Tips on eating healthy at Walt Disney World

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a six-part Q&A series on “Bringing the kids to Disney World.” Today, Orbitz’s Robin Gallagher asks Jonas Lehmann-Karp, of The Walt Disney World Moms Panel, about healthy meal options.

Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort earned the 2004 Disney Magazine Reader’s Choice Award for Best Overall Walt Disney WorldResort Restaurant for Kids.

Q: What kind of healthy options do youhave for kids when looking for meals and refreshments in the parks? We learned the hard way at an amusement park this summer that pizza, popcorn, ice cream and sugar-filled drinks do not mix well with heat and rides.

A: One of the big concerns for my family, any many other families, at generic amusement parks is the lack of healthy food options. Disney, however, has made a huge effort to provide healthy food and snack choices to its guests, and parents planning Disney World vacations now have a lot of control over the food they feed their children.

Eating at a Disney counter-service location doesn’t mean your family has to eat unhealthily. In addition to traditional park fare such as great burgers, chicken fingers, and french fries, we’ve also found that counter-service locations have added more soups, salads and wraps as well as more vegetarian options to their menus. Kids can also order healthy foods such as baby carrots, fresh fruit and applesauce as side items as well as enjoy low-fat milk, juice or water to drink.

At any Disney dining establishment, even at a counter-service restaurant, do not be afraid to make a special dietary request. If Disney is able to honor your request, they will be happy to do so. Another great tip is that every Disney park has at least one stand or location where you can purchase fresh fruit. Just check your park map for a location of the fruit stand.

In addition, Disney has established food guidelines to promote healthy and well-balanced standard offerings for children and has cut the use of trans fats in its food offerings. My family really appreciates Disney’s effort, especially when grabbing casual lunches at a counter-service restaurant.