Foods That Can Make You Sick When You Travel Abroad

We Travel to Try New Foods
Travel and teaching English as a foreign language abroad are some of the most interesting and mind-altering experiences we can have. We travel to meet new people, to experience new cultures, to see bold new sights and to try new foods. We need to be careful though, some foods can make you really sick, turning your dream trip into a nightmare. The quantities of bacteria, protozoa, molds, fungi and parasites ingested from food is truly amazing.



Here Are Four Food Areas to Be Wary of When Traveling Abroad

• Water
The old saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” That’s because ole horsey knows that water is most often unsafe for you to drink on foreign soil. Water supplies in many countries are subject to a multitude of factors you don’t want to know. Drink only bottled, treated (by you) or boiled (preferably by you) water when traveling abroad.

• Water-based Juices
Didn’t we just say, “don’t drink the water”? Well, if your lemonade or other juice is made with local water, you don’t know where the water comes from – and maybe you don’t want to know, either. The same holds true of ice and ice cubes. You can’t be sure what the water source was they are made from.

• Fresh Salads
Again, “don’t drink the water” holds true. Yes, even for fresh salads. What do you think they “washed” the vegetables with? If you don’t know or can’t be sure, you’d better not eat that garden salad. I don’t care how “good” it looks. You could be expressing your regrets later the same day quicker than you can ask, “where’s the toilet?”

• Street Vendor Foods
Are you kidding me? You’re not actually going to eat something from the cart of that slovenly-looking guy on the corner, are you? Hey, I know that you’re here to have new experiences and to try new things. But is a tour of all the local toilet facilities and emergency rooms on your list too? If not, then be very careful about what you put in your mouth (in more ways than one, too).

Be Wary When Traveling Abroad
By all means travel, explore new regions, see new sights and wonders, learn and grow. Just remember to be wary of these seven foods mentioned here when traveling abroad. That way you help yourself to be assured of good health when traveling and eating abroad. In the companion article to this series, “Foods to Be Wary of When Traveling Abroad”, we’ll detail some additional “delicacies” to watch out for. See you then.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.