Lite bites: onboard eating options are healthier than ever

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2004 by Lorraine Shapiro, Phil Shapiro

Fabled for feasting, no vacation offers more culinary temptations than a cruise. "But the old story that cruisers could count on gaining at least 10 pounds is a myth," says Bob Sharak, executive vice president of Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's marketing and trade group.

If fine dining, bountiful buffets, and big breakfasts are high on your list of reasons for taking a cruise, you're not alone. According to a CLIA survey, the main attraction for first-time cruisers is an abundance of fine food--and it's a priority for repeat passengers, too.

Few people have the willpower to pass up pizza, dessert, or the poolside hamburger, but many don't want to gain weight or change a healthful lifestyle. To meet this challenge, most cruise lines have trimmed fat from their sails, accenting quality, not quantity. Great-tasting alternatives--reduced in calories, cholesterol, fat, and sodium--plus vegetarian selections now are an integral part of regular shipboard menus.

Chefs, nutritionists, and cookbook authors have created lighter, flavorful recipes for cruise lines that go beyond egg-white omelets and fat-free salad dressing. Some meet the American Heart Association's guidelines, some are based on the USDA's wholesome food pyramid, some complement spa and exercise programs, but all appeal to our desire to be fit and trim. Typically, salad bars are no competition for rich foods, but with lighter fare on today's ships, eating wisely has never been easier or better.

For example, Windstar Cruises got Jeanne Jones, "Cook It Light" columnist and author of more than 30 books on healthful cooking, to design the line's "Sail Light" menus in 1996, adding vegetarian items a few years ago. Calories and fat grams are given for "Sail Light" and lactoovo vegetarian dishes. Recipes listing food values may be viewed before ordering.

Sailing on Windstar ships each year, Jones introduces new ideas and checks that her tested recipes are consistently prepared. On a recent Wind Surf cruise, she said, "Menus always are in transition. I travel a lot to see what's happening. But, I can't take the seafood paella off the menu, it's so well liked."

Appealing mostly to a younger, health-conscious set, the "Sail Light" menu relies on fresh produce from ports-of-call, plus herbs and reduction sauces in place of cream and butter. A hundred light dishes are offered on a 10 day cruise, and guests usually try some of the items some of the time. Eating sensibly at lunch, splurging at dinner is typical. Wild mushroom risotto and tamale pie are two vegetarian specialties on Windstar menus.

Demonstrating recipes from her cookbook, Homestyle Cooking Made Healthy, Jones revealed her low-cal secrets. "We're talking about moderation in calories and fat--not synthetic food with artificial sweeteners or a regime of broiled chicken breast and salads with lemon, but real foods, low in fat and sodium, with a total of 60 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent protein, and 20 percent fat."

Elsewhere on the high seas, Carnival Cruise Lines' "Nautica Spa Selections" are lower in fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calories. In the spotlight are three course meals of salad, soup, and fish or chicken entree at lunch and dinner.

Consulting with Duke University dietitians, Celebrity Cruises' "Light And Lean" four-course dinners of less than 30 percent calories from fat meet the American Dietetic Association and the American Cancer Society recommendations. Nutrition facts for each entree are indicated.

Costa Cruises' "Salute E Benessere" (Health And Well-Being) menus in the dining room at lunch and dinner list carbohydrates, fat, cholesterol, and calories.

Crystal Cruises introduced a healthy breakfast venue, Tastes, on the new Crystal Serenity. "Lighter Fare" lunch and dinner selections available fleetwide--such as basil pasta with scallops and prawns in roasted pepper sauce--are low in salt, fat, sugar, and cholesterol.

With changing lifestyles and the quest for healthier living through increased nutritional awareness, Cunard Line brings its passenger a daily selection of dishes, that reflect these needs. Its "Simplicity Spa Selections," although low in cholesterol, salt, and fat, are high in flavor. On the new Queen Mary 2, the healthy fare is listed as a "Canyon Ranch SpaClub Selection," complementing the programs of the first Canyon Ranch spa at sea.

The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. serves everything from haute cuisine to home cooking, including a "Heart-Smart" meatless jambalaya.

Disney Cruise Line marked its fifth anniversary with expanded dining experiences at dinner including vegetarian and "Lighter Fare" of roasted chicken breast, grilled sirloin, and baked salmon, plus sugar-free desserts in most restaurants.

Since the mid '70s, Holland America Line's "Perfect Balance" menus follow the American Heart Association guidelines at the Lido Buffet as well as in the main dining room. In Caribbean and Alaskan waters, where more seafood is offered, up to 50 percent of the passengers choose fish.