No one wants to be sick whilst traveling, but it happens to the best of us. And whilst you can’t avoid all sickness when you’re on the road, you can definitely avoid most food poising by knowing the riskiest items. So here are my top 3 sure fire ways to get food poisoning whilst abroad.
1. Eating Street Rice
Image credit stu_spivack
Street food is by far some of the best that you can eat anywhere in the world. However if you’re served rice that looks just warm and a little dry, don’t eat it. The density of rice means that once cooked, it retains heat within. Whilst the very outer layer may feel cool, the inner layer will be warm which is a haven for bacteria. Don’t immediately discard street food, it’s usually the tastiest, cheapest and most authentic food experience you will have. But unless the rice is hot and fresh, avoid it.
2. Eating With Unwashed Hands
Image credit Magnus D
Money is the dirtiest thing in the world. Handled by hundreds of thousands of people with who knows what on their fingers, holding money and then put your hands in your mouth is a huge risk factor for food poisoning. It’s also very likely you’ll stop for lunch and need to go to the bathroom, only to discover there’s no toilet paper, no sink and no soap. After touching those bathroom surfaces there’s no way you want your unwashed hands picking up lunch. My suggestion is to carry a small bottle of hand gel with you everywhere. It is so handy to have and the pleasantness of clean hands is priceless.
3. Enjoying Street Food with Only the Locals
As I said in point one, street food is amazing. However you need to be aware of what you’re eating and who else is eating it. When traveling through Ecuador I became violently ill after eating a street empanada. Topped with a coleslaw salad, thinking it was fine because all the locals were eating it, I munched away happily. Only after a night of severe vomiting and diarrhea did I realise I was the only gringa eating at the stand. Food around the world contains local bacteria which foreign stomachs just can’t deal with. Watch who’s eating at the stand. If it’s only local people and the food involves some form of salad, seriously consider eating elsewhere unless you want to experience the meal in reverse later in the night.
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