Foods to Eat on Your Mission Trip
Have you ever wondered what foods are safe to eat in a foreign country? If you’re planning a trip to some international destination, you may want to pay close attention to some safety guidelines for eating food prepared in a foreign kitchen.
The fact is that you will most likely be dining out for most of your trip, unless you plan to stay for an extended time in the country of your choice. There are a few rules of thumb to follow to make sure your travel time doesn’t leave you sick in a bathroom, instead exploring and doing the things you’ve planned for your trip.
First of all, you’ll want to avoid eating raw vegetables and fruits grown on foreign soil on your next international trip. Raw fruits and vegetables can cause problems if our body is not charged with this type of bacteria and microorganisms. It’s best to make sure vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, and leeks are thoroughly cooked before consuming them on your trip. These should be safe as long as they are cooked.
A good way to taste the food you’re about to eat is to think about how it’s grown. If there is a peel on top of the fruit or vegetable, like a banana or avocado, it should be safe. Other types of fruit that should also be safe include pineapple due to its thick outer shell. Bananas also have their own God-given protective covering that makes them safe to eat, even in a foreign country. In Uganda, Africa, there are several types of bananas that you can safely enjoy!
Conversely, fruits like strawberries and raspberries should be avoided because they don’t have enough of a barrier between them and the soil to keep bacteria off the fruit. Salads made from raw fruits and vegetables that are grown close to the ground without a natural shell or covering should be avoided. Pineapple, grapefruit, and lemons should be safe due to their thick outer skin, but other fruits like berries are in a different category and have a thinner skin, so you’ll want to proceed with caution if you find these on your plate!
As a general rule, meat should be safe to eat as long as it has been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill any bacteria that may be present. I enjoyed things like goat meat on a stick in Uganda and it was fine and I didn’t get sick. It would be best to avoid some types of raw meat and fish just to be safe, especially when traveling to China and Japan.
Most importantly, the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. I know this may seem like a lot to chew on, but I trust the Lord will also guide and protect you on his next journey and help him make wise choices in what he eats and drinks. We must also remember that the Lord can give us supernatural protection if we fulfill his will for our lives.