If you’ve read Peter’s most recent book The Traveler’s Diet: Eating Right and Staying Fit on the Road, then you already know that no matter how healthy are, the minute you start traveling, all bets are off.

And where do many travelers get sidetracked from their healthy lifestyle? The hotel room.

It’s all about the temptation of the minibar.

Dr. Susan Mitchell, a registered dietician, author and radio show host (SusanMitchell.org), recently surveyed 1,000 people, and discovered that two out of every three people suffer from “emotional eating.”

“That can mean boredom, loneliness, anger, exhaustion, or stress. Whatever is going on, they use food for comfort and to self-medicate. Food is ubiquitous,” she says.

So what does that mean for travelers?

“You skip breakfast, you get pretzels on the plane, and by the time you get to the hotel, you’d eat the door off the minibar,” she says. “Room service may have stopped or it could be another hour. And if you’re tired and watching TV or on the computer, you just keep eating. There’s no stopping point.”

So what can you do? Our first piece of advice is… get rid of the minibar. That’s right. Call up your hotel ahead of time, and ask them to empty out the bar before you arrive. No temptation, no guilt.

The good news is that it seems like the hotels are listening, because they’re taking it to the next level and replacing sugary sodas and Milky Ways with healthier options. Items that are packed with protein, fiber and vitamins now greet guests at a growing number of hotels.

So which hotels now have healthier minibars? And just what comprises a “healthy” minibar?

The Camelback Inn-Scottsdale, Arizona

480-948-1700, CamelbackInn.com

When the Board of Health banned the use of trans fat in all New York restaurants, the news traveled all the way west. Arizona’s Camelback Inn took note and swapped out the old unhealthy sweets for a collection of healthy treats. There is Ito En green tea, CocoaVia organic dark chocolate (high antioxidant, lower calorie) and vitamin-packed Vemma elixirs-dietary supplements rich with a spectrum of vitamins and 65 plant-sourced minerals-as well as whole-wheat Gnu bars and Baked Lays.

Four Seasons Westlake Village-Westlake, California

818-575-3000, FourSeasons.com/westlakevillage

The Four Seasons Westlake Village, located at the base of California’s Santa Monica Mountains, is next door to the California WellBeing Institute, where guests can meet with physicians, dieticians, life advisors and other wellbeing experts. Inside your room, the hotel minibars, called “private bars,” offer dried Turkish apricots, Berry Blossom Trail Mix, wasabi peas, mixed nuts with cranberries, and organic Bumble Bars. To wash it all down, you can choose Fair Trade certified Honest Tea or Vitamin Water. Afterwards, you can freshen your breath with VoJo Energy Mints with guarana.

And lest you think it’s all self-denial and no reward, look closer and you’ll see a sampling of dark chocolate – included solely for its heart-smart antioxidant properties, of course!

The Lyall Hotel-Lyall, Australia

800-338-234, TheLyall.com

Rowina Thomas and her husband own The Lyall in the suburbs of Melbourne and make all the selections for the “personal bar,” their version of the minibar. One interesting selection in these personal bars is Haigh’s Dark Chocolate Frogs. Haighs is a well-known Aussie chocolate company, and their dark chocolate was selected for its relative health benefits. The frogs, though, were selected for “a bit of fun,” according to Thomas.

Another locally-produced option is Yea Cheddar Cheese and Water Crackers. The Lyall also offers Connoisseur Ice Cream. Thomas explains, “because our fridges are larger than normal minibar fridges we have freezers,” allowing the Lyall to offer Connoisseur Ice Cream in three flavors: Rich Vanilla, Cookies and Cream and Strawberry Extravaganza.

If you like gourmet, the minibar at the five-star Lyall offers Mini Moets, local vintage cheddar cheese, a Dark Chocolate Frog by Haighs, and complimentary fresh fruit.

Hotel Gansevoort-New York, NY

877-426-7386, HotelGansevoort.com

Manhattan’s Hotel Gansevoort is giving its minibars a healthy facelift by introducing items like Nutrisoda (nutrient-enhanced sodas with zero sugar, caffeine, sodium or aspartame), Bare Naked granola, and chocolate-covered soy nuts. Minibars at Hotel Gansevoort will also include a line of homeopathic vitamin sprays by Sprayology offering remedies like Travel Ease, Sleep Ease, and Party Relief, and Airborne tablets to boost weary travelers’ immune systems.

This hotel’s minibar also offers Cinnamon Soy Crunch and Pirate’s Booty in place of potato chips, Cocoa Via dark chocolate bars with anti-oxidants in place of regular milk chocolate bars, raw almonds in place of salty, more fattening nuts, and sugar-free, vitamin-infused Nutrisoda in place of regular soda. They even offer Borba Skinwater drinks, which contain vitamins, minerals and plant extracts to re-hydrates your skin.

