3. Find healthy options ahead of time.

Image: Disney

Look, spontaneous snacking is fun. As a child, I thought there was nothing more thrilling than taking a tumble down Splash Mountain; as an adult, I get that same rush of adrenaline every time one of my friends says, “Let’s go get a Dole Whip.” For all my attempts to resist temptation at the parks, there are definitely days when I get hungry and go for the first thing in my line of vision—be that a cream cheese pretzel or a Mickey-shaped bucket of popcorn.

Admittedly, there’s a much wider range of unhealthy foods than healthy foods to choose from at the parks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to limit yourself to a bland diet of salad and water. Healthy dishes range from veggie burgers, fresh seafood, and whole fruit to spring rolls, grilled vegetable skewers, gluten-free chicken-stuffed lettuce cups, and so much more. Disney California Adventure’s Lamplight Lounge, for instance, features a Ratatouille-inspired, well, ratatouille that is easily among the best entrées in the entire resort.

Even more important than planning healthy snacks and meals is planning for unhealthy snacks and meals. Although this strategy may feel counterintuitive, it can also help to pinpoint a few diet-breakers ahead of time so that a) you have something scrumptious to look forward to and b) you can reduce any FOMO you might otherwise feel while navigating the parks during Food and Wine Festival, Flower and Garden Festival, Get Your Ears On Celebration, Halloweentime, Christmastime… or a summertime stroll past the windows of the Candy Palace.

4. Discuss your options with the Disney chefs.

Image: Disney

Over the last few years, Disney has gotten better and better about accommodating food allergies and ingredient-specific intolerances. If you’ve visited any of the restaurant pages on their websites lately, you may even notice that some of these modified dishes are listed separately on the menus—hopefully, with the intent of sparing you the headache of having to ask for a specially-prepared dish when you arrive at the parks.

Even if you don’t have a particular food allergy or intolerance, you can still make requests to modify your order when you sit down at a table-service restaurant. Not only can you request to see the nutritional information for certain dishes (information that, while dependent on location, is not freely accessible online at this time), but you can ask to substitute steamed veggies for French fries, inquire about the availability of vegan Mickey waffles, or check if the chef can prepare your burger protein-style in order to fit a keto diet.

Granted, not every restaurant will be able to accommodate every request—particularly at quick-service locations or food stands—but as long as you do so graciously, it can't hurt to check and see what alternatives are readily available. And for planning purposes, you can also avoid any unpleasant complications by making special dietary requests online before you head to the parks.

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Do you try to eat healthy on your trips to the Disney Parks? What tips and tricks have worked for you in the past?