Airplane food

[daisy]

I'm flying long haul (9 hours) in a few weeks and i'm trying to work out handy snacks i can take on board with me so that i can eat them instead of the food provided, really don't fancy that and i'm sure its not good quality low carbohydrate :lol:

I don't want to take any protein bars/ready shakes as i'm sensitive to polyols and i don't want an upset/bloated stomach on the flight!! So far i've come up with seed mixture/nuts and i'm going to try a batch of choc/coconut cookies that look interesting so i could take them, i won't be allowed to take any liquids as i'm flying into the US from the UK....

Happy for any advice/suggestions :)

daisy xx

[cmcole]

Cheese, pepperoni, canned fish or meat (tuna, salmon, sardines, etc.)

Jerky, although you may require water with that one.

Protein powder in a container, if they'll give you water to mix it in - in a pinch.

Nuts, seeds

HB eggs, perhaps
Flax muffins, or the aforementioned cookies

[deirdra]

Double-check with UK security people about what you can bring. Books & toys weren't allowed a week or so ago, so food may be verbotten too.

With cheese, make sure it is in its original wrapper, otherwise it may look like plastic explosives & be confiscated. On a recent trip from the US back to Canada, I learned you can bring hard cheese in but not soft (this is a dairy import regulation, not related to security). They let me keep my havarti to consume on the 4 hr second leg of the trip within Canada, but next time I will choose a hard cheese that doesn't soften up as much at room temperature, in case they ask to see it. The guy in Toronto didn't seem to be familiar with havarti and old me about the regulation before asking me if havarti was hard or soft.

On the customs form, be sure to indicate that you have food with you if you do; when they ask about it, describe the amounts & that you will be consuming it on the plane or in the airport and they are fine with it. They are not fine with people who check NO on the question about having food, plant material (nuts, veggies) or dairy with them; I've seen others charged with smuggling. You may not encounter this problem if you've eaten everything before passing through customs, but in major Canadian airports, we go through US customs before we leave.

[daisy]

Thanks for the suggestions, i checked out the airline website and i can't take anything in plastic containers so that probably counts out any fresh food which would mean sticking with packaged, the only other thing i thought of was maybe pork scratchings :confused:

[cmcole]

Well, if you like them, that's great. Watch for the "flavoured" ones - often they add sugar or something to them. I haven't had them in a while . . . I wonder if I should go get some, soon.

Could you take a block of cream cheese to spread on them, or one of the cans of tuna or something I previously suggested?

[LisaS]

how about a salami - oh wait, no knives.
what about a cut up salami - then wrapped in plastic wrap or in a baggie.

Does "no plastic container" mean "no baggies" or plastic wrap?

You could take sliced or diced chicken in a baggie - or even chicken legs - it would hold fine in your purse for a few hours - just eat earlier rather than later. Nuts in a baggie?

I think it is worth a call to a person to ask what exactly is going to be allowed in terms of food.

then again - 9 hours isn't a long time to fast - we do it even longer every night.

[Mitra]

There's a recipe for "Journeyman Cakes" in the recipe section - I think it's under Breakfast and Foods to Go. They're made from nuts, cheese and herbs, and don't need refridgerating. You can just wrap them in cling film or greaseproof paper, or put them in a bag. Waitrose has started selling small packets of spiced dried meat (Biltong - it's a South African recipe, but the brand I've seen is made in Yorkshire). I can check the brand name if you want it - the ingredients are just beef, salt and spices. It's very low fat, practically all protein, so you'd probably need some nuts or cheese, too.

[Belfrybat]

I suggest checking with the airlines before ruling out eating a meal aboard. The last time I travelled overseas, I called and explained my need for low carb diet due to insulin sensitivity. We settled on a shrimp salad made with oil and vinegar dressing (I was concerned "mayonnaise" would be the sugary "salad dressing" and a small fruit salad. The salad actually turned out to be plain boiled shrimp on a bed of lettuce with a package of Italian dressing on the side. The fruit salad was just cut up fruit on a bed of lettuce, and I couldn't detect any dressing on it. It was all served with a hard roll (duh!) and butter. Delicious!

