By Ben Efe, in New Delhi
Diver Kevin Geyson was looking forward to tasting some of the local food in India while competing at the Commonwealth Games.

But, like a lot of athletes, Geyson has limited himself to eating at the food court at the athletes village so he doesn’t get sick with “Delhi Belly.”

“I compete the last day and then we go home,” said the Winnipeg resident. “It would have been nice to be able to try something.”

While athletes have been warned not to eat outside the village, following a few dos and don’ts of eating in India can avoid an unpleasant attack of painful cramps and burning diarrhoea.

Finding good food in this sprawling city isn’t hard.Your taste buds can be tantalized by the mutton served with savory gravy at Karim’s or you can experiment with the papri chaat at Shree Balaji Chaat Bhandar in Old Delhi.

There are upscale restaurants, North American chains like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut, or you can rub elbows with the locals at the many markets and bazaars.

The advice offered by Dr. Trent Stellingwerff, a nutritionist who works with the Canadian team in New Delhi, is to avoid the hole_in_the_wall diners.

“Pay a little extra and chose a place like a four or five_star hotel,” said Stellingwerff. “Even at those five_star restaurants, I would not eat at any salad bars. I wouldn’t eat any fruit that can not be peeled.

“I wouldn’t order any dish that contains fish. We are in a landlocked country. I don’t know how the fish gets here and what its been subjected to.”

The more adventuresome eaters may be drawn to the street stands that sell the small plates of savory snacks locals call chaat.

These include dishes like aloo kulla, which is boiled potato that’s scooped out and filled with chickpeas and garnished with spices and lemon; gobi muttar samosas, crispy pastries stuffed with cooked cauliflower, peas, and spices; and gol gappas, fried shells filled with a watery mixture of potato, chili, and tamarind.

While enticing, Stellingwerff warns it’s eater beware.”If you are a summer student backpacking through India and you’ve been here for three months … maybe you can handle it,” he said.

“For me, it’s not worth sitting curled up on the toilet for three days.”A good rule is to not drink tap water. With the stifling heat, that means drinking lots of bottled water.

But be careful. Anyone who has seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire remembers the scene where the kitchen staff refills plastic bottles with tap water, then seals the cap with glue.

“It happens all around the world,” said Stellingwerff. “There is counterfeit everything, from Rolex watches to water bottles. “You just have to be aware.”

Bottled water bought at upscale hotels is generally safe. If out shopping, try not to buy individual water bottles. Instead, purchase packages of six with the bottles shrink wrapped.

“If you do buy an individual bottle, look very carefully to see if the cap has been glued shut instead of properly sealed,” warned Stellingwerff.

Good hotels have purified tap water. Still, Stellingwerff suggests brushing your teeth with bottled water and keeping your mouth shut in the shower.