6 Food Practices to Steer Clear of When Traveling Overseas- First Aid Travel Kit Series

The extremely accommodating air stewardess relocated me closer to the toilets on my flight from Cameroon to Kenya.   While these seats are not typically preferred, when you are suffering from traveler’s diarrhea after consuming bad fish in a restaurant in Douala  they were like first class to me.  I spent the majority of the flight locked in the bathroom wondering when the raging inferno in my stomach would be extinguished. 

I sincerely hope you never have the misfortune of loitering near airplane toilets, or any toilets for that matter. However, if you want to avoid the dreadful ordeal of traveler’s diarrhea, here are some handy tips to keep in mind.

Avoiding Food Contamination

The first and foremost thing I want to stress is the importance of having clean hands. Whether it's through washing with soap or using hand sanitizer, clean hands can prevent more illnesses than any other tips I'm about to share. It's really that simple.

Of course, half the fun of traveling is sampling the local fare, so you don’t want to miss out.  The CDC says to avoid street food and bushmeat (local wild game- no monkeys or rodents, folks).  But street food is one of the best ways to dive into the local culture and make friends. I can't officially endorse street food, but if you’re anything like me and just can't resist, here are some rules to follow:

1.     Fresh and temperature appropriate. - I need to witness the ingredients being freshly prepared and cooked over the fire until they are fully done. The food must be served to me immediately after being taken off the fire. Cold dishes must be properly chilled continuously, and hot dishes must be steaming hot. I try to avoid anything lukewarm because germs thrive in lukewarm food, they live for lukewarm food. 

2.     Meat- When visiting a developing country or anywhere unfamiliar to you, it is best to purchase meat from a grocery store for the safest option, even though it may be more expensive. If you decide to buy meat from a market, seek advice from a local who knows the trusted food vendors.

3.     Tap water- Avoid tap water in countries where there is a risk of contamination.  Brush your teeth with bottled water.  I know this sounds silly, but I forget it- remember that ice is water too.  Treat any water that isn’t bottled by boiling, filtering or chemical treatments.  Hot drinks should be steaming hot, and if I am honest, I insist on seeing the water actually boil.  Being thought you are strange for watching water bois is better than what I told you earlier about haunting the toilets.

4.     Raw foods. –Raw fruits and vegetables can easily be contaminated.  While fruits with a peel may seem safe, they are only safe if handled correctly.  During my time in West Africa, my friends would often bring me fruit when they visited.  I hated to refuse their gifts, but I really value my health, so I formed a policy.  I would eat the fruit, but I insisted on cutting it myself after washing it with clean, treated water.  If the skin isn’t clean, the knife can pull contagions from the surface to the meat of the fruit.  I mostly avoided salads and the like, they just held too much risk for contamination.  Lettuce and leafy greens are extremely difficult to clean.  Safer foods are vegetables that are cooked. 

5.     Trust Your Taste Buds - If you come across something you don't like, it's okay not to

force yourself to eat it. Sometimes, your taste buds are acting as a warning system, signaling that the food may not sit well with your stomach. It could be spoiled or simply not agree with you. Trust your instincts and listen to your body when it comes to what you eat.

6.     Milk- It's important to ensure that the milk you consume is pasteurized. In many developing countries, the practice of drinking raw milk is common. When I was hiking in the Himalayas of India a kindly farmer called us over and offered us tea.  The water was taken directly from the stove boiling hot, and I accepted sugar as it was a safe dry good.  He then offered milk directly from his yak.  I was so tempted, but decided against it, since it came directly from the udder, and I didn’t fancy being carried to base camp on a stretcher. 

If you stick to these 6 guidelines they can save you from food-borne or related illnesses.  If you happen to slip up and get sick, hop over to my first aid series in my blog.  Good travels and bon appetite!

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, July 13). Food and drink considerations when traveling. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/food-water-safety

Gordon, B. (2022, November 30). 8 food safety tips when traveling abroad. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: eatright.org. https://www.eatright.org/food/planning/away-from-home/8-food-safety-tips-when-traveling-abroad