Vacation is a time for relaxation and indulgence. You’ve been saving up and eating right in order to treat yourself this one week out of the whole year. Of course, you want to indulge in the best way anyone knows how – food!
However, there are some foods you should really stay away from while on vacation. Some of them might even shock you. Your tummy will thank you later. Here are the top six foods to nix while on vacation!
1. Raw seafood
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If you’re going to a beautiful seaside destination, the first thing you’re thinking about is enjoying a nice, raw, seafood platter. You might want to forget about that! Most raw seafood has the potential to make you very sick. Some of these illnesses caused by raw or undercooked seafood can even cause death if you’re not careful.
2. Buffet food
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The reason why buffets should sometimes be avoided is that a lot of these trays and dishes have been sitting out for an uncertain period of time. Do you really want to eat food that’s been sitting out for God knows how long? No! Unfortunately, many hotels are now taking advantage of the buffet breakfast idea, so you may want to consider other options for breakfast.
3. Sushi
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With sushi lies more potential for getting sick from raw foods. Sushi is often one of the foods to avoid while on vacation if you’re having it from a restaurant or location that you’ve never been to before.
4. Raw produce
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Even our veggies!? Say it isn’t so! You’ll want to avoid raw produce anywhere that doesn’t harbor clean drinking water. This means avoiding any uncooked produce in addition to lettuce in salads.
5. Unpasteurized dairy
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While traveling internationally, it should be taken into consideration to avoid unpasteurized dairy. The first thing you might want to do is stop at your local farmers market to pick up unpasteurized milk or cheese, but these foods are known to be associated with Listeria monocytogenes. In other words, very harmful bacteria.
6. Tap water
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When traveling internationally, you may want to consider ordering the purified bottled water or sparkling and refrain from the tap. Water in developing countries might contain microorganisms that are foreign to your GI tract. This water has the potential to be infected with bacteria, fecal matter, and parasites.
Did any of these foods or drinks shock you? Be sure to SHARE this if they did!