Healthy holiday eating: quick tips
- When travelling, don’t forget to pack any vitamins and mineral supplements that you may be used to taking at home.
- When in less developed countries, boil water before drinking and avoid ice. Immersion coils can be used to boil water wherever there is access to electricity.
- Avoid brushing your teeth with tap water in overseas countries. If it is unavoidable, use the hot tap, after running it for a minute.
- Water purifiers, iodine-based tablets or chlorine tablets can also be used to make water safer, although the use of iodine water purifying tablets is not advisable if you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about any concerns.
- Don’t let Christmas dinner ruin your plans for healthy eating!
- If heading off overseas, pack some over-the-counter medications for diarrhoea, e.g. Imodium, as well as fluid and electrolyte replacement solutions e.g. Gastrolyte. Indigestion tablets and antacid may also come in handy for an upset stomach caused by unfamiliar foods.
- If your baby is no longer breast feeding, baby formula prepared from commercial powder and boiled water is the easiest, safest food source if you are concerned about food safety in overseas countries.
- In overseas countries, look for well-known food brands in cans or sealed packs and choose to eat in popular, clean restaurants.
- Be cautious around salad bars and smorgasbords. Don’t eat food from buffets unless you know that the food is fresh and has been kept hot.
- Be cautious when consuming alcoholic beverages in unfamiliar countries — the alcoholic content may not be specified on the label.
- ‘Doggy bags’ can be dangerous. Always refrigerate food immediately and do not consume if it has been in the open air for more than 4 hours.
Last Reviewed: 15 October 2004
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