Even though she loves cooking, new Duchess Meghan Markle has reportedly been banned from eating certain foods in public. While it sounds a little rough, once you know why the ban took place, you might feel similarly.
As reported earlier, garlic is one of the forbidden foods. The reason being, garlic (as well as onions) can often leave behind a lingering odor. It’s nice to think that Markle always travels with a toothbrush and toothpaste by her side, but let’s be realistic — there’s a chance she pops a mint like the rest of us.
But unlike the rest of us (probably), Markle is likely meeting influential leaders and heads of popular organizations on a weekly basis. So, a guarantee of fresh breath is something of higher concern.
The banning of garlic comes from the Queen. But, some good news — if Markle isn’t scheduled to be out and about, she’s still allowed to sprinkle some garlic on her favorite foods. That’s especially good, since Markle has admitted plenty of times that moderation is the key to her diet. So avoiding garlic all-together — especially since it’s often present in pasta and pizza — just wouldn’t work for her. “I think that if you deprive yourself of something, you’re just going to crave it more,” she said to Shape.
Here are some other foods Markle can’t touch while she travels.
Roasted Garlic Hummus
Let’s be real here. Roasted garlic is the best hummus flavor around.
Unfortunately, even though it’s made of healthy chickpeas, it often leaves a lingering odor well after lunch.
Garlic Bread
It’s not fair, but Markle should probably avoid the garlic bread while she’s out. It may also make her hands a little greasy.
For us commoners, that’s all part of the experience — but for her, it’s more of an inconvenience.
Crab
You guys probably don’t know this, but my family hosts a family gathering every year focusing around beer and crabs. It’s kind of an event I look forward to all year.
But, even though New Jersey isn’t as exotic of a place to travel for Meghan Markle, it’d still be travel.
Shellfish are a healthy way to get protein. But according to the BBC, avoiding shellfish while out is a good way to help prevent gastrointestinal issues, which is Markle’s top priority here.
Lobster
Yep, that includes lobster as well.
We may view it as a fancy dish, but Markle might view it as a very easy way to get food poisoning.
Ghost Pepper Wings
Spicy food is also a no-go for Meghan Markle. And that makes a lot of sense. Even though it’s delicious, nobody ever feels wonderful after downing a lot of it.
So, Markle probably wouldn’t dig ghost pepper wings while out on the town, even if they were from a trusted fast food chain.
Prawns
They’re similar to shrimp but slightly different. But since they fall under the shellfish category, that means Markle needs to back away.
It’s a shame since they’re a wonderful addition to plenty of other meals.
Ever try prawns and linguini? It’s to die for.
Curry
Curry fans are usually people who like a nice amount of spice in their dish.
But for Markle, it’s probably not a good choice when traveling internationally, sorry to say.
A lot of the strong spices that make curry so good, like round turmeric, chiles, cumin, and coriander, aren’t the best for a weak stomach.
Tom Yum
Tom Yum is a popular Thai soup that’s known for being hot and sour — which means that it’s not safe.
And to add insult to injury, it also usually contains shrimp or prawns, so Markle would be striking out twice.
But for the rest of us, it can make us feel better about not being part of the royal family.
We can eat Tom Yum whenever we please.
Garlic Lemon Shrimp
This dish has too many delicious flavors, but it’d be too much for Markle or other members of the royal family.
She’ll have to enjoy her garlic shrimp at home, where it’s a little safer.
Vindaloo
Vindaloo is a special kind of curry dish. One of the things that sets it aside is the fact that it’s one of the hottest out there.
Common vindaloo dishes contain ingredients like chili peppers and ginger, meaning that this wouldn’t be a good food choice for the Duchess.
Burritos
Who doesn’t love a good burrito? The best think about burritos is that they’re all a little different.
Even though Markle could go mild with hers, she’ll still want to stay away from any sort of hot sauce add-ons while traveling.
Beans don’t seem to be on the Queen’s no-no list, but they’re not the worst thing to avoid if you’re trying to avoid stomach concerns.
Gumbo
There’s something so comforting about gumbo, especially a seafood gumbo.
The popular Creole dish is most popular in Louisiana. Hopefully Markle had her fair share of it before gaining the royal title.
Tap Water
Just the other day, it was revealed that tap water — not turbulence — is one of the scariest things you can encounter on a plane. Since it’s rarely regulated, it’s the perfect place to breed unwanted bacteria and E. coli.
So while out, Markle would be safer drinking the bottled stuff.
These are pretty good rules to follow whenever you’re visiting someplace new. Even so, again, we’re all human — and if Meghan Markle happened to have a rumbly stomach since she couldn’t say no to delicious chili at lunch, she’d probably be forgiven.
When out and about, make sure you always mention food allergies and no-gos to your waiter.
Don’t be shy, and don’t assume that all ingredients are listed on the menu. Even though we’re not Meghan Markle, it’s good practice for all of us to avoid sickness whenever possible.
