In about an hour, I am going out to an Amsterdam pub to get a beer and some dinner. Is there any way to eat healthfully for a pub. I mean, I think regardless I have enough calories for the day because I have been eating very lightly because it's cheaper. And yes, I know beer and pub food are terrible for weightloss and will cause sodium retention, which doesn't bother me too much because i am not weighing myself.

Is getting pub food or unhealthy food really that bad once in awhile?(I have been walking all day as well) or am I just trying to justify it to myself?

P.S. If you get confused, we have been given 2 weeks during our semester abroad to vacation and I'm traveling to Amsterdam and Rome and I would like to try authentic Dutch/Italian food. Which of course=unhealthy. But if I plan well I believe I can pull it off.

How fantastic to be in Europe! It's been a while since I was in Amsterdam and I remember a lot of fried food in the pubs, yes not healthy. Sometimes pubs offer fruit and cheese which would be a decent option. In Italy you should be able to get delicious salads and fish and eat the pasta and pizza and of course gelato in moderation. Have fun!

You don't want to go near "authentic" Dutch food, at least not the type you'll find when out and about. It's all deep-fried! Which you can account for if you like. The older and more traditional meals are generally served up in people's homes.

There's a cute Indonesian restaurant behind the Nieuwe Kerk in A'dam (on the Dam, next to the Palace, across from the Monument) - it's the only place that really springs to mind.

Well I went and it wasn't that bad! I ordered fish and chips, but it was a very small serving and the beer was pretty small too. Dutch food is very fried and fattening, but in small portions I think it's ok!

Traditional Dutch food consists of mostly Dutch cheese and sausage. Unfortunately, I have no host family for "real" Dutch food. I have to eat out or go to the supermarket. But it's a blast!

My memories of dutch food include a lot of deep-fried, a lot of butter cooking and a lot of cheese and sausage. So not very healthy. I've never really encountered healthy pub food anywhere (except in those fancy fusion pub-type restaurants), mostly its fried easy-to-prepare comfort food so fish and chips is probably as good as you could have done. There were some nice stews though although those were also pretty rich and not better. On the bright side you could have gone to Scotland which is awesome, but has even more unhealthy food than Holland.

As for Italy, you can do ok there if you lean more towards the veggie and tomato-based sauces and away from the rich, creamy based ones. They are a huge foodie-culture and always try to sucker you into having multiple courses which lead to me eating lard. Yes, actual pure lard as a starter. They slice it really thin like prosciutto (or like thinly-sliced ham) but it's not, it's pure lard. It's been 2 years and even as unhealthy as my eating habits were at the time, I was horrified to have eaten pure pig fat with no meat to even console myself with. It WAS tasty though <blushes...>

Enjoy your travels, girl!!!

Though obesity levels in the Netherlands, whilst high enough for the gov't to put out those public service announcements on tv, are lower than in many other Western countries. Probably cos everyone bikes everywhere!

Well even so I have about 5 km to walk today to get to a museum, so I can burn it off! And my food plan is very healthy today, although being a tourist can be unhealthy. For example, right now I am off to read the menu for the Hard Rock Cafe.

Lots of cheese and sausage here, but I have been doing pretty well. I went to the supermarket and bought a baguette, some yam nuggets, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and bananas! It's such a bummer that regional food is unhealthy, for example Dutch waffles. And pub food is an experience I haven't really had(not being able to go into one in the States). Thanks for your words of wisdom!