8 Types of Food That You Should Not Eat When Traveling

While we’re all for discovering new countries through your stomach, there are just some foods that need to be avoided in order to have a fantastic holiday. Your immune system may not be able to cope with certain diet changes, and the low quality in water in certain destinations, and this may result in you getting sick during your holiday. Who wants to spend time in a hotel room when they could rather be out and about exploring, right? Here are 10 foods we recommend you avoid when traveling.    

If a salad is your go-to kind of food, you may have to reconsider your choice, when in a country where the water is of questionable quality. The conditions that the vegetables are stored in may also be concerning, as well as the soil contamination in countries that have a lot of pollution.Stick to vegetables that are boiled or cooked instead.  

Fish and shellfish, while absolutely delicious, when eaten raw or undercooked can lead to foodborne illness that result in diarrhea, severe vomiting, and more. It is therefore best to stick to well-cooked seafood, and be on the safe side. 

Avoid eating raw or partially cooked eggs when traveling and save yourself the trouble of contracting an egg-related illness such as salmonella. Pass on sauces like hollandaise and mayonnaise as well, since they are also generally made from raw or undercooked eggs. 

We can’t stress enough how important it is to stay away from fruits that don’t have thick peels. Fruits like pineapple, papaya, mango and banana all have a thick layer of skin and are therefore quite safe to eat, while those like apples, and berries are a no-no as they don’t have thick outer layers to protect them from bacteria found in the water and where they are stored. 

Craving a piece of rare steak or a delicious cold cut sub? Consider avoiding it when traveling. Both raw and undercooked meat come with risks of contamination that you can definitely do without on your travels. 

We know how hard it is to say no to condiments and sauces, but they are generally made of fresh herbs and water, which are best avoided. Also as mentioned above, home-made dips like mayonnaise and hollandaise usually contain raw eggs, which is also a must-avoid. 

While an ice cream may seem like a great idea to beat the heat, consider avoiding it if you are in a destination where you’re avoiding the water and being precautious of what you eat. Things like ice creams and popsicles tend to be made of unfiltered water, unpeeled fruits and so on. Some foods also tend to develop harmful bacteria when they are frozen, melted and again re-frozen.  

If you’re in a destination where foodborne illnesses are a concern, steer clear of buffets, since you can’t be sure of how the ingredients used in the dishes were stored and handled, if the items were cooked well enough to kill off bacteria, how long the food was sitting out in the open in the buffet-line, if it was exposed to things like flies, and so on.