You wake in a comfy hotel bed. You’re relaxed. You’re rested. And you’re ready to head to the continental breakfast buffet. Who could blame you? Having a smorgasbord of morning nibbles makes traveling even better. But be careful about what you put on your plate, especially when it comes to grabbing some leafy greens.
Feasting at a continental breakfast buffet isn’t like eating at home. You have zero control over how leafy greens (or any foods) have been handled or stored. Therefore, even if a veggie is ordinarily nutrient-dense, it may harbor some pretty nasty types of bacteria. Indeed, leafy greens are the star ingredients in some restaurant dishes that are most likely to make you sick. A 2024 study in the Journal of Food Protection traced around 9.2% of pathogen-based food poisoning incidents to leafy greens.
“Fresh vegetables that are normally picked from the ground, like a lettuce or a cabbage … can pick up dirt quite a bit,” according to food scientist Dr. Bryan Quoc Le (via HuffPost). He cautioned that if any food becomes infected with bacteria from that dirt, “you only need a couple cells to really cause havoc.”
The risks that come with eating contaminated leafy greens
Norovirus is a nasty bug that can cause gastrointestinal distress. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of the 2,500 norovirus outbreaks that happen annually occur at restaurant facilities — and leafy greens (particularly lettuce) are frequently involved.
Sometimes, the greens come to the eatery already contaminated on the farm or in the manufacturing facility. Other times, workers already infected with norovirus pass it onto the food when they touch it. Either way, if the leafy greens you consume contain norovirus, it may spell trouble for your gut and bowels.
Another toxin known to lurk in leafy greens is E. coli O157:H7. Plenty of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been traced back to infected romaine lettuce. In fact, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued E. coli O157:H7-related prevention rules, tips, and resources to reduce preventable widespread food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 can cause symptoms such as cramping, nausea, and loose stools. Additionally, children and older adults infected with E. coli O157:H7 have a greater risk of experiencing kidney failure.
Avoid foodborne illnesses for a more pleasant vacation
Despite the FDA’s action plan, E. coli alerts continue to pop up. For example, the diced onions used by select McDonald’s restaurants in November 2024 were found to have E. coli (via CDC). More than 90 people fell ill; unfortunately, one person died. (Here’s what to know about the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak.) Another E. coli outbreak affected 40 consumers in 2020, stemming from contaminated romaine lettuce. An FDA investigation discovered that the E. coli strain likely came from livestock feces that was deposited uphill from where the leafy green crop was growing.
Leafy greens can also transmit Campylobacter, a type of bacteria commonly associated with raw or undercooked poultry or dirty water. (This is why salads are one of the restaurant meals most likely to give you a foodborne illness.) The bacteria may be transferred during the preparation of food on shared surfaces such as cutting boards and serving equipment. Campylobacter can disrupt your stomach and gastrointestinal processes, leading to vomiting and diarrhea.
This doesn’t mean you can’t load up on breakfast food during your next hotel stay. Just play it safe, pass by the leafy greens, and stick with food that is less likely to be contaminated, like prepackaged baked products, individual containers of yogurt, or whole fruit.
