Meals at 36,000 Feet: Worth It or Not?

I have been asking myself this question for a while, is it worth eating the meals supplied on long haul flights?

From a monetary point of view the answer is yes, they are part of the fare you’ve paid on a full service airline, so it makes sense to eat them since they are not costing you extra. They will save you money by not buying food in airports where eating is usually more expensive than food outlets elsewhere.

What about the quality and nutritional value of these meals? Many of the better airlines these days have well-known chefs curating the menus, not just for First and Business Class passengers but also for those in Premium Economy and Economy Class. So there’s no question the meals haven’t been prepared with thought. Quantity too, since there always seems to be spare meals, perhaps not always the one of your preference, as there are times when one particular meal (this is usually the case in Economy Class) has run out.

The type of meals offered on long haul flights follows the same criteria, they are linked to the cuisine of the countries where the flight originates and terminates. Of course many other meals are prepared separately for those that have dietary concerns or have selected their meals prior to the date of departure.

So from a nutritional