How to eat healthy at the food and wine festival

This year’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, which runs through Nov. 12, boasts 30 marketplace booths serving guest favorites and almost 100 new dishes and drinks — but is there anything for foodies who want to make healthy choices?

The answer is yes, say Festival Executive Chef Mike Deardorff and Pam Brandon, author of Walt Disney’s World’s festival cookbooks. (Their comments have been edited for length.)

Is it possible to eat healthy at the festival?

Deardorff: Absolutely. This year we have several offerings that will hopefully appeal to the guests who are looking to eat balanced. We have several wonderful plant-based choices we’re showcasing this year with the Impossible Burger in Earth Eats marketplace and the Ethiopian Lentil Stew in Africa, which both happen to be vegan. We’ve also tried to get more seafood out to the marketplaces, as well. We look at lightening some dishes where we can. A good example of this approach will also be in Active Eats marketplace, where we’ll be featuring a mushroom-blended burger, which cuts the overall fat content but not the flavor.

What tips do you have for guests who want to eat healthy dishes at the festival?

Brandon: There are plenty of options for almost any diet, from keto to lowfat, at many marketplaces. My favorite way to visit the festival is with a pal on a Monday morning about 11 a.m., just as the marketplaces are opening. We take a leisurely stroll all the way around the promenade and over into Future World just to check out the options (and burn a few calories). We make notes of musttries, then start our circle again. Armed with two forks and two bottles of water, we share each dish (thus saving more calories). You may think you want to eat the whole thing, but this also saves room for more small bites. We may splurge on one cocktail, wine or beer, but really focus on the great food.

Deardorff: Start with either going online to review the menus at www.TasteEpcot.com or, when arriving at the festival, take a few minutes and review the Festival Passport and plan your day. Menu items will display if they are gluten/wheat friendly, vegetarian and/or kid friendly. Also, when at the marketplaces, ask questions about the items. The cast members are there to assist in any way possible.

Which dishes are the healthiest choices for festival-goers?

Deardorff: Thailand – Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake with Cold Noodle Salad. This is the second year for this item. The cake is comprised of three types of seafood -- shrimp, scallops and pollack. It’s mixed with lemongrass and ginger with just enough binder to hold them together.

Hawaii – Grilled Tuna Tataki with Seaweed Salad, Pickled Cucumbers and Wasabi Cream. We’ve always had a tuna poke-style dish in this marketplace, so last year we gave it a new look with searing the tuna rare and then beefing up the salad underneath.

Spain – Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Smoked Paprika. This marketplace was reintroduced last year and this dish was reimagined for this year. It features three types of shellfish — shrimp, scallops and mussels.

Africa – Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew with Vegan Yogurt and Quinoa. This is one of our vegan offerings that has turned out to be a huge hit with all guests. This item debuted last year and was an instant favorite. It’s a flavorful stew made with red lentils, onions, garlic and vegetable stock.

The Almond Orchard – Fire Roasted Tomato Hummus with Blue Diamond Lightly Salted Almonds and served with Blue Diamond Artesian Nut Thins Multiseeds Crackers. This marketplace menu item was developed in partnership with Blue Diamond Almonds. We made a standard chick pea hummus and utilized almond milk in place of the tahini and olive oil, thus lightening it up considerably. We top the hummus with roasted red and yellow tomatoes tossed with Cilantro

Earth Eats – The Impossible Burger Slider with Wasabi Cream and Spicy Asian Slaw on a Sesame Bun. This is a new item this year that we’re very excited about showcasing for our guests. This is a completely vegan item and we’ll be cooking the sliders in the marketplace. We’ve put a slightly Asian twist to the slaw that will be placed on top. It consists of cabbage, carrots, poblano peppers, papaya, cilantro and sesame oil.

Active Eats – Spice Crusted Verlasso Salmon with warm Lentil Power Salad, Crushed Avocado and Sherry Vinegar. This dish has been reimagined for the festival this year. We’ve taken our sustainably farm-raised salmon and given it a new set. It will come with a warm lentil power salad consisting of crimson lentils, kale, green cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chicory, roasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

Energy Bar Bites – A mixture of chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and dates. The Energy Bites are new this year and they are as healthy as they are as delicious.

Deardorff: That’s easy — the Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce at Canada and the Lobster Roll at Hops and Barley by American Adventure.