As you may have noticed, this week marks the beginning of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! What a great opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the weather with family and friends. Before you leave home, take a few minutes to consider how to balance your intake with festival foods and fluids! Take five minutes to plan ahead. Use these few tips to help:

  1. Treat yourself! A festival, just like a birthday party or holiday, is a special occasion. Make sure you get to enjoy the food as much as the balloons! Walk around and scope out the different vendors. Pick one to two items you want to try as your fun food. Share this with a friend or take some home for tomorrow!
  2. Don’t forget fluids: Even though the weather maybe getting colder, staying hydrated is just as important! Go online and check to see if water bottles are allowed into the park. If so, bring a clean, refillable water bottle and aim to get at least 12-20 oz fluid every hour you are there.
  3. Looking for healthier options at the festival? Start simple. Eat a well balanced meal before you go. Check to see if you can bring snacks with you. If so, pack a few portable, non perishable snacks like trail mix, fruit (higher water fruits will help to cool the body!), high fiber granola bars and beef/turkey jerky. When trying to manage your way through all the menu options, aim for stir fried/ baked items (vs. fried), vegetable based options (veggie pizza vs. pepperoni), and try to share with a friend or family member!
  4. Ditch the diet mentality! If you are watching what you eat and trying to manage your weight, do NOT use the “all or none” diet mentality at the festival. Most dieters will either attempt to eat nothing at the festival or deprive themselves of that one “fun food.” Or they will eat anything and everything with the mentality they will start their diet “over” tomorrow. Diets do’t work! Simply plan ahead-most people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan! Take those few minutes to determine your meal schedule and how to work the festival foods into it. Remember balance, moderation and variety! 🙂