Laureate Good: When traveling means healthy food

Lloret de MarShould children's menus at restaurants always be macaroni or breaded meat with potatoes? Is it possible to find all-you-can-eat buffets where ultra-processed and fried foods are an exception? Lloret de Mar, with a firm commitment to consolidating its leadership as a healthy and sustainable destination, is showing that you can travel differently.

Because taking a weekend getaway or traveling, whether for work, pleasure, or with the family, doesn't have to be synonymous with eating badly. This is the purpose of the Lloreat Good program, which works to offer healthy, allergy- and intolerance-friendly cuisine to the establishments of this Costa Brava town.

Through three seals, more than thirty establishments certify that they offer Mediterranean cuisine, also suitable for children and prepared, in many cases, for those with gluten intolerance. Thus, it has become the hotel destination in Catalonia, after Barcelona, ​​​​with the most gluten-free accreditations, according to the Celiac Association of Catalonia.

Little Foodies: healthy, sustainable and good

In the case of children, Lloret de Mar has promoted with the support of the Alícia Foundation the Little Foodies program, a "totally new seal" to add value to family tourism, in the words of Amanda Barba, a nutritionist responsible for the organization's health and good eating habits projects. "Little Foodies is the peace of mind that children will eat healthy and finish everything," explains Barba.

A total of 21 establishments (six restaurants and 15 hotels) already have the seal after undergoing a series of workshops and adapting their offerings to children's healthy eating habits. Some of the changes in hotels have included placing the healthier buffet at children's height and offering their own, more fun tableware to work on independence.

In the case of restaurants, according to the spokesperson for Fundació Alícia, the main focus has been on identifying the restaurant's identity with regard to the children's menu. "If you make rice, don't give me macaroni, but rather a half portion of rice, which is perfect for children," says Barba. In the case of menus that offer a children's menu, they've also adapted the dishes to half portions, accompanied not always by potatoes, but also by vegetables such as escalivada (a type of roasted vegetables) and legumes such as dried beans. And finally, they haven't forgotten about desserts: accredited hotels and restaurants will always offer a fruit or dairy product as an alternative to the sugary offerings.

Mediterranean diet

Since the pandemic brought about a halt, Lloret de Mar's restaurants have embarked on a change of model that focuses on a different audience. The goal is to offer a more qualitative offering, complemented by the investments made in recent years in hotel establishments, targeting a more family-oriented, conference-going, and sports-oriented audience. This is intended to attract visitors with greater purchasing power.

One of the seals certifying this change is the Amed certification, promoted by the Public Health Agency of Catalonia and guaranteeing a menu based on the Mediterranean diet and healthy products. A total of 17 establishments have already signed up, boosting the offering of vegetables, fruit, and also olive oil instead of butter. Lloret Turisme emphasizes that making changes of this magnitude in restaurants entails a lot of work, including hiring suppliers and organizing staff and the menu, but emphasizes that they have found "very positive disposition" from the sector.

But perhaps the most drastic change in mentality and organization is the adoption of the gluten-free seal, as it requires staff to handle food in a separate area to avoid cross-contamination. The Sant Elm restaurant has just become the first 100% gluten-free restaurant in Lloret de Mar, thanks to the Easy yogurt shop. In total, there are 15 establishments accredited with the seal of the Celiac Association of Catalonia. The spokesperson for the organization, Irene Puig, values above all the commitment of hotels to guarantee the health of their guests.

The change in trend in the restaurant and hotel offering in Lloret de Mar regarding healthy gastronomy is another step in the path of this leading tourism municipality to position itself as an international benchmark destination for health, sustainability, and well-being.