal family.
Contemporarily, Copenhagen remains the center of Danish cultural and political life. Connected by various bridges, biking trails, and walking routes; the cityscape is naturally characterized by parks, promenades and waterfronts. Since the turn of the 21st century, Copenhagen has emerged as a center of Scandinavian life, reaping the rewards of prior investments in technology, infrastructure, and strong local institutions.
Copenhagen offers a panoply of dining options for visitors. One of the most prominent among them is the Broens Gadekoekken, a bustling food market arrayed with a variety of international dishes for consumption. One can find almost anything at this market, ranging from fresh fish and chips, to sushi, to American hot dogs. Another mainstream attraction for foodies is the Tivoli Food Hall, which is similar to the Broens Gadekoekken in its wide diversity of offerings.
Though seafood is abundant in Copenhagen, many locals cling to the “New Nordic” diet, which includes nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, root vegetables, berries, fish, and legumes. Adherence to a more organic diet like generally improves health outcomes in relation to hearth health, insulin sensitivity, and the probability of chronic diseases.
San Sebastian, Spain
The history of San Sebastian, Spain, reaches as far back as the 11th century, when a Catholic monastery was first established in its environs. It soon transformed into a lucrative fishing village under the auspices of King Sancho “the Great,” linking several significant trading routes in the region. Over the centuries, its strategic location made it an envied naval stronghold, consequently making it a point of contest in numerous wars, especially the Napoleonic clashes.
In the 19th century, Queen Isabella II selected San Sebastian as a holiday site, giving it the cosmetic facelift it retains to this day. The city’s reputation as a source for “healing waters” made it appealing to the Spanish Royal Family. By 1929, the city had over 20,000 beds for tourists, a figure which has expanded dramatically since.
Located in the Basque region of Spain, San Sebastian is properly regarded as an excellent example of the Basque cuisine. Over 16 chefs in the city hold Michelin stars, making it an attractive destination for foodies of every ilk. Basque dishes are wide and varied, but is primarily based on ingredients sourced from the Cantabrian sea and from local gardens and farms. As with the Mediterranean diet, the Basque diet is similarly noted for its emphasis on macronutrients and is ideal for healthy eaters.
For more information on cuisine and travel, reference the following articles:
Top Places To Eat In Paris, France
Mediterranean Diet Basics for a Healthier Lifestyle
This article originally appeared LifeBalanceDaily.com