10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour: Are you a food lover and a passionate traveler? If yes, Ho Chi Minh City is the right travel destination for you. One of the most attractive offers is a tour to further districts than District 1 – the heart of Saigon and also a chance to visit eating places hidden in less-known back alleys and food markets. Here are some useful tips on being healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour – one of the best things to do in Saigon in recent days.
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10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour?
Do not eat greasy (fatty, oily) food too much
It turns out that eating greasy foods can actually impact your brain function and concentration. They also slow stomach emptying because greasy foods contain high amounts of fat. Fried and deep-fried dishes such as Banh xeo, Banh khot, Stir-fried snail with garlic, Fried spring roll are the most delicious in Vietnamese cuisine. So they are usually served on Saigon food tours. The first advice is that you should not eat greasy food too much. You should try some of them to learn more about the authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
In European, American and other cuisines, they may serve greasy foods themselves. In our country, they always serve greasy foods with vegetables including aromatic herbs to enhance flavor and nutrition. You should eat more vegetables such as lettuce, herbs, and bean sprouts. For example, Banh xeo tastes better if the crispy crust and fillings such as shrimp and pork are wrapped with vegetables in rice paper. Stir-fried snail is usually served with Vietnamese mint (rau răm).
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour – Fried roll (Chả giò) is one of the most delicious Vietnamese traditional dishes. Most tourists love to eat this amazing food. It is recommended to eat eat moderately because eating a deep-fried dish too much is not good for your health.
Do not eat too much at a local restaurant or a food stall
On a Saigon food tour, you will visit some eating places. At each place, you will be serve 1 – 3 Saigon local dishes and Vietnamese dishes. So you should eat little by little and make sure that you are only full at the last stop. For example, you should not eat a whole portion of Banh mi or a whole bowl of noodle soup. It is recommended to eat a half of Vietnamese sandwich or a small bowl of noodle soup. A Vietnamese pancake should be shared among 3 – 4 people.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour – Never mind the serving sizes are small or large, you should eat in moderation at each eatery.
Vietnamese seafood dishes are great but do not consume seafood too much
Although Ho Chi Minh is not a coastal city, you can find the best seafood dishes cooked from fresh ingredients which are caught in Can Gio District or transported from Vung Tau Province, Ho Tram Town, Phan Thiet City, Nha Trang City,… They usually take travelers to seafood restaurants and you will have a chance to enjoy flavorful seafood. Tasty seafood leads to ugly digestive problems, eating too much seafood cause gas and bloating. Let me say that again, you should not miss sampling Vietnamese seafood dishes in Ho Chi Minh City but it is not recommended to eat too much.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour
Check if your food are well-done
Undercooked food can be contaminated with bacteria or, more commonly, viruses and cause many health problems. I would like to recommend you to found that your food are undercooked before eating. Tour companies usually do not serve foreign travelers raw food such as oyster sashimi, salad with raw fish,… However, you may eventually served undercooked food. Undercooked food is prevented by paying attention to the cooking method. You can cut grilled meat, snail or seafood into 2 pieces to see if the inside is well-done. You should make sure that toppings such as beef slices and shrimp served with Vietnamese noodle soups are well-done. It is not recommended to order Pho noodle soup with rare beef – the favorite of many Vietnamese people and foreigners for your safety.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour
Remove rotten lettuce, herbs, and other vegetables
Fresh vegetables spoil easily because of damage caused by microorganisms because of the hot weather in Ho Chi Minh City. Although many restaurants and street food stalls are good at keeping vegetables fresh, good looking and in good condition, some leaves go bad and can not be eaten. You should notice vegetables that are brown, yellow, or has dark spots and throw them away. You should also check if there is any worm in the plate of vegetables.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour
Wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer
Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. In case you find it difficult to do that at a street food stall or a local restaurant, you can simply use a hand sanitizer. Tour guides on food tours usually prepare hand sanitizers for their guests but I think that you should carry one by yourself.
Do not drink dirty ice cubes
Dirty ice cubes are popular in many developing countries. A good food tour operator should guarantee that the quality of the drinks at local restaurants is good and they are safe to consume. Identifying bad ice involves paying attention to its taste, smell, and appearance. If you find there is something black or brown inside an ice cube, it can be unsafe. Bad ice cubes can have a sour or salty taste, or have a strange smell. You should let your tour guide know right away if you find that they are dirty.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour
Do not drink alcohol beverages too much
On many Ho Chi Minh City food tours, one guest is served one beer. Some would like to drink more beers and tour guides can not deny. Sometimes, they serve their guests Vietnamese wine with high alcohol percentage. My advice is that you should not consume too much alcohol on the food tour. A drunk man can not enjoy any tour at the fullest, you can not sit properly and safe on the back of a motorbike or in a car/taxi.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour
Choose appropriate and waterproof clothes and accessories in the wet season
You should wear comfortable and light clothes, waterproof shoes and use waterproof phone case in the wet season. The truth is, your tour guide will not let you get wet during the rain, you will stay in a restaurant or a safe place to shelter. Or you will be transferred back to your hotel by car. You should not carry any documents such as passport, receipts, insurance documents, contracts,…
Protect your skin from the strong sun on day food tour
If you join a Ho Chi Minh food tour in the day time, you should wear UV-anti top and bottom, coat, sunglasses, hat or cap, comfortable shoes, and apply sunscreen. If you are aware of the strong sun in Ho Chi Minh City, you can book a Saigon night food tour.
10 tips for staying healthy on Ho Chi Minh City food tour
Some popular food tours in Saigon
It needs to know that there is a number of choices for travelers who would like to do a Ho Chi Minh City food tour. Morning, afternoon, and evening food tours are differences because some street food vendors serve breakfasts and only open in the morning, or serve dinner and supper after dark. There are some means of transportation: jeep, motorbike, Vespa, private car, taxi and walking. Some tour agents offer tours with both male and female tour guides or only female riders. Nice Ao Dai riders are favorite choices of many travelers. Some people prefer joining Saigon food tours with professional chefs. So there are different in price.
- Saigon Night Food Tour: classic and popular choice, great street food
- Saigon Sightseeing & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street food
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street food
- The AoDai Foodie: traveling with nice female riders in Ao Dai traditional dress
- Street Food Tour with local students: budget choice, going with talented local student, more simple but impressive menu
- Walking Ho Chi Minh City food tour: the most popular choice for travelers that wouldn’t like to sit on motorbikes
- Ho Chi Minh City food tour by vintage vespa: more expensive and unique experience
- Ho Chi Minh City food tour by jeep: more expensive and unique experience on open-air jeep
- Morning Saigon Street Food Tour: exploring the city and trying amazing food that locals eat for breakfast and lunch
- Saigon Food Tour with Chef: going around and eating with a professional Vietnamese chef
Scooter Saigon Tour is one of the oldest and best food tour company in Ho Chi Minh City. Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about food tours in Ho Chi Minh City and best prices for your group.
