Airlines now provide delicious gourmet inflight meals to suit all palates and dietary restrictions, often served early so passengers can start munching long before takeoff!
Air travel food can be challenging for many travelers, especially those with special diet requirements or restrictions. But, inflight dining can be ok if you know how to deal with it.
1. Choose Your Meal in Advance
Are You on an International Long Haul Flight and Need Meals? Meal service will begin shortly; once in flight, meal options may include meat and potatoes or cheese ravioli?
Airlines food has earned itself a poor rep, but some airlines are making efforts to elevate its quality by working with celebrity chefs, offering local specialities and offering special meals on board.
For long-haul flights in premium cabins, pre-ordering your meals online or via an airline app may be a smart move to ensure you receive exactly the meal you want and don’t find yourself disappointed when the crew begins taking orders on board. This ensures your satisfaction!
Nutrition consultant Sangeeta Khanna recommends packing snacks that match up with any dietary restrictions you may have, such as nuts (soaked or roasted), granola bars, and dried fruits, just in case the airline menu doesn’t provide an option that meets them. Just remember to pack these in small containers for easier carry-on storage! Additionally, remember to include plenty of hydrating foods while limiting high salt foods that might be hard on digestion during a longer flight.
2. Make a Plan for Your Snacks
While we might like to believe that airplane food has improved over the years, reality still holds that airlines’ offerings fall far short of ideal. That is why so many travelers opt to bring their own snacks and meals on board; this can especially come in handy if you have special dietary restrictions that cannot be satisfied through airline menu offerings.
On a flight, it’s best to choose snacks that won’t be affected by altitude changes or heating and reheating processes, like foods with a high sodium or preservative content or that require refrigeration before heating again. Instead, opt for nutritious options like granola bars, pieces of fruit or nuts as an inflight snack; or bring along hot water in a thermos for making miso soup!
As is the case with most short flights, airlines typically provide passengers with a selection of snacks; however, it’s always advisable to pack some additional treats with you so you can munch away when the meal service has concluded and keep from becoming hungry during your travels.
On long flights, some airlines have started paying more attention to their in-flight meals by partnering with celebrity and Michelin starred chefs or offering fresh ingredients that reflect local cuisines. Spending extra on airfare could prove worthwhile as its quality will likely improve greatly.
3. Make a Plan for Your Drinks
Even when traveling economy class, airlines typically provide refreshments on board such as water, soft drinks, tea and coffee service; and on longer flights even wine or beer may be provided.
Be mindful that airlines have rules regarding drink etiquette to prevent excessive drinking and ensure passenger safety. Therefore, it’s a good idea to plan out your beverage intake so as to not become one of those disruptive passengers who disrupts everyone else’s experience on board.
Many airlines are doing their best to improve inflight meals on long-haul flights, using celebrity chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Tom Kerridge to revamp their menus! For shorter flights it may be more cost-effective to bring your own food. Simply stock up at restaurants or shops before boarding or bring a thermos with hot beverages (after passing security of course!) If possible.
Nutritionist Sangeeta Khanna suggests carrying a small container of nuts as they’re filling, low in salt and an excellent source of fiber – perfect for travel! Just be mindful that any allergenic or sensitive passengers don’t take offense at your gesture!
4. Make a Plan for Your Dessert
Though you might be eager to indulge in that perfectly crisp Fuji apple, munch on corn nuts or chew your gum, keep in mind that others on board the plane may also be hungry. Chewing and tapping noises may trigger misophonia, a condition resulting in physical and emotional responses from those sensitive to them.
Food safety restrictions force airlines to limit what they can offer their passengers, but premium economy and above classes offer more choices for travelers. Meals typically begin with a refreshing salad before proceeding onto main dishes and satisfying desserts that provide sustenance.
5. Be Aware Of What You Will Be Offered
This is one of the most important things you have to remember about inflight dining. A meal can easily vary a lot from one airline to the next. As a result, it is really important to get as much information as you can before you even buy the ticket. This is especially true in the event that you need some special diet needs that have to be accommodated. Few airlines will actually offer you something like this.
Fortunately, all the information you need to make a very good decision is available online. You can simply use Google search to see what other passengers say about what they received. The website of the airline can also give you information but you can also directly get in touch through customer support lines to ask.
The last thing to mention is that the time of the flight is also going to heavily dictate what the best choice is for you. In many cases, if the flight is short, you do not need much. You can always eat before or after the trip. But, if the flight is long, you do need to eat and you need to be aware of all the snack needs you have to accommodate. If you take enough time and you do research as much as you can about the trip, the possibility of actually having a pleasant dining experience during your trip is so much higher.