It pays to check and be explicit with your needs.

[paleogirl]

Daisy, when I fly US-UK / UK-US I usual take an unopened bag of organic baby spinach, a few cans of tuna in olive oil and a little pack of baby tomatoes. I take a few of those stacking disposable containers with me (ziploc bags would work too though) and I ask the flight attendant for a bowl and a fork (a FORK I said! :lol:) and then when hunger strikes, stick a fistful of spinach (works out to ~ 1 cup/1 oz in my little fists) in your dish/ziploc bag, then open a can of tuna and pour the olive oil over your spinach, then add the tuna. Then a few baby toms and you're all set. It is delicious and really filling! Ok so your neighbours might not appreciate the smell of fish, but at least you will eat properly. And you might even educate them!! At the other end, if you have any tuna still sealed in cans they should be ok about you bringing it through customs, and probably just sling what's left of the spinach (if any) and cram the toms in your mouth (carb allowance permitting!). :)

Also as you've already said, nuts and seeds are great stand-by's. On my last US-UK flight I actually took a flask of homemade chicken soup, but alas those days are behind us (for now). I must say, when it was time to eat and I turned down the plastic food and just asked for a bowl and spoon, then filled my bowl with delicious hot soup, I did get some envious glances (from passengers and flight crew!). :D It stayed hot for AGES too... I even had some for breakfast at Gatwick when I landed!

Another good snack would be a crust-less quiche, but if they're being funny about you taking anything that's not factory packed with you, then that's not gonna work either. :rolleyes:

Oh, and of course, you need to get the tuna cans with the peel off lids. :)

[daisy]

Thank you very much for all those wonderful suggestions :D Usually i just take the airplane food ( i use the term food loosely) and end up suffering for it later cos it makes me lethargic and bloated... i've written down what appeals to me and i'm going to call the airline (united airlines) and ask them directly what i can and can't do regarding this, i know that british security was already tough and now you have to get searched again by american security before getting on the plane:peeved:

i'll let you know what they say as it may apply to other travels in the near future

daisy xxx

[paleogirl]

Thanks Daisy - I would be interested in what the current rules are. :)

[Billie]

I flew domestic Wed and Fri and really except for the gels and not taking drinks on board I had no differences or certainly difficulty. My differences instead of carrying on my suitcase I checked it.

UK flying might be something different, I am betting, especially in and out of Hethrow.

[Mitra]

My mother and my neice flew out of Heathrow to New York today. But they weren't planning on taking their own food, so I don't know how the small print works on the current regs. We're looking into maybe going to France on the train next year.

[daisy]

I've called the airline (united airlines) and ordered a diabetic meal for both ways, they have also confirmed that i can take snacks on the plane with me, such as nuts/seeds, has to be dried prepacked stuff which is fine.... i cannot take any liquids at all but i think i'll manage fine with that, they were very helpful :D

[paleogirl]

Daisy, do you know what their version of a diabetic meal is? Low fat or low carb? I know a lot of old-school docs are still preaching the high complex carb, low-fat mantra for diabetes. :( I'm wondering at what point the airlines modernise their special diet meals?...

[LisaS]

if I had to guess about "diebetic meals" I bet they meet some organization's guideline (ADA or UK equiv) - including 30 or 40g CHO/meal - so that frank diebetics that are insulin dependent can depend on the carbs provided in the meal and schedule their meds accordingly. But it would be interesting to know.

[daisy]

These are my choices from the airline for my food:

http://www.unitedairlines.co.uk/qenglish/travel_support/inflight/meals/medical.html

:confused:

[LisaS]

well, at least you'll get the nutrient breakdown so you can decide what portions to eat and what to pass on.