The Healthiest Foods At Disney Parks Slideshow
The Healthiest Foods at Disney Parks
"I'm going to eat healthy this weekend," were Pinocchio's last words before his waistline grew four times larger than his nose. We're just being real: People don't travel to Disney for the kale.
But you're taking your family on a vacation — not trying to send your health habits on the ultimate holiday. Yet at the Disney Parks, it can be really difficult not to forget about all that and eat buckets of fried food with your children.
Disney is the place where dreams come true, and that includes dreams of food. Between the Mickey-eared ice cream pops and the overflowing mountains of dessert, no child (or chocolate-loving adult) leaves unsatisfied.
This is a big part of Disney's appeal. While you're on vacation, we definitely advise you to indulge in an ice cream or two. However, there are equally delicious and healthy options out there to discover, too. Healthy eating at Disney is about as real as Cinderella in the imagination of your nine-year-old daughter.
Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo: Magically, we found the healthiest options for you!
Blackened Mahi Fish Tacos: Centertown Food Truck at Epcot
Fish tacos are so healthy — and we're so glad because they're delicious! Seafood is among the better options you can get while eating out at a restaurant, so long as it's grilled, seared, or baked instead of deep fried. Luckily, the fish in this meal is blackened on a pan and not breaded. The salsa also adds some vegetables to your protein-heavy meal.
Eating tacos by the beach while still being totally healthy? Sign me up.
Dole Whip: All Disney Parks
Dairy-free ice cream lovers, do we have something for you. A serving of the infamous Disney dessert has only 80 calories, and so much flavor! How do they do it? With this product, Disney practices total transparency. You can find the full ingredient list on their website, alongside some other fun facts about the soft-serve treat.
Energy Salad With Roasted Chicken: Electric Umbrella at Epcot
Sometimes, restaurants can be misleading with "healthy" adjectives like "vitalizing" or "power" on menus of not-so-healthy food, but Disney got it right this time. Their grilled chicken-, fruit-, and feta-filled salad really will give you energy — and with a full day at Epcot ahead of you, you'll be grateful for it.
Falafel Burger With Greek Yogurt: Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom
Okay, falafel burger?! We're hopping on a plane to Florida ASAP. This meal is as magical as it sounds, and it's vegetarian-friendly. The chickpea burger is loaded with veggie toppings before being laid over a delightful brioche bun. You won't find any fatty mayo or cheese sauce here — instead, this burger is served with yogurt-based tzatziki. Or, if you ask nicely, they'll replace the tzatziki with low fat, protein-rich Greek yogurt. Yum!
Grilled Salmon: Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom
Our healthy dinner prayers have been answered. Salmon is one of the absolute best options out there when it comes to seafood, and it's even better when it's grilled. Rich with omega-3's and other nutrients, this grilled salmon is paired with the healthy grain couscous and steamed vegetables. It doesn't get any healthier than that!
Harvest-Inspired Farmer’s Salad: The Garden Grill at Epcot
We love salads, and we love seasonal salads even more. Harvest-inspired means it uses any vegetables that make sense for the season. We think this is totally wonderful for sustainability. The best part? You can meet Chip 'n Dale as you feast on these greens and mixed veggies!
Healthy Choice Breakfast: Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom
What exactly is healthy about this choice? Absolutely everything. Ordering this will get you a hard-poached egg on a bed of flavorful arugula. It's tossed with protein-rich quinoa, heart-healthy avocado, and roasted vegetables. Then, instead of dousing it in oil and butter, they simply drizzle some lemon oil and white balsamic vinegar over the whole thing.
Liberty Square Market at Magic Kingdom
Anything you get here is a healthy choice. Why? Because it's a bounteous farmer's market right in the heart of Disney. Get your fix of fruits and veggies with their endless supply of greens, or choose from one of their other healthy snack options.
Roasted Vegetable Panini: The Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Just one vegetable was never enough — and at the Artist's Palette, they understand that. On this panini, you'll find roasted zucchini, fire-roasted peppers, mushrooms, and balsamic onions. If that doesn't sound tasty enough for you, try adding herbed goat cheese for protein and an amazing tomato-based pesto.
Satu'li Canteen at Animal Kingdom
Have you heard of healthy fast-casual restaurants like Dig Inn and Sweetgreen? Well, now Disney's doing it, too. This "build your own bowl" type establishment has everything healthy you could want on the menu. Each order comes with an energizing grain, a hearty protein, and some vegetables with flavorful sauce. They even serve healthy breakfast options like steel-cut oats and steamed vegetable and egg bowls. We hear the experience is out of this world!
Seasonal Sustainable Catch Du Jour: Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom
It's served with seasonal vegetables, so that's already an added plus. You'll feel like you're Lumière's fantastically treated guest while dining at this establishment, especially once you see how incredible the menu is. There are so many healthy and veggie-filled options (no wonder the French are so thin) but this one was our favorite. Sustainably-caught fish cooked healthily to perfection — what could be better?
Summer Vegetable Couscous: Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom
The fairy godmother came for us, too — and brought deliciously healthy food. This menu option is vegan, veggie-packed, and so tasty. Portobello mushrooms are layered over the healthy grain, and covered in a tangy charred-tomato vinaigrette. This is our order every time.
Swimmer’s Delight: Trattoria al Forno at Epcot
You need a healthy meal at breakfast, too — it's the most important meal of the day! Eat like an athlete with this egg white omelette. But don't leave the table feeling at all deprived. The egg whites are layered with goat cheese, smoked salmon, and so many vegetables.
Tokyo Dining at Epcot
Sushi is one of the healthiest restaurant classics — the Asian delight provides a nutritious combination of carbs, low-fat protein, and raw vegetables. Fried appetizers like calamari are the least healthy things on the menu, but with pretty much anything else you choose, your stomach is all set.
Watermelon Salad: Flame Tree Barbecue
We love this seasonal salad dish. It's always appropriate for the warm weather in Florida, so even once the season is over there's no need to stop enjoying this summer food. They keep it nice and simple: watermelon, arugula, feta, and pickled red onion all tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette.
For some summer salad ideas you can recreate on your own, click here.