Nourished in Disney – Planning Meals 180 Days in Advance

As if my life didn’t revolve around food enough as it is, I am currently 181 days out from a Disney vacation. For those of you not quite as obsessed with all things Walt, that countdown means that beginning tomorrow, I can start making dining reservations for my trip in June. As crazy or OCD as it may sound, finding yourself without reservations during this busy time of year could mean waiting in a 30 minute line for a fast food hamburger in the parks. Other vacation planners are just as obsessed as I am, which equates to crashes on the Disney Website as we all try to make our reservations at the same time. Disney is a money-making machine, and I’m just the type of person that helps them oil the gears.

Like Alice with nothing to drink at a Tea Party

My plan is pretty simple, actually. I’m going to spend the next 12 hours or so with my eyes glued to the computer screen. Since my husband and I have committed to eating organic/nourishing foods, the stakes are higher and the challenge much bigger. More than likely we will be participating in Disney’s Deluxe Dining plan, so we’ll try to eat at numerous Signature restaurants. As mentioned in a previous post, eating organic at Disney is much easier when dining at the more exclusive restaurants, and even some of the regular table service restaurants are beginning to have items such as a Sustainable Fish of the Day on the menu.

The Maker’s Diet – Making a Believer Out of Me

I used to wonder how my 99-year-old Great-Grandmother could eat only the “white meat” of steak (aka the fat), every single day, with biscuits and sausage gravy rinsed down with glasses of whole milk, and still maintain a very slim figure throughout her very long life. Now I realize, it’s because the food she existed on is now in danger of extinction.

Channeling my inner Julia Child, I began a foray into yet another food adventure yesterday. Adventure is the key word, as it always involves a certain amount of risk. Ultimately, I’ve set a goal for myself that the Maker’s Diet will be more than just the standard 40 day plan indicated in Jordan Rubin’s book of organic, sustainable, and mostly local foods. The risk in this adventure is not to make it a “diet,” but a lifestyle change. Calling it an adventure is an understatement, however – trekking through Farmer’s Markets, weeding through dubious information online, and delving into the world of raw milk and grass-fed meat has been nothing less than mind-boggling.

But, hopefully I will be able to make things simpler for those of you that either a) simply don’t have the time, b) are skeptical about making this work in today’s world, or c) would just rather have someone else give you the information. 🙂

Meryl Streep, playing the convincing role of Julia Child as she shops for fish at a French Market

Eating Organic in Disney World

The availability of organic food seems to be more accessible, and  generally more affordable, than ever before. Combine that with the fact that tidal waves of information keep sweeping in about the FDA and the truth about products we once considered healthy and nutritious, and you have an equation for restaurants going green – right? Surely restaurant owners see a niche and want to fill that with sustainable, organic foods that consumers are now expecting – after all, there are many diners that would be willing to invest a bit more if the food served could be trusted to nourish (take note, restaurants everywhere).

Like a poisoned apple, food that isn't organic could contain more than meets the eye

After finding a handful of restaurants in my area that were latching onto the idea and riding that wave, I started looking elsewhere to see if it was merely a trend, or if it could be the beginnings of a new way of dining out. Apart from traveling to locations that are known for healthy, sustainable living, what about vacation destinations where food and entertainment enthusiasts converge? What about Disney World?