Planning a holiday takes a lot of time. And nothing can get you excited than going on that long-awaited trip you’ve been planning and saving up for the past few months. So, of course, you want everything to go right. And that means avoiding anything that can get you sick.

Food Poisoning on Holiday

Nothing can ruin a trip faster than food poisoning. Getting hit with this means losing a few days or your entire holiday time completely. You’ll be stuck in either your hotel room or a hospital bed for the rest of your stay. In the worst-case scenario, you might even have to go home.

Here are a few ways you can avoid food poisoning when you’re on holiday:

Watch What you eat

First and foremost, you must watch what you eat. Make it a point to examine your food visually. Does it look runny when it shouldn’t be? Does it have a distinct texture when it should be smooth?

Next, you have to smell it. Does it smell sour when it should be sweet? Does it smell horrible when it’s supposed to smell like food?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your food is either already bad or is about to go bad.

Be wary of Dairy

Dairy products like cheese and ice cream have live bacteria. When it’s improperly stored, it can quickly go bad. With that said, it is essential to check the dairy product you are about to consume. Here are a few things to watch out for:

• Storage. How was it stored? Was it stored in a refrigerator or was it kept out in the open?
• Consistency. If it’s ice cream, check to see if the product shows signs of melting and re-frozen. Consuming melted and refrozen ice cream may result in stomach pain as it has given the bacteria a chance to grow.
• Smell and taste. Milk or any product has a distinct smell when it has gone bad. It also turns into chunks. Just seeing and smelling the dairy product should be enough to tell you when it has gone nasty.

Avoid shellfish and seafood

Another type of food that is always in danger of going bad fast is shellfish and other forms of seafood dishes. Everybody loves a tasty shrimp dish. But before you dig into it at the buffet table, check how it is displayed. If it’s been out there for a while, you’re better off trying the other dishes.

The same goes for seafood like sushi. Raw fish that was not prepared and stored properly have a high risk of contamination that you will not want to get in your system. Choose the seafood and shellfish you eat very carefully.

Choose Freshly Cooked

If you’re going out to eat, then it is best to eat at places where you see how the food is cooked or it is prepared after you order. That way, you can see for yourself how they have handled the food, and if you see any wrongdoing, you can call them out on it or walk away.

A freshly cooked meal means that the hot temperatures have killed any bacteria that is present. It most likely guarantees that the food is fresh. And everybody loves a hot meal.

Choose to eat where locals do

It is also a good idea to eat at restaurants where the locals regularly go to eat. The reason is that it means that food passes in and out of their kitchen fast. And that means fresher ingredients are used. What’s more, a restaurant that the locals’ frequent means that the management has a quality standard because there is a high chance that their patrons can come back.

Whereas with tourist restaurants, not only is the food expensive but because their clientele is mostly tourists, a lot of them will not come back. And so, their quality standard will not be on the same level as that for the locals.

It should be noted that not all tourist restaurants do this, but it is essential to be aware.

Enjoy your holiday in a foreign land and avoid the hassles of food poisoning by following these easy tips. One thing you don’t have to worry about when you go on your next holiday is finding an affordable parking space for your car. Alpha Airport Parking offers short-term and long-term airport parking at very reasonable rates all year round, leaving you with more budget to spend on your holiday.