What CAN you eat?

Darwin

I'll be staying in India for 3-5 months next year.

I know i'll get sick eventually, I've accepted this idea.
But I'd still like to minimize the chances of it happening. Will this reduce my scope for enjoyment of Indian culinary delights?

what kinds of food are safe there? (beside rice)

Jorge Reverter

Hi Darwin,

All kind of foods are safe in India as elsewhere. Try to eat always in popular places cooked or fried food. Normally, the only meat I take is chicken and in the coastside fish. Most of indians are vegetarians and probably is the best food you can enjoy in India. I've been many times in India and never got sick,
nevertheless is a question of luck (but even at home). Never think about getting sick, otherwise...

Be careful with the water, and enjoy indian food.


Jorge

Merchant

The only thing that is not "safe" is tap water. If you avoid it in all forms (dry your cups and plates, brush your teeth with bottled, etc.), you can stay perfectly healthy.

Also, don't confuse indigestion with "Delhi belly," which results from your inability to deal with the microbes in tap water. You can get food poisoning anywhere in the world, including your hometown, so don't just assume that Indian food is inherently dodgy.

The other thing to worry about is dehydration. If you don't drink enough bottled water--much more than you are used to at home--you can easily get dehydrated, which can result in nausea. It's hot in India and you will be very active. Drink water often. You also lose a lot of water while sleeping (unless you are in air conditioning), so you start the day at a water deficit, then drink too much coffee or tea, and pretty soon you are sick. My girlfriend is a health nut and fell victim to dehydration despite my repeated warnings. She was ill for about three days, consigned to eating boiled carrots.

Drinking lots of water also mitigates the effects of spicy food. I wonder how many people report being sick in India after drinking nothing but Coke, coffee, and tea, then eating various curries and fried snacks. That's a formula for gastrointestinal disaster. Pani, my friend, pani.

Ikuru

Dont belive all the paranoid stuff you read in this forums, go there njoy, you can eat anything you like.
I myself went vegetarian when I went to India, course to me it just feels safer, thats all.

Bon appetite!

__________________
http://www.ikuru.se My art.

brightspark

Hi,

I am a new member and my first post.. I have however something interesting to share.
I had a Romanian friend, travelling through India, and she stayed with me for a few days.. adapted quickly to Indian food.. without any problems whatsoever..
The idea is perhaps to give yourself one or two days in the beginning to adapt to the change in temperature, food and timings etc.. and then start with the spicy food very gradually..
She mostly ate vegetarian food during the trip, so I dont know whether adapting could be quicker or slower with Non-vegetarian food.

What would be a good idea, is to stay with bottled water throught the trip..
Try to select a clean place to eat.. normally by one look at the place you should be able to know... also in the bigger cities.. in most restaurants.. you should ask the staff for less spicy food.. request them to make less spicy versions of the food.
I would recommend the first couple of days, try to ensure a good hearty breakfast.. and stick to less spicy dishes..
for instances in the North.. more of Daals (lentils) than spicier curries.. then perhaps you could shift to somewhat less spicy (less intersting but safer), for instance one of the potato dishes, or Palak Paneer (spinach and cottage chees).. North Indian restaurants would typically list about 5-6 paneer dishes.. of which this is perhaps the safest.
Try to order Raita. or plain curd..along with the main dishes..
You could eat dishes with gravy or daals either with Rice or Roti (indian bread.. with several varieties) whereas the drier dishes would be generally with Roti..There is a huge variety of sweets..
Even if you like what you eat.. it is likely that you would be eating less than normal for the first few days.. so perhaps having a sandwich or something between meals may be a good idea.
Try to avoid street food... at least in the beginning.

I hope this helps.. Perhaps someone more familiar with the south cuisine and what may be available in various tourist towns could give some pointers on the south Indian cuisine. Things like Idli, vada and uthappams would generally be safe.. but try to avoid Sambar (a soup given in a bowl with practically anything you may order in a south Indian restaurant ), in the beginning.. which is usually very spicy.

So there is no need to think that you will be eventually sick.. In a week or two you will know fairly well what agrees with you... then just enjoy the tremendous variety of food available at very reasonable prices. Seek advice in each city.. as we really have several different regional cuisines.. there is no such thing as a generic Indian cuisine.

Shaktipalooza

Specially prepared coconuts:

In order to avoid any dodgy microbes found on all foodstuffs in India it's recommended to stay on a coconut diet.

1. Check into your hotel, one that has a nice big bathtub. The shower should be independent from the tub since you will not actually be bathing in the tub.

2. Go to the local market and buy 2-3 dozen fresh coconuts and a permanent marker. Return to the hotel room and start marking the date on your coconuts, then place them into the tub.

3. Now fill the tub with 20-40 gallons of rubbing alcohol, 1/2 gallon of iodine and six cups of liquid bleach. Leave the coconuts are bobbing in the disinfectant brine.

4. After 8-10 days you be able to eat the healthy, nutritious, thoroughly sterilised coconuts! Be sure to continue introducing new coconuts as your stock is depleted.

I hope you like coconuts

edwardseco

I like the above idea for a bath. Beats one given by a Malayali cutie once but... I eat pretty much everything with exception of raw vegetables. Only had baccillary once and that is how I met the above so I ain't complainin..

seventies'hippy

Everyone has got their own personal theories of what to & what not to eat,
but stick with common sense precautions and you won't go far wrong.
Water in all it's guises is the number one cause of sickness, & that's everything from ice to dishes washed in untreated water.
Second cause is eating food which is both different and made differently from your normal food.

You should have no problems from steet stalls if you follow these rules, after all you see everything there, as it's being cooked from start to finish, It doesn't come carried to your table from the restaurant kitchens all nicely presented to please you regardless of the process involved,,,,,,,,,,,,

skell

The only health problems that I or any of the travelers I met during my recent 7 week trip, was respiratory - due to pollution. As soon as we were out of the big cities, the problems usually cleared up. My friend, who returned home with a sinus infection, was advised to take along some saline nasal spray next time.

Baldy

dont get hung up about it - you can get sick just as easily form touching a doorknob ... wash your hands and avoid dodgy dhabas - ones that are dirty and not doing much business

vistet

It`s like falling in love - it only happens when you`re not expecting it...

mira4bai4

Here is a previous thread that may be of interest.
Be careful what you eat

SitaParityaga

I found this lactobacillus-type product here on IM awhile back, and now I swear by it.
Along with the helpful hints already listed, you may want to try out taking some kind of lactobacillus pills a month before you go.
And by the way, I've never gotten sick in India, and I've spent lots of time there over the years.

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Darwin

wow! thanks for the tips, guys.

So a dose of positive thinking with a bit a common sense should keep me healthy. Can't wait...

gooi

Im currently in Udaipur doing the usuall Northern tourist itinery. I must say that I'm a chilli adict and have found Indian spice to be pretty tame compared to other cuisines but delicious non the less. Well I've had the runs since Varanasi and I am certain that it's not due to spice. The environment in certain areas is so unhygenic here that I think you could be contaminated by excrament no matter what precautions you take. The doctor we saw in Delhi (for inoculations) gave us a firm warning about Varanasi and as she predicted my wife got really ill just before we were about to board a train. Luckily the train was 6 hours late which gave us the opportunity to get her to the hospital in Varanasi for treatment. Untill that incident I had been rather relaxed. But seeing her condition deteriorate so suddenly scared me a lot. I don't believe we were taking any unacassry risks but in certain parts it just goes with the teritory. I would recomend travelling with preventative medacine on your journey because believe me you dont want to be craping your pants and so sick you cant stand on a train in the middle of night miles from a decent hospital.