Packing Flight Friendly Foods
We all know you are what you eat, and that’s something that should definitely be taken consideration when you’re on holiday too, especially when traveling. To help, we reveal the best and worst foods to eat on a plane.
Plane food isn’t the best meal we’ll ever eat, we know that, as cabin pressure makes the air dry so there are fewer molecules to transfer smell, and we know, smell is the main component of taste.
But there are also certain foods that can make you feel worse when flying, and some that will help you feel better on the flight and once you land as well.
Nutritionist Jo Travers explains this:
“People often don’t realize how much of an impact what they eat can have on their mood – which can be particularly important if you’re about to take a long flight.”
With that said, here’s a list of foods you should eat and those you should avoid when traveling.
Don't just pack luggage, pack a snack! Tips for packable airplane foods.
- No liquids (like juice) and items like pudding, gel packs, and yogurt
- Avoid overly smelly or noisy to eat food (fish like tuna can have a really strong smell that can affect other fliers and nuts can be extremely crunchy and distracting)
- Pack food that’s good at room temperature
- Bonus points if your foods are hydrating, like watermelon, tomatoes and cucumber
Not only are sandwiches extremely easy to pack but they're very filling too. Choose a thick bread like ciabatta, focaccia or a baguette, and prevent soggy bread by keeping juicy fillings like tomatoes and cucumbers separate till you're ready to eat it. The key to choosing fillings is picking those that keep well for a handful of hours without refrigeration: cheese, cured meats, hummus, grilled vegetables and greens.
Grains like rice, farro, and barley maintain their bite hours after they've been tossed in vinaigrette, making them perfect for travel. Lentils are an equally great choice and have the added benefit of containing a high level of both protein and fiber to keep you full and satisfied for the duration of the flight.
Make these with an array of delicious fruits like raspberries, banana or blueberries, whichever takes your fancy, they're extremely filling and easy to pack as well.
Who doesn't love a little picnic?! Pick any fruits, cheeses and vegetables you have in the fridge at the time of traveling and put them into a container, add crackers and cured meats to make these boxes into more of a meal.
It's too bland to taste of anything at altitude and it also loses its 'bite', turning it into mush - sounds delicious right?!
Coldness numbs flavor and enhances bitterness.
The compounds in red wine that make it feel dry are accentuated, so it's only going taste really bitter in the air.
It's bitter anyway, so this is only enhanced at altitude. If you really can't do without a cup of coffee, try adding a few grains of salt in your coffee, it'll bring out the flavor without overpowering the taste.
What might be a quick and easy snack to grab at the airport, fried foods are not your digestive system's friend. At a high altitude, our body's ability to process high-fat and high-sodium foods becomes even worse, leading to bloating and discomfort. Not what you want on a long haul flight.
Author Spotlight
Taryn Davies is Editor of TheFuss.co.uk, she loves fashion, fitness and food and loves to take inspiration for them all from traveling and embracing different cultures. She lives in Liverpool in the UK.