Airline customer satisfaction surveys show that 54% of passengers reported turning down the complimentary bag of pretzels.
Alright, I just made that up.
But if you’re health-conscious, allergy-restricted, or just feel that packets of non-perishable processed food aren’t meeting your stomach’s expectations, bringing your own healthy airplane snacks will considerably improve your flying experience.
What to know about brining your own food on an airplane:
- Consider your fellow travelers and try not to bring anything with a strong odor (e.g., garlic, onions, feta, salami, tuna).
- Remember if you’re bringing anything liquid it should be less than 3 ounces and you might have to pull it out of your bag when you pass through security.
- Try to choose items that won’t crumble or get mushy in your bag.
- Consider items that you can mix with hot water or milk, which you can get from a flight attendant. Possibilities include instant oatmeal, cereal, and couscous.
Here was my in-flight menu on a recent trip (don’t worry, I shared):
- Jackfruit chips
- Nut Butter & Banana Chocolate Cookies (gluten/sugar/egg-free)
- Spiced mixed nuts
- Clementines
- Apples
- Bananas
Other possibilities include:
- Granola (Try Bulumu’s Orange Ginger Cranberry or Oldeman’s Gluten-Free Granola from the Corner Store.)
- Grapes
- Carrot sticks
- Dried fruit (Two words — Nature’z Candyz!)
- Whole-grain bagel with a packet of nut butter
- Dark chocolate (You’ll love Chocolove.)
- Veggie chips (We recommend Terra.)
What foods have you brought onboard for healthy airplane snacks?
Photo (cc) by Flickr user digitizedchaos.
