three weeks in spain

cdalt24

hey everyone! this summer I'm going to be in Madrid for one week and Santander for two weeks. I know I won't have much time to run in Madrid, but I'll be walking for most of the day. But, when I get to Santander, I'll be able to run on the beach every day. My biggest concern comes to the food though. In Madrid we'll mainly be going out to eat, but I'm getting assigned to a family that I'm staying with in Santander, so I have no idea what their eating habits will be like. Anyone have any input on what the native people of these places eat and how I can manage to maintain (maybe even lose!) some weight while abroad? I've lost twenty one pounds so far and I'm so close to my goal weight, I don't want to ruin anything! thanks so much

realme56

More meat but if you are going to be near the coast then there should also be lots of seafood choices. Not heavy on the butter etc that french diets have.Lots of fresh fruits and veggies. You should do well as long as you stay reasonable on the proteins and get lots of veggies

skramer13

Honestly, with such a great experience, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just have fun. I went to Spain for two weeks after I graduated from high school a few years ago and ended up losing weight thanks to all the walking we did. They actually have very healthy eating habits there - lots of veggies, good meats, and olives/olive oil. The only things I can think of to watch out for are the bread served at every meal and the French fries. A lot of the places we went to for lunch and dinner automatically gave French fries as the side item, even the fancier restaurants. Another dish that was repeated a lot was flan, a very eggy custard. If you can, though, make sure you go to a restaurant that serves properly made authentic paella - it's absolutely delicious.
That said, the one restaurant in Madrid that still sticks out to me today (read: I can still remember the name lol) is the Museo del Jamon. The name is due to the fact that the street-level entrance is a butcher shop, with the restaurant downstairs. It was REALLY good, though you'll need to brace yourself a little before walking in - it smells!

OH! Before I forget - make sure you visit a gelateria. Have fun, and don't worry too much about this. When's the next time you'll get to try authentic Spanish food IN Spain?

cdalt24

thanks guys!!