We had an amazing vacation to Duluth, Minnesota!! The massive Lake Superior, the plunging cliffs, the interesting rock formations,, the interactive museums, the huge ships, the creative architecture, the friendly people, and the amazing views from every angle….and yes, a trip to Whole Foods!!

No, unfortunately we didn’t go to THE Whole Foods (where the produce department has rare wood floors and the weight scales are made of gold!!), but Duluth does have a Whole Foods Co-op which was just as fun to visit. We spent a few hours there exploring all the products they offered. We even grabbed a very healthy lunch from their deli. They had an eating area which also had a great view of the lake.

Before we get settled into any hotel room I like to go to the local grocery store and stock up on healthy snacks to keep in our hotel room’s little refrigerator. It helps when hunger strikes but it also helps to keep everyone…um…not constipated 🙂

The Whole Foods Co-op had so many choices that is was difficult to narrow it down but I like to always keep a few basics on hand in our hotel room. Usually on vacation I buy for myself celery hearts since they are already cut, plus they are low carb, 1 gram per stalk. Next, we all get baby carrots for crunch cravings as well.

For a little sweet snack I buy yellow apples or blueberries. I usually keep fruit to a minimum on vacations because eating out always has us eating higher carbs anyways. On this trip my daughter brought apples from our very own tree at home. We had so many and she did not want to be without them for so long 🙂

Organic, or at the very least labeled nitrate free, deli meats are great to keep in the hotel room. The protein and fat are great to slam before a hike or a late night snack for my hubby 🙂

Organic lime juice is my favorite acidic addition to my water in the morning. It aids in digestion. I brought a bottle of lime juice from home. Good thing I did because I did not find it at the local grocery store. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in your water works well too.

That is what I usually always keep on hand in our hotel room. On this trip we also kept a supply of these amazing bison meat sticks from Northern Waters Smokehaus at Canal Park in Duluth. They were super flavorful and satisfying and fun to buy at their charming deli.

My husband and I drank Dunn Brothers coffee (roasted and ground on site that day, YUM) with cream for breakfast each day of our vacation. The fat in the cream sustained us for any food or water until our next meal at 4:00. The coffee was smooth and not bitter. This is definitely our favorite coffee house.

The kids ate the hotel’s buffet breakfast with sausage and pancakes for a treat. Later in the day we all felt hungry for a big supper at 4:00 with the kids at a restaurant. We all seemed to naturally want a very healthy supper. Our kids asked for salads. The biggest and best salad was at Little Angie’s Cantina in Canal Park. We were so impressed with their balance of veg, protein, and fat like hard boiled egg slices and bacon. Clean eating!!

After swimming at night we occasionally had…well…a snack of…well…pizza before bed, sorry!! but it was fast, filling, and somewhat satisfying. (Side note: if you ever find me in Brainard, MN, you should just assume that I am having Boomer Pizza for every meal!! Just kidding, but wow that pizza was worth it! We found it on the drive home from Duluth. They have great toppings, but it was the crust, handmade everyday together with their wood-fired oven, that sets them as the best pizza in the world to me! And in our old life of eating we were pizza experts!)

At home we have been focusing so much on our diet to heal our insulin resistance that this vacation was sort of a vacation from eating so strictly. We did indulge on a donut run once like our old days of eating. Guilt Free!! Also one morning we had bagels for breakfast. So delicious and no shame. There was so much walking to do during the day and then back to the hotel for swimming. We kept moving on this vacation that it felt great. It seemed that the few treats we were eating on this trip were not impacting us like before.

One problem that did follow us home from this vacation was the taste for sugar. Once back into our normal routine at home we did have a time of fighting mild sugar and flour cravings and not wanting to be so disciplined. We have come a long way to conquering those cravings so we knew how to do it. Nonetheless, it is effort to stop thinking about sweets and breads and to be satisfied from our healthier treat options (coffee, cheese, pecans, cultured pickles, sparkling water to name a few).

What a great family vacation! By the way, our hotel room was down by the lake and some of the attractions were straight up the hill from us. It was a bit (very) scary going straight up the streets of Duluth in our car for this girl raised on some of the flattest land in the world near Fargo, North Dakota 🙂 The views were all so worth it and so breathtaking! We were thankful to take a trip to a beautiful place and keep (mostly) to our new healthy lifestyle of eating and continued healing.