How to eat healthy on a cruise. You’ll have a great time and feel better

The first cruise I went on was 40 years ago. The second was two weeks ago. So obviously I’m not a cruising kind of person, but I was curious of how the food on board had changed.

My first cruise had midnight buffet, unlimited room service, and really just tripping over food around every corner. I prefer quality over quantity. And the reason for this cruise was my friend Carole. She invited 67 of her closest friends to celebrate her birthday on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas. I wouldn’t want to say no to that.

A common holiday refrain is, “I’m on vacation and I’m going to eat whatever I want.” Go for it. But I’d like to add a second line to that. My addition is, “ I want to eat food that tastes good and if I’m not enjoying it, I’ll stop eating.”

And that’s pretty much how I handled the cruise.

Although there are many dining options on a large ship, the two most popular seem to be the buffet and a sit-down meal in a large dining area. For the buffet, I suggest walking the entire room. Don’t be lured by the first thing you see.

I saw a lot of people carrying two plates of food back to their tables. I would suggest filling one plate and enjoying it. This is with the knowledge that if you still feel hunger, you can go back.

And if it doesn’t taste good, stop eating. Taste is so individual. My friend Ilene was sitting at our table, enjoying her second small ice cream cone. Another friend walked up and said the ice cream is terrible. That’s taste.

My group ate dinner together in the large dining room. I always ordered the fish entree. One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce. I ate everything but the fish. Carole sent her fish back and asked them to bring it back properly cooked without the sauce.

Another lesson from Carole: No matter where you are, always politely ask for what you want.

Sheah Rarback MS, RDN is a nutritionist and private practice in Miami.