How to Avoid Food Poisoning When Traveling
Are you looking for tips on how to avoid food poisoning when traveling?
You’re in the right place! There’s nothing that will ruin your vacation faster than being struck down by a case of food poisoning. Food poisoning can happen anywhere, but it’s especially common when traveling in developing countries where food and water safety standards aren’t what you’re used to.
Food poisoning is such a common travel mishap that it has led to nicknames in popular tourist destinations like the dreaded “Montezuma’s revenge” in Mexico or “Bali belly” on the Indonesian island.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning are an upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. While most cases of food poisoning dissipate after a few days, some can linger for longer and require medical care.
As a full-time traveler, I’m no stranger to food poisoning myself. I’ve experienced countless cases of it, most of them fortunately mild, including getting a parasite in Colombia — it sounds much worse than it was! I’ve only had one really bad experience so far, when a meal at a local market in Cuenca, Ecuador rendered me miserable and unable to keep anything down for a solid two and a half days.
But luckily, there are steps you can take to avoid food poisoning when traveling.
By taking basic precautions, you can drastically reduce your chances of getting ill from something you eat. Here are the most important things to know about avoiding food poisoning while you travel:
1. Avoid raw fruits and vegetables
Food poisoning is often caused by pathogens in food and water. Raw fruits and vegetables (and any raw food in general) are a common culprit for food poisoning, since cooking them removes pathogens.
Even worse, fruits and vegetables are often washed in water that is not drinkable, so even if the fruit or vegetable is fine, you could end up getting sick from the water it was washed in. So as tempting as it may be, avoid the salad or the fruit smoothie and stick to food that has been cooked instead.
2. Be careful with meat
You should also be careful with eating meat when you’re traveling. As a vegetarian, I don’t have to worry about this risk when I travel, but meat can be another risky food that can make you sick. This usually happens when meat has been sitting out for too long or is prepared in unsanitary conditions.
If you want to reduce your risk of getting food poisoning, you should ensure you’re only eating meat that has been cooked properly and in clean conditions (like at a well-rated and recommended restaurant.)
3. Don’t drink the tap water
I thought this was common sense, but it turns out not everyone knows this! When I was in Morocco, I met a German girl who was having terrible stomach problems. It turns out she had been drinking the tap water for days and didn’t realize it was an issue! I gave her plenty of Pepto-Bismol and some advice.
That advice, of course, is that there are many countries around the world where tap water is not safe to drink. It’s the case in most developing countries, which is why I always travel with my LifeStraw filtering water bottle. This allows you to safely drink tap water anywhere — I’ve used it all around the world!
You can also stick to bottled water, but I don’t really like doing this because it’s bad for the environment and a waste of money. Sometimes I will buy a large jug of water to keep in my hotel room, though.
4. Avoid drinks with ice
Just like you should avoid tap water, you should also avoid drinks with ice. Now, if you’re eating breakfast at a five-star hotel or a popular, highly-rated restaurant, the ice is probably fine.
But if you’re just getting some fruit juice off the street, or eating at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the ice might be made from tap water instead of filtered water, which can definitely make you sick.
5. Watch out for street food
Street food, while often delicious, can be the root of many stomach problems for travelers. I’m almost certain that the parasite I got in Colombia came from some street food that I ate in Cartagena.
If you do eat street food, make sure to stick to popular spots recommended by locals. Street food stalls often have questionable food safety practices, and locals will know which places to avoid. Another potential issue with street food is that ingredients sometimes sit out, uncovered and in the sun, for hours.
6. Stick to popular restaurants
When in doubt, sticking to popular restaurants is a pretty safe choice. Whether it’s a restaurant that primarily attracts tourists or locals or a mixture of both, a busy restaurant is usually a good sign.
Avoid the hole-in-the-wall restaurant that’s half-empty during prime dinner hours, because if even the locals are staying away, it might not be a good idea. Doing some research on restaurants beforehand and choosing places that are popular and well-reviewed is a way to ensure you don’t eat somewhere dodgy.
7. Take Pepto-Bismol
Pepto-Bismol is your best friend when traveling. I always travel with plenty of Pepto-Bismol tablets. You can take these preventively before a meal if you think that what you’re eating might upset your stomach. You can also take them after a meal if you’re starting to experience any upset stomach symptoms.
While this isn’t guaranteed to be effective, it can definitely help a lot of the time. Pepto-Bismol coats your esophagus and stomach and works to kill bacteria that could make you ill right away.
How to Deal with Food Poisoning
If you do end up getting food poisoning while traveling (which can happen no matter how careful you are), you might be in for an unpleasant few days, but the good news is that it will likely run its course.
These are the best things you can do if you end up with food poisoning:
- Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water, because food poisoning dehydrates you.
- Take an oral rehydration solution. You’ll also want to replenish your electrolytes and sodium when you have food poisoning. Pedialyte is a good thing to add to your water in this situation.
- Eat bland foods. When you’re able to keep food down, bland foods are best. Things like applesauce, dry crackers or toast, and clear broth are good. Avoid salt, sugar, and dairy.
- Get some rest. Cancel any plans, take it easy, and just rest for at least a day.
- Take anti-diarrheal tablets. If you need to go somewhere (like catching a flight, train, or bus), taking Imodium is going to be the best way to suppress your symptoms.
If you’re symptoms persist beyond two days and only seem to be worsening, not receding, then you should pay a visit to the doctor. Most cases of food poisoning resolve themselves in a few days, though.
How to Avoid Food Poisoning When Traveling
This guide showed you how to avoid food poisoning when traveling.
Although there’s no guaranteed way to avoid ever getting food poisoning while abroad, there are certainly things you can do to reduce your likelihood of getting it. And if you do end up getting food poisoning when traveling, you now know how to handle it. It’s a rough experience, but it’s all part of the adventure.
Happy traveling!
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