Wellness Is on the Menu

At its core, wellness has much to do with what we feed ourselves. That includes the things we watch, read, think about, surround ourselves with and, of course, what we eat. All of these play a role in our general well-being, but perhaps nothing as impactful as what’s on our plate.

When you’re travelling, eating a balanced meal can become an afterthought. Sticking to your health goals or making sure you have access to options that fit your needs (and wants) can be harder to do when you’re on the go or far from home. Add to that the fact that many vacation memories are formed during meals shared with family and friends, and it can be a challenge to find the right choices for everyone. But food shouldn’t be stressful – especially not when you’re on vacation.

Four Seasons knows how important it is to feel good about what you eat. From menus filled with vegan options to on-property farms and gardens to health-conscious cooking classes, you’ll find many ways to eat well with Four Seasons. Here are just a few examples:

“I believe the key to a long, healthy, joyful life begins with what you eat,” says plant-based chef and healthy-living educator Leslie Durso. “I create healthy dishes using recognizable foods in unexpected ways to support that.” It’s this philosophy that has led Durso to make Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita one of the most vegan-friendly resorts in the world.

For many vegans and vegetarians, travelling comes with the extra step of making sure there will be something in their destination that they can eat and enjoy. Since coming on as the culinary team’s resident vegan chef, Durso has created more than 250 unique, seasonal dishes at the Resort. The idea was to have plant-based options available across all 10 of the Resort’s restaurants and bars. It was also to make sure that the plant-based dishes feel right at home on the menu and can appeal to anyone – like coconut ceviche at Dos Catrinas and plant-based, Asian-style bowls at Tamai Pool Bar. Many of Durso’s dishes are also allergen-friendly, making each menu even more accessible to people with various health and dietary requirements.

At Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, the sentiment is similar. “Eating healthy does not have to result in a compromise on pleasure,” says Vincent Chasseignaux, director of food and beverage. Folia, the Resort’s fully plant-based restaurant, offers guests the chance to try dishes such as watermelon poke or a wild mushroom pizza, filled with vibrant and sometimes unexpected flavours from celebrated chef Matthew Kenney. “Matthew Kenney is one of the world’s most successful chefs at making healthy, green cuisine that anyone can appreciate,” Chasseignaux says. The setting at Folia is just as green, with tables surrounded by blooms and lush leaves that perfectly complement Kenney’s plant-based creations.

One of the easiest ways to eat more nutritiously is to consume whole foods. Minimal processing – if any – is best, and the closer to the source you are the better. This focus on natural, fresh ingredients is also something chefs of all disciplines can agree on. In fact, a number of Four Seasons chefs take the idea of farm-to-table quite literally.

At Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, the kitchens are filled with ingredients sourced directly from the on-site permaculture vegetable garden, keeping menu options local, seasonal and incredibly fresh. The seafood served here is also sourced from local fishermen who supply the team with wild turbot and other fresh-caught delights found right off the Mediterranean coast.

Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai and Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai) both have their own on-site herb and vegetable gardens that help provide produce and garnishes for their restaurants. This not only makes sure fresh ingredients are being utilized, it also allows each property to cultivate its own varieties, allowing guests to sample dishes created with ingredients grown the way they have been for centuries. These gardens also provide an immersive way for guests to experience local cuisine. Both resorts are home to cooking schools – Rim Thai Kitchen and the Nam Hai Cooking Academy, respectively – with classes that invite you to join a chef in their own garden to examine indigenous ingredients and embark on a hands-on, multisensory culinary adventure you won’t soon forget.

Having healthy dining options curated for you can be incredibly valuable. But learning how to cook these dishes for yourself can help nourish your body and your mind. The Center for Health & Wellbeing at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village takes a holistic approach to wellness through immersive, person-centered retreats. These often include personal consultations with nutritionists as well as cooking classes hosted in the Center’s dedicated Wellness Kitchen. The variety of interactive cooking classes are helpful regardless of how well you know your way around a kitchen, showing cooks of all skill levels how to put a spin on daily cooking with health-conscious techniques. Taking it one step further, you can also opt for a grocery store tour with a Registered Dietitian who will walk you through a local grocery store giving you tips on how to find and choose healthier products that are right for you.

Over at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, cooking classes are all the more intriguing thanks to the sublime riverside setting of the Resort’s Sokasi Cooking School. Here you can take a deep dive into Bali’s rich local culture while tapping into your inner chef. The plant-based cooking class highlighting healthy and light cuisine inspired by Ubud is bound to inspire at-home dinners for years to come.

Four Seasons has long made it their mission to give guests the best and highest-quality experience possible, no matter where they’re staying. That dedication to every guest’s well-being extends to each thoughtfully curated menu. Because if living well is the ultimate luxury, travelling well should be, too. Bon appetit!