Food Safety: Eat Healthy Travel Tips

Traveling is my passion and addiction but what I hate most about it is — FOOD. Yes…you read it correctly…I miss healthy home cooked food. This is one of the greatest challenge if you are stepping out of your home’s comfort zone and surrounded by the bunch of fast food outlets and indulge in unhealthy snacks or beverages. Though it delights your taste buds but it leaves you regretting throughout your trip. And secondly, you love to taste the local platter but your stomach isn’t always up to the challenge. To prevent spending half your trip running to the bathroom, it’s important to find a middle ground between sampling local cuisines and treating your belly well.

Here are list of eating tips which I use to keep myself energize and healthy eating during my trips:

Drink only Bottled or Mineral Water

It is very important to keep your body hydrated during your trips. Choose bottled or mineral water over the other beverages (flavored water / soft-drinks /canned- juices etc) as most of the diseases are transmitted through contaminated drinking water, which is one of the leading sources of health problems for travelers, and can cause anything from mild gastrointestinal distress to serious bacterial diseases. The most common cause of water-borne illness is bacteria, such as E. coli, cholera and salmonella but illness can also be caused by protozoa viruses (like hepatitis A, polio and rotavirus) and chemical pollutants. In many cases, travelers become ill simply because the pathogens in the water are foreign to their immune systems, while locals have adapted to the water supply and can drink it without problems.

You must avoid flavored water, sodas, canned juices which are high in calories and not healthy for body. If you are fond of fruit juices, go for only fresh fruit juices!

Stock Protein Bars or Oatmeal Bars for an instant energy

Protein bars/ Oatmeal bars are convenient to stuff and depending upon your choice, you can decide if it’s a snack or a meal replacement. Just because these bars are the size of a candy bar, it doesn’t mean you should think of them as a snack. A lot of people don’t even look at the calorie count — which is a huge mistake, since some of the “snack” bars have as much as 400 calories! If you’re using a bar as a meal replacement, you should go for one that is between 300 and 400 calories. If you are eating it just as a snack, you should stick to bars around 220 calories.

Avoid Excess Intake of an Alcohol

This is very difficult for most of us but excessive intake of alcohols should be avoided in order to minimize travel-related health conditions, such as jet lag, drowsiness, travel sickness etc. You can switch to wine or light beer over whisky and other hard drinks. You can even drink Vodka with Coconut water to keep yourself hydrated. And don’t forget to add salads for balancing the nutrients in your body.

Make Fruits your Friends

Whenever you have to wait in long ques for your excursions, fruits are the best friends to feed your stomach. I always keep apples and oranges in my hand bag whenever I am traveling. It not only makes me feel stuffed but I get re-energized  for my adventures. You can also try low-fat yogurt if you like along with fruits.

Prefer Healthy Snacks

Some of my favorite snacks while traveling are Pistachio,  Almonds, Pecan Halves, Cashew-nuts and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I prefer to buy them from Walmart because they are highly overpriced at Airports, hotels rooms or other tourist destinations.

Go for Veggies

Try to avoid fast food outlets. These are convenient options in a new city but these kind of meal options are often high in fat and calories. Wherever you decide to eat, focus on meals that incorporate healthy components, like fresh vegetables and lean proteins. Green veggies tossed in Olive oil is a nice option.

Prefer Black Coffee

Hot Coffee and tea are generally harmless, but it’s best to take your hot drinks black, without potentially contaminated milk. Cream from sealed containers, if pasteurized, is usually safe. However you can rely on big coffee chains like Starbucks, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Hortons, Bewley’s, Lavazza Coffee etc if you want to go with milk.

Pick Your Food Restaurants prior to Your Trip 

Choose your restaurants prior to your trips through Google, Yelp, or Trip Advisor after checking their reviews. Go only for meals which are hot served. 

Foods To Avoid Eating During Your Trips

• You should avoid eating Cold meat platters, cheese, buffet foods and unsealed mayonnaise, which are often home to rampant bacteria.
• Seafood dishes are notorious for causing intestinal problems, as fish accumulate contaminants from a wide variety of sources. Smaller fish tend to be safer. Fish organs and shellfish (such as clams, mussels and oysters) are usually best avoided.
• Steer clear of unpasteurized dairy products, including cheese and yogurt. Check labels for evidence of pasteurization; most canned milk is safe.
• Condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup and salad dressings are safest in sealed packages.
• Beer and wine in other countries may contain more or less alcohol content than in the United States. Pay attention to the effects of all drinks. Moderation is the safest course of action.

Enjoy Yourself Fullest

The last but not least mantra to eat healthy during your trip is — Don’t take Stress of your food imperfection. In fact, one of the number one causes of digestive distress is stress. This means, you could be eating the most nutrient-dense, pristine diet there is – but if you’re stressed, you’re not only impairing the breakdown and absorption of your food, you’re also suppressing your immune system and increasing your likelihood of experiencing a reaction to a gut pathogen or food toxin. Be little careful about what you eat but don’t over stress yourself. Enjoy each and every moment of your trip and make it memorable.

Do share your favorite eating traveling tips in the comments below? 🙂

Happy Traveling,
Ana