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When you think of a road trip, “Dil Chahta Hai” automatically starts playing in your head. You have your bags packed with a complete itinerary of where to stop, the best places for sightseeing, and whatnot. But here’s something you might miss out on while being excited about making a lifelong memory – food.
For sure, you know the best places to eat at every destination, but are there some things that you should completely avoid before you or your road trip buddies get sick? Yes, there are a few types of food that you shouldn’t carry or make a pitstop to eat because you don’t want to feel nauseated on the rest of the route, do you?
Oily Roadside Food
As tempting as the bhelpuri or chana jor garam looks while you’re on the go, please do not give in to your cravings, as they are the biggest causes of food poisoning. Stick to well-cooked fresh and warm food and include as many salads as you can to ensure that your digestive system doesn’t bother you. Wait till you reach your final destination, and then explore the local cuisines from well-known sources.
Carbonated Drinks
On most occasions, you’d have a soda can or a fizzy drink packed in your bag to help you feel refreshed. But you should note that while on a road trip with long driving hours, carbonated drinks can cause bloating and digestive discomfort, and you don’t want a stomach ache all along the way. So, instead of consuming soda-based beverages, opt for flavoured water, iced tea, or juices to stay hydrated and refreshed.
Takeaway Food
Takeaway food like sandwiches and wraps are easy to carry, but the problem behind eating them is you’d never know when their ingredients were bought, how many preservatives are there, and when they get expire. Not knowing these details and eating an expired product can cause issues like diarrhoea, food poisoning, gastritis, and much worse. So, it is best to take a break, park your car at a sanitary restaurant and have a light meal before you move further.
Strong-Smelling Foods
Foods that have a strong smell, like seafood, heavily spiced food, garlic, onions, or cheese, maybe mouth-watering, but your fellow travellers might not be very appreciative of it. Nobody wants to sit for long hours in a closed car with a strong smell of fish or curry. So, try to eat more neutral food like cookies or juices and save the aromatic food options for a break at an eating joint.
Low Shelf Life Products
Even though carrying raw food like fruits or uncooked food like dairy products sounds like a healthy option for a road trip, try to avoid carrying these unless you have a mini-refrigerator or a car cooler with ice packs. If not, carry safer options like dry fruits, fruit juice boxes, or popcorn, which don’t have a low shelf life and are healthy as well.
Spicy Food
You should avoid spicy food altogether while on a road trip. Be it to eat in the car, at a roadside food joint, or something tempting from a street-side vendor. As per a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition And Food Research in 2022, spicy food can cause digestive discomfort, and if your body is not used to spicy food, it can also trigger potential gastrointestinal issues.