The Gansevoort is also subtly encouraging a rather fun type of exercise with its “Mini Mile-High Kit” and “Intimacy Kit.” The $20 Mini Mile High kit includes a mini-vibrator (battery included), a mirror, 2 condoms and lubricating jelly. The smaller $8 Intimacy Kit offers condoms, towlettes, and lubricating jelly.

Pod Hotel-New York, NY

800-742-5945, https://www.pickwickarms.com

One of the most innovative amenities of the new, high-tech Pod Hotel is the wireless minibar in every room featuring a nightly “Happy Hour” for guests. The happy hour deals will change daily and will be programmed remotely from the front desk so that the deal is displayed on the electronic screen of each minibar.

An interesting way for any guest to start their evening, happy hour specials can be programmed to the minibar in an individual room or, if a large group is coming to stay, it can be programmed to the minibars on an entire floor. Happy hour may be available at various times of the evening – e.g. 5-7 p.m. or 6-8 p.m.. – when you can find drink specials and two-for-one deals. The minibar menus and pricing will be customized to the hotel’s clientele (the budget-conscious traveler) and are stocked with a variety of beer and wine (no hard liquor), water, health bars, and other snacks.

Catalina Hotel and Beach Club-Miami, Florida

305-674-1160, CatalinaHotel.com

The Catalina Hotel has launched a new “Pimp My Fridge” program. Okay, so this one isn’t necessarily about healthy eats…but it can help you, well, burn off some calories later in night. One hotel exec set up this likely scenario:

“So you convinced that hottie to come back to your room for a nightcap. Now what? Serve up pretzels and those little mini-bottles of booze? Uh, no. You need a minibar that reflects the wild and crazy, pensive yet lighthearted and otherwise deeply complex human being that you truly are. What you need is a hotel that Pimps Your Fridge.”

Guests at Catalina Hotel can pre-customize their room with themed minibar options such as the Rock Star Minibar or the Munchie Minibar, starting at $50. The Rock Star Minibar, for example, is stocked with the requisite vodka, cigarettes, Krispy Cremes, and Red Bull. And for morning after, recover with Visine, Alka Seltzer Morning After, a chilled eye mask, and of course, Gatorade with electrolytes.

And if you’re looking for love, or just something that vaguely resembles it, try the Get It On Minibar package, complete with edible body paint, champagne, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, strawberries, scented candles and oil, and of course, a Barry White CD.

There’s also the Nostalgia Minibar to help you recapture your lost innocence-or at least your lost youth-with such retro treats as Ritz crackers, fruit roll-ups, candy cigarettes and cheese in a spray can.

Omni Hotels-all locations

888-444-6664, OmniHotels.com

Most minibars offer standard treats, but the Omni Hotels Sensation Bar aims for a break from the ordinary. The Sensation Bar offers a little something for each of the give senses.

For guests’ sight, the Sensation Bar offers a magnifying glass, moleskin notebook, and a deck of cards. For aural sensations, Omni offers a CD of sleep-inducing sounds. For an improved sense of touch, there’s pomegranate lip balm as well as a miniature Zen garden for frayed nerves. Taste buds are tickled by mojito-flavored jellybeans and an assortment of Dean & Deluca chocolates and candies. And even noses aren’t neglected with eucalyptus bath salts and a lavender pillow mist.

The Sensation Bar also includes a few familiar favorites for repeat Omni guests. Additionally, some items will be regionally-sourced or changed seasonally for an additional sense of surprise. They are served up on a decorative tray made of woven pandan leaves in a rich dark brown tone.

The following Omni Hotels offer Sensation Bars with these regional (thought not necessarily the healthiest) options:

Omni Jacksonville Hotel: Orange Blossom Pilsner
Omni Interlocken Resort (between Denver and Boulder): Boulder Potato Chips
Omni Houston Hotel Westside: Lammes Texas Pecan Praline Chewies
Omni Majestic Hotel (St. Louis): Oversized Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate branded candy bars

Other Omni hotels have more than one regionalized component. The Sensation Bar at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza, for example, features Visine to help your eyes on smog-filled days, California Golden Pretzels, and a “Great Lines from Great Movies” soundtrack.

And the Sensation Bar at the Omni Berkshire Place in New York City features Big Apple favorites including a Zagat’s New York Restaurant Guide, Yoo-hoo chocolate drink, Pretzel Crisps, and a guide to the Great Buildings of New York.

But regardless of whether each and every item in these minibars is a 100 percent low-fat, low calorie or low carb, it does show that hotels are starting to break out of a standardized mindset when it comes to minibars.

And for travelers looking for something better than a $5 can of Coke, this new trend may be a welcome addition.

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