10 Tips for a Healthy Napa Valley Vacation

A Dietitian Dishes on Ways to Avoid Wine Weight Gain

Napa Valley vacations are typically characterized by a myriad of tastings by day and multiple-course dinners at Michelin Star-rated restaurants by night. (And, that’s absolutely how it should be!) However, by the time I enter day three of my trips, I start to feel that indulgence hangover and dread the outcome of stepping on the scale for the first time again at home.  Based on a few of my past posts, you know that I do strive to lead a fairly healthy lifestyle, even though my biggest hobby – wine –doesn’t exactly help. In preparation for my next trip and the busy Napa Valley tourist season, I decided to approach the most relevant expert on this topic to help me and future travelers come and go without adding extra “baggage.”

Sanna Delmonico, MS, RD is a wine-making dietitian based in Napa Valley and was willing to chat with me about ways people can enjoy their vacations sensibly. She works as an Adjunct Instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, teaching nutrition to culinary students. In her spare time, she and her husband produce approximately 90 gallons of wine annually out of their home garage in partnership with three other families. Based on principles she follows in her own life, Sanna offers tips to adopt before, during and after a wine-centric vacation to maintain balance.

10 Tips for a Healthy Napa Valley Vacation

Before the Trip

• Attempting to drop pounds to compensate in advance for vacation consumption is a bad move. You’re only increasing the chances of overdoing it on the trip or later.
• Stick to your normal habits beforehand, which should include eating a daily breakfast and a mix of fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Managing Vacation Meals

• Being mindful of your food intake while visiting this world-class wine region doesn’t mean sacrificing satisfaction. While on vacation in Napa Valley, structure meals in a way that will help you feel your best:
  • Don’t starve yourself in anticipation of a big dinner. In addition to overdoing your meal, it’s never a good idea to taste wine on an empty stomach.
  • Plan to consume smaller portions during the day. Reach for fruit, oatmeal or eggs at the hotel breakfast buffet. Rather than eating a big lunch, visit one of the area’s beautiful farmer’s markets and buy some fruit, bread and cheese for a picnic.
  • Ask your restaurant server to take the bread basket away from your dinner table. Many people consume several hundred calories in bread before their first course even arrives.
  • Look at restaurant menus with a “vegetables first” approach instead of zeroing-in on the entrees. Start by selecting the veggies that appeal to you and base your order around them. Would a beet salad complement the soup du jour? Could it also pair with other vegetables on the menu? A couple starters or a few sides can still make for a memorable and sometimes nutrient-dense meal. Napa Valley’s chefs are renowned for being wildly creative with locally-grown vegetables. Right now, broccoli raab, Brussels sprouts and winter squash are in season. By spring, mushrooms, fava beans and pea shoots will be your best bets.
  • Don’t stress about special-ordering “healthy” modifications to a dish while on vacation. If you’re thinking about requesting a special order, ask yourself, “Why am I at this restaurant?” Don’t we go to high-end restaurants to enjoy food as the creative and talented chefs envisioned it? Of course, if you have celiac disease or a food allergy, you need to make sure you are accommodated, but these restaurants are usually good about sticking to reasonable portions.
  • Strive to eat what you want and avoid the items you aren’t truly enamored with after tasting them.
  • Share plates with others in your party to help manage the portions you consume.
  • Allow yourself to have dessert at dinner, if you really want it. Maybe your thing is chocolate, pie or crème brulee; hold out for an amazing version of your favorite treat. If you don’t see a dessert that really speaks to you on the menu, that’s the night to order coffee instead.
  • A great option for avoiding weight gain during vacation is to stay in a rental home or apartment, rather than a hotel. You can cook some of your meals, like breakfast or lunch, but still head out for dinner. This will help you save money and potentially calories. Plus you get to have fun shopping for great ingredients at the farmer’s markets and popular spots like Oxbow Market, Rancho Gordo, Fatted Calf and Sunshine Market.

Exercise on the Go

• Before heading out to taste, visit the hotel gym or take a walk or jog along some of the quieter roads.
• During the daytime, walk as much as you can. Downtown Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga have sidewalks and are full of shops and galleries.
• If you missed a morning workout, don’t try to exercise drunk after a day of tasting; you could get hurt! If you do feel ok, exercise is just fine after tasting. Just make sure you drink plenty of water before, during, and after consuming any wine to ensure you are well hydrated for exercise.
• Don’t forget, Napa is not just about wine. The region offers beautiful hiking trails and parks, including Skyline, Alston and Westwood Hills. You can also rent bikes or kayaks for some active, outdoor fun.

We have enjoyed using the Yountville Fitness & Health Club and I’m eager to try spinning at Napa Soul in St. Helena. There also are yoga and Pilates studios in the city. Napa Valley even hosts its own marathon each year and cyclists can commonly be seen riding along the Silverado Trail. Maybe there’s something to be said for the fitness commitment of wine lovers!

Returning Home

• A vacation doesn’t always result in weight gain. You may find you have actually lost weight on vacation because you’ve been more active than usual.
• If you did over-indulge, beat post-vacation bloat by getting back to your usual good eating habits as soon as you can. Follow the same approach of mixing a variety of fruit, vegetables, beans and grains into your diet. Make time to be active.
• Think of wine as a food that can be included as part of a healthy diet. One glass of wine per day for women, and two for men, is considered “moderate” consumption. Like any other calorie-containing beverage, those from wine can add up. In general, practicing moderate drinking, such as pairing a glass of wine with dinner, can help keep weight in check.

I’m curious to hear about your health strategies while on vacation!

Images courtesy of fitchicks.ca, wine-hotels.com, blog.cookingchanneltv.com and ciaobambino.com.