I’m Worried About Food Safety Overseas. Any Tips for Staying Healthy?
Ask Rolf: Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
03.12.08 | 2:33 PM ET
Dear Rolf,
As a yoga enthusiast I’ve always dreamed of going to Asia, but after several years of working in the food-service industry, I must admit I’m a little paranoid about eating in countries that don’t have a rigorous food-inspection system. Any tips for eating well and staying healthy in Asia?
—Maria, Abbotsford, British Columbia
Dear Maria,
As someone who lived in different parts Asia for over seven years, I can assure you that travel in the developing world need not be an ongoing bellyache—but only if you can keep a few simple considerations in mind.
When you first start traveling, for example, don’t react to strange foods or unorthodox routines by under-eating. Regardless of your food preferences (such as vegetarianism), make sure you maintain a balanced diet, with lots of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein.
If you aren’t too daring in the culinary department—or if you think you’ll disagree with the food in certain areas—bring along vitamin supplements. Remember to stay hydrated and habitually wash your hands before meals.
When eating at restaurants and food stands, look for establishments with lots of customers (always a sure sign of tasty eats) and healthy-looking employees. Make sure that any meat you order is well cooked when you’re in less-developed countries—and be wary of milk (which may not be pasteurized), “beef” (which may not be beef), leafy salads (which likely haven’t been washed with purified water) and shellfish.
As far as personal food preparation goes, an old colonial slogan that still makes a useful starting point is, “If you can cook it, boil it, or peel it, you can eat it—otherwise, forget it.”
Non-purified water (ice included) should generally be avoided—and be sure to check your bottled water for a broken seal (which often means that the bottle has been fished out of the trash and refilled with tap water). Also consider using bottled water when washing food or brushing your teeth.
Finally, don’t be afraid to indulge in “American” food from time to time—but keep in mind that a restaurant isn’t necessarily healthy (or clean, or tasty) merely because it has an English-language menu and serves pizza, club sandwiches or an “American” breakfast. In Pushkar, India, I once ate lunch at a restaurant that “specialized” in Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Greek and Israeli food—and I find it no small coincidence that I suffered stomach problems quite soon after.
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Tim 03.15.08 | 10:48 PM ET
I have made many trips to Asia and other third world countries,and only gotten sick once from dehydration (too much Mekong whiskey). I eat from street vendors all the time.Be careful,but indulge in the local culture. I even used tap water to brush my teeth for the first couple of weeks, to get my body acclimated to the bug.That is probably not advisable for everyone though.
Cheers
Ed 03.20.08 | 5:05 PM ET
I lived in parts of asia for almost three years give or take. Most time, I was supposed to be there for just a short time, but ending up staying for months at a time. Take it easy for a couple of days, and allow your body to adjust fully, but of course, do partake of the local food. At first, I was apprehensive, but after a bit, I would eat food from street vendors all the time and never suffered any ill effects. Heck, I used to eat at this one open-air buffet and the lady there got to noticing that I was losing a lot of weight, and she would pile more food on my plate! The foods that I have sampled really opened my eyes to what Real asian cooking is. You can’t get food like that in restaurants here. It even opened up my eyes to the Muslim religion, as we had a member that was Muslim and we ate dinner with him as he could only eat Halal food. My first though, what the ....? But I got to the point that their are dishes that I now crave! Would not have known if it wasn’t for the travel and eating the local food. The Uyghurs from Xinjiang Province (spelling?) would make these fatty mutton grilled over coal, spicy sticks with chili, cumin,(msg!) that were just fabulous! Can still see the thick smoke from the coal BBQ’s wafting in the freezing cold air in the open air market on the way back to my apartment.
Ling 03.22.08 | 12:04 AM ET
All you have to do is order something which is cooked up ‘after’ you order it. Most of the food related sicknesses in Asian tourist trap restaurants happen due to stale food. And since you have no idea ‘how’ it should taste, if you pick something off the counter, you’re eating stale stuff, and you don’t even know it.
wayne akerman 03.27.08 | 2:34 PM ET
can i bring alcohol on board of cruise ship in Italy?
Natural Sleep Aids 03.31.08 | 2:02 AM ET
Well just keep on eating nutritious food dont try to experience anything new.
Thanks
heather 04.03.08 | 5:06 PM ET
I would take my advice from the experts. Do you ever watch the traveling food shows? Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern both have the same common advice: Eat where the locals eat! Ask around. If there is a place that is recommended, try it! If the locals keep coming back for more it must be good!