India has developed in leaps and bounds over recent years and it’s pretty easy (particularly in the big cities and touristy areas) to find a wide range of food to suit almost all taste buds. Food is very much at the heart of Indian culture and one of the greatest ways to interact with the local people is by sharing their passion for good grub. However, the vast majority of foreigners visiting India do not have the strength in their stomachs to indulge in all forms of local delicacy and some consider a trip to India as being synonymous with a bout of the notorious Delhi Belly! 

In fact, it’s not just foreigners who tread carefully when eating-out in India. I also have many Indian friends who refuse to eat at restaurants because of the general lack of cleanliness found in public eateries! It’s no myth that India is a few years behind when it comes to food hygiene and it’s therefore paramount you follow some basic rules when choosing where and what to eat. Read below for my eating tips when traveling in India…

The greatest suggestion I could make to anyone wanting to avoid many tummy troubles in India is simply become a vegetarian, or if you’re travelling near the coast then become a pescatarian. The vast majority of people in India eat vegetarian meals on a daily basis, which means there’s a greater chance the veggie options on a menu will be fresher than the non-veg offerings.

The tandoor (Indian clay oven) is more commonly found in the northern areas of the country. Food cooked in a tandoor is essentially dipped into a scolding hot furnace, meaning there’s a greater chance the bugs and germs will be burnt away! One of the safest (and most delicious) things to eat straight out of the tandoor is a garlic butter nan (the Indian version of garlic bread) 🙂 .

The reason being if there’s something funny going on with the food, then you’ll have a much better chance of diagnosing this, compared to a food that’s concealed in a thick, rich gravy! This rule especially applies if you’re a carnivore and simply can’t go without eating your meat in India, In this way go for dry dishes like tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and fish tikka over any curries.

Another food group I tend to avoid in India (when eating out) is dairy based delicacies (paneer, ice cream and cream based curries) as again these foods can easily go bad and often become the cause of an upset stomach. The only exception to this rule is milky tea (chai) and yoghurt (curd), the latter of which is widely available throughout India and often helps to line your stomach, protecting it from other harmful bacteria. Lassi (or buttermilk) is a yoghurt based drink that is served either sweet or salty and is often a great accompaniment to a spicy meal as it is both cooling and known for aiding digestion.

This is a classic piece of advice you’ll hear from other travellers in India, although I would argue  that it’s better to tread carefully when taking icy drinks, rather than avoiding them all together.  The vast majority of people and places in India now drink and serve filtered water as a standard. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be on the safer side so always check first and use your own common sense to make a judgement.

As a general rule, I don’t eat any food cooked outside when traveling long distances. Whenever I travel to India I always take a good selection of my favourite packaged foods from home such as dried fruits, nuts, seeds and high- energy snack bars. All of these become a lifesaver when out on the road, particularly during long journeys on sleeper trains for example. Another option if you’re starting your journey from a reliable source is to take a packed lunch rather than relying on roadside restaurants (dhabas) or food served at train stations, which is renowned for being exceptionally spicy and for playing ping-pong inside your stomach!

I tend to avoid eating raw foods that should be washed before eating, as you can bet most places don’t properly clean these before serving them. If a restaurant has a good reputation then it should be safe to eat some salad items, so use your own local knowledge and common sense on the ground. The safest salad I tend to order when eating out is what I call a tomato, onion and cucumber salad. All of these veggies are generally peeled rather than washed, making them a reliable option. Leafy salads should generally be avoided altogether, (such as raw cabbage) which is notorious for carrying the eggs of tapeworms. Juices are generally best to be avoided too, as most places use ice (particularly street vendors), which can be risky. If you want a fresh juice then make sure you ask for it to be made without ice or go for an Indian favourite called nimbu pani (fresh lemonade) which can be served either sweet or salty. It goes without saying that fresh coconut water (found mostly in South India) served directly out of the coconut is one of the safest things to drink in India and a natural source of electrolyte, meaning it’s more hydrating than actual water!

Pork meat is rarely served in India (which is all the more of a reason to avoid eating it) but is quite popular in Goa, where you’re more likely to see it on the menu along with beef, which is actually an illegal meat product in many other parts of the country . The main reason to avoid pork and beef in India however is that they are both known as common carriers of tapeworm eggs, especially if served undercooked. In this way I would say they’re best to be avoided altogether and you can certainly forget about your medium-rare steaks while travelling in India!

Drinking lots of water goes without saying really! I also like to carry some of these electrolyte tablets that boost hydration and are sugar-free compared to the ones you find in India. They also contain added B3 vitamins, which helps fight fatigue (good in the heat) and they come in a very neat slim-line carry case, which is great for travelling.

Most people in India eat with their hands and if you want to do as the locals do you’ll find yourself joining them. Almost all restaurants provide a hand wash area, which (to the fascination of most foreign travellers) is equally used by the locals as a mouth cleaning and spitting area! In this way, sometimes it’s more effective to clean your hands prior to eating with a pocket-sized bottle of hand sanitiser gel, rather than using the restaurants hand washing facilities!

I keep raving on about how amazing these tablets actually are, which I recently discovered on my last trip to India and I so wish I had known about them before. Activated charcoal capsules are basically a natural remedy for curing tummy troubles. They’re traditionally used for treating poisoning and drug overdoses because they have this amazing ability to trap toxins within the body, enabling them to be flushed out instead of reabsorbed back into the bloodstream. Most foreigners will encounter tummy troubles at some point during their travels in India and when they do, they’ll wish they had some activated charcoal capsules to ensure as speedy recovery. You can either take them on an ad-hoc basis when you get stomach cramps, or what I now do is start taking one capsule every day a few weeks before and during my trip to India, so as to build up some strength within my digestive system. If you do decide to get some activated charcoal capsules then make sure you get the ones that are made from natural sources (such as coconut shells). I usually get these capsules available on amazon.

By far the best and safest way to eat in India is to sit down to a meal with a family in their home. As most Indians will tell you there’s nothing quite like Ghar Ki Roti! (home-cooked food). One of the best ways to sample home food in India is to visit a home stay. The Indian government is big on promoting home stays at the moment and they particularly encourage hosts to provide guests with a wide selection of top quality home cooked food. So, if you like your traditional Indian food and connecting with local people when traveling, then definitely plan to spend a few nights at a homestay.

(https://www.homestays.in)