Food is a beautiful part of the travel experience. Trying the different spices and flavor combinations throughout the world help us embrace different cultures. Simply being taken care of is a treat to look forward to. No need to cook our own meals or do the dishes. This temporary escape from everyday routine is amazing. For those clients who "live to eat" instead of "eating to live," scoping menus and planning meals during holidays is part of the joy. Now imagine those dreams being stripped away and replaced with iceberg lettuce and balsamic vinegar. Gross and depressing.

When your clients hear "wellness vacation," it's possible this is what they expect. Sad salads, deprivation, a fitness trainer shouting commands, and forced routines. This is why they are lucky to have their trusted travel advisors. Many immersive wellness resorts focus on creating delicious cuisine that supports the mind, body, and soul. Canyon Ranch Lenox in Massachusetts serves a rye gnocchi with kale, trumpet mushrooms, carrots, and leek puree that will have your taste buds dancing. Euphoria Retreat in Mystras, Greece offers a heavenly Mediterranean menu rich in anti-oxidants. BodyHoliday in Saint Lucia talks about balance encouraging the beetroot ravioli and the chocolate cake.

To continue the wellness food tour, clients may want to taste test at The Retreat Costa Rica. Celebrity chef and nutritionist, Diana Stobo, created an anti-inflammatory menu of delectable goodness. Nosh on portobello tacos on cassava tortillas, open your digestive system with warm pureed squash soup with fresh coconut cream, and satisfy the sweet tooth with raw-baked double chocolate chip vegan cookies.

The farm-to-table concept took the restaurant industry by storm showing the world what was possible when we embrace what nature gave us. Consider that comparison when thinking about wellness travel. Clients can experience food with ingredients grown onsite, sourced locally and sustainably. Chefs are making the freshest, brightest basil, arugula, or kale pesto to compliment a fish dish with tomatoes from the garden. Almond milk cheese is being prepared daily to top gluten-free flatbreads or added to cauliflower risotto. These culinary geniuses are tasked with making healthful and satisfying food. That is a challenge gladly accepted and completed with finesse.

This is a small sampling of what's possible for well-being travelers. If menus are not available online, ask suppliers to see examples. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated at immersive wellness resorts. In fact, this is a key benefit of wellness travel. It was designed to help increase our health and well-being. Will there be salads available? Of course! But clients will have access to creative, fulfilling, and exciting choices. Say goodbye to the notion of sad salads.

Contributor:

Jackie Roby is Chief Excellence Officer at Inspired Journey Consulting, a Boston-based business dedicated to wellness, healing, and transformational tourism. She provides strategic sales solutions and training for travel professionals and well-being tourism businesses. Jackie is a travel industry veteran with over 19 years of sales experience. Before taking the leap of trust to start her own business, Jackie worked at Travel Leaders Group in the Hotel Division overseeing relationships with luxury, lifestyle and boutique hotels. In her tenure at TLG, she was Head of SELECT Wellness; a luxury wellness marketing and advisor training program. Jackie launched Inspired Journey Consulting to help support wellness tourism with the belief that these experiences are a recipe for healing, awareness, empathy, love, and inclusion. Find out more about Jackie here.