Check out how simple it is to stay active and eat healthy while on vacation without stressing over it! I did it quite easily during our first family beach vacation to Myrtle Beach.
This past week we took our longest road trip to date to sunny Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. After the 150th day of January (ha!), my family and I were so ready for a warm place to escape. Of course we had this trip booked for some time, however, it was perfect timing since Michigan apparently did NOT want spring to arrive this year. We’ve probably set a few records in the month of April for low temps and snowfall.
Thankfully we had this opportunity to escape for 4 nights with temps in the mid-70’s our entire trip. And with my background as a dietitian, as well as my current fitness goal of completing another half marathon soon, I thought I’d not only highlight some great attractions in Myrtle Beach, but also tell you about how I stayed active and ate healthy (as well as the rest of the family), yet still enjoyed vacation.
Eating healthy while being active are typically not the focus while on vacation. You want to relax and not worry about anything while on vacation, right?! Of course, I do too, but that doesn’t mean with a little planning that you can’t relax, still be active and feel your best while on vacation.
Here are my tips for staying active and eating healthy while on a family vacation and still enjoy it to it’s fullest!
1 – Choose your resort or hotel wisely.
When traveling with children, we always look for a room that is a suite that not only has enough room for us all to stay in comfortably but also has a kitchen. This saves not only money but also allows you to choose exactly what you’re eating! We stayed at the Captain’s Quarters Resort, a family-friendly resort, located right on the beach! We stayed in the Angle Oceanfront Suite that included a gorgeous view of the ocean, a king size bed, a double bed in a separate room and a full kitchen.
2 – Plan ahead.
Pack healthy snacks for the car or plane ride. Once arriving at your destination, find a local grocery store where you can stock up on healthy foods like fruits, raw veggies, deli meat, cheese, and whole grain bread. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are also a super simple lunch to make and easy to enjoy at the beach. Pictured below is most of what we purchased at a nearby grocery store the first day we arrived.
3- Be active with your kids!
Ever notice when kids get to a playground or the beach, they run and play while the adults just take a seat? Staying active with your children can go a long way. Plan to swim with your kids. Our resort had something for everyone including a Shipwreak Lagoon Waterpark area for the little ones along with several pools, hot tubs and a lazy river for older kids and adults.
Captain’s Quarters Resort is located right on the beach and Myrtle Beach is known for its miles and miles of gorgeous sandy beach. So you better believe we enjoyed it!
Dan bought a boogie board the first day we arrived for our son JP to try and he loved it! Not going to lie, daddy had a good time too 🙂
We took tons of walks on the beach and did lots of exploring!
On one of our walks, we found these jellyfish! But don’t worry we discovered they are harmless to humans, (according to a worker at Ripley’s Aquarium that we visited during our trip).
Another activity that got the kids moving was an impromptu dance-off we had in our hotel suite. Dan played a variety of songs and the kids took turns dancing. They could have danced for hours! And speaking of dancing, on Friday night our resort hosted a kid-friendly glow party including a DJ, dancing and tons of glowing necklaces, bracelets and toys.
4 – Plan your workout
Get out in the morning for a workout before starting your day. I did NOT wake up early to exercise on vacation. However, since we didn’t cram our schedule full of activities I had plenty of time to wake up and go for a run myself.
Anyone else try running on the beach?! It’s so hard! I did not last too long on the sand since I wanted to run 3+ miles. Thankfully there was a nice boardwalk nearby and sidewalks everywhere making for an easy run route.
Also, don’t forget to check out the fitness center at your local hotel or resort. Having a fitness center available to you is such an advantage when you have young children. I did not visit the fitness center on this trip since the weather was too nice not to exercise outside. However, if the weather didn’t cooperate I would have visited the fitness center in our resort that had plenty of weights and cardio machines available.
5 – Choose wisely at restaurants.
We ate a few meals out and had an easy time choosing healthier options. We ate lunch at Loco Gecko Beach Shak, a Captain’s Quarters Resort restaurant, located right next door to the resort. I enjoyed this Chicken Caesar Wrap with a side of fresh fruit instead of fries.
Captain’s Quarters Resort also has an amazing restaurant located on the 9th floor with an amazing view. This restaurant, called Vista 9, includes a reasonably priced buffet style breakfast with tons of options like a made to order omelet station with tons of veggies.
6 – Think moderation!
Of course we left plenty of room for sweets and a few beverages. We took advantage of the Tipsy Turtle Pool Bar at Captain’s Quarters a few times where they sell tropical alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in addition to quick bites.
Insider Tips
- Book early! Captains Quarters has deals pop up all year. My parents came with us and booked their trip the day after Thanksgiving and received an awesome Black Friday deal.
- Sign up to receive their emails at the top of their homepage so you can be the first to hear about their amazing deals!
- Bring your own beach towels. Captain’s Quarters has towels available for the pools but you’ll need to bring your own to the beach.
- Don’t forget sunscreen! Us northerners haven’t seen the sun in several months so even though we applied SPF 50 we didn’t apply it enough the first day which resulted in a bit of a sunburn.
- Don’t plan too many activities! You really don’t even need to leave the resort to have a fantastic time, but when you do, take your time. No one likes to return from vacation more exhausted than when they left, right?! Captain’s Quarters has a ton of children activities that are free and paid. Even though we visited in the offseason, due to higher occupancy they had daytime crafts, music and activities for the kids and a fun glow party on Friday night which included a DJ playing child-appropriate music and several glow in the dark products you could purchase.
- Don’t be afraid to visit during the offseason! Captain’s Quarters has a ton of indoor activities to do even if the weather is not so good. They have an indoor lazy river, indoor pool, and hot tubs, as well as a 20 bowling lanes and an arcade!
As you can see, we had a fantastic time for our first trip to the beach and it was quite easy to eat in moderation while staying active on vacation.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated to write this post, however, we were provided with accommodations and a discount on food by Captain’s Quarters Resort. As always, all the opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
This How to Stay Active and Eat Healthy While on a Family Vacation in Myrtle Beach post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.
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