Islamabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
The poor air quality may be a concern for anyone with environmental allergies. Islamabad is a fairly green city as well, so if you have pollen sensitivities you might have some issues. There are some limited gluten free products available and you can fairly readily find non-dairy milk, though it'll likely be expensive. Nuts are common in Pakistani cuisine. The local cuisine is meat heavy, so vegetarians and vegans may find it challenging. - Sep 2026
Food poisoning can be a serious issue. If you stay in the country for some time it is almost impossible to avoid gastroenteritis or similar complications. - Oct 2023
Aside from the bad pollution, particularly in the winter, nothing environmental. As mentioned, you can get all kinds of food products in the markets: gluten-free and keto products were all the rage when I was there. - Jun 2022
Unless you spend your whole life eating Indo-Pak food, you WILL get food poisoning/diarrhea in your first months in Pakistan - it's a fact of life. But your body will likely adapt. Almost all food is spicy, so if you want something mild, it's safer to eat at home or go to a western restaurant. Other than that, there are not many issues. - Sep 2015