Food for plane ride?

[Chris415]

Hi everybody!

I'm sure I'll get lots of great answers for this question. I, myself, am at a total loss!

I am flying to Florida on Saturday and the airline I'm traveling on does not serve meals, just small snacks. I'm leaving at 11:30 a.m. and usually don't eat much in the morning before I fly (nerves, you know). But I arrive at 4:30 in FL, so I've been trying to think of things to bring along to snack on that won't go bad. I have a bottle of water and some juice, a Luna bar, and an apple. I'd like to bring a sandwich or something, but am concerned about it sitting in my bag all day, and I would like to avoid the pizza place that is in the terminal. :rolleyes:

Any ideas would be welcome! TIA!
Chris

[KValley]

Chris,

I always bring my own food on flights- the airline food (unless it's Singapore Airlines or AirFrance ;) ) is so unsatisfying and dreadfully loaded with fat/calories.

I like to bring crunchy finger food for the aesthetic value- alleviates boredom! So, I pack apples and baby carrots, Kashi cereal with craisins, pretzels. There is a place in the Seattle airport that makes great sandwiches- whole wheat bread, turkey, fresh veggies- so I usually make a stop there. If it's an early morning flight and the deli isn't open, I pack a peanut butter sandwich. I also like to have something sweet, so I take a baggie with a handful of chocolate chips and craisins.

Ziploc bags or even a small tupperware container do the trick for me regarding freshness/odor.

Have fun in Florida!!

Cheers,

Julie

[KelLeg]

Chris, I'm also flying tomorrow on an airline without meals! I'm going to bring a PB/apple butter sandwich, a banana and probably some multi-grain Chex or Toasted Oatmeal Squares. I often bring grapes too. Oranges would work. Also, any kind of chips. I love Skinnys. But, pretzels, etc. are good. I like Julie's "trail mix" ideas and often do raisins and peanuts for myself, but you can usually get these on the plane too. Maybe I'll see you in FL! That is where I'm going too.

[Jessica]

Dried fruit, luna bars and peanut butter sandwiches all work. I like to have something with protein so I am not tired when I get there. Also, I pack water because it can be hard to get refills on the plane.

[AD]

I haven't been on an airplane in about 6 or 7 years, but I do remember taking my own food at times. When I was much younger (about ages 6-9), I loved airplane food more than any restaurant or fast-food.

You can get chicken breast in easy-open 3-oz. cans. I've had the Swanson brand, and it is really good. It wasn't really salty either, and it did not taste overly-processed. I love having it on hand for emergencies and to take to school for lunch. Otherwise, you can get canned tuna or the new vacuum packages they are making now.

Of course, I see many great suggestions have already been given about snacks, cereals and peanut butter. Most airlines I believe still serve Evian water, so you might want to bring your own. Neither I nor anyone else in my family can stand that stuff!

[Ralph]

We've brought cold cut sandwiches and panini-type sandwiches we've previously made, then refrigerated. The trick is how to keep them cold. We use the disposable cold packs that come in certain mail-order things we've previously gotten (like chocolates); I suspect you can buy them, too. They just get thrown in the freezer after we've opened the package, & when we need one or two (say on a cross-country flight), we just put them and the sandwiches in a durable lunch bag. Once we reach our destination, we just throw them away.

[Chris415]

I knew I just needed a jump-start to get the ideas flowing! You guys are great and thanks for sending me all your suggestions! Now--gotta rush to the store! ;)

KelLeg, where are you going in FL? I'll be near Tampa.

[ewatkins]

I always take a yogurt, or the Expresse by Yoplait in a tube. I use an insulated bag but don't bother with an ice pack --as long as you don't wait too long to eat it, it should be fine. You could also toss a few cubes in a baggie.
And by the way, hardly any airlines serve meals now after 9/11 unless the flight is over 3 hours, so most folks do bring something on--just try not to make it too smelly for the other passengers!

[cookinator]

For a cold pack you can freeze a juice box. Then just toss it! I like a peanut butter and banana sandwich which keeps well. My kids like a dollop of honey on it but I go without the extra calories.

[Little Bit]

Here's what I used to do, when I needed to be at the airport EARLY, and always seemed to wind up racing to one of the more obscure Atlanta terminals when I changed planes: the night before I left, I'd get a Chik-Fil-A sandwich (bread, butter, dill pickles, fried chicken) and freeze it, right in its' little foil packet.
The next day, I'd put it in my carry on with a bottle of cold water and a few other snacks. By the time my flight landed in Atlanta and I'd raced to the other terminal for my outbound flight(with no decent food nearby, hurry up and wait), my sandwich would be thawed well enough to eat but still cold enough to be safe.
I tried freezing a bottle of water a few times, but it wouldn't really thaw properly in my bag. HTH!
Not exactly low fat, but in my mind, better than some of the junk at the airport. Maybe you could assemble your own sandwiches?

[Gail]

I'd probably just take a yummy sandwich of some sort, fridge it real well and enjoy it with an airplane bottle of Fine Domestic Wine...:p

...but I've GOTTA tell a little story. Years ago, we flew into New Orleans and made the bad mistake of eating the airline breakfast. Noting we'd have food service again on the return, we opted to stop into the Central Grocers and pick up a couple of muffalettas before zipping off to the airport.

Mealtime on the plane arrived and our lovely garlic-laced sandwiches had been steeped in their juices for a couple of hours by then. We both ordered wine and nothing else, but the aroma of the sandwiches was so wonderful people were actually looking around, wondering why THEIR food didn't smell as good.

At length, one of the flight attendants happened by, grinned at us knowingly and remarked, "I gather you've tried our food..."

[julia]

I'd be careful with cans - there may be some issues with sharp things being allowed on planes, and a can lid may be considered dangerous now.

Julia

[KelLeg]

Chris, I will be in Vero Beach (on the Atlantic, north of West Palm). Have a great trip. I think the weather is s'posed to be good.

[Chris415]

Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions! There were so many things I never thought of! And Gail, your story made me smile! :D

Have fun, KelLeg. Yes, I hear the weather is going to be great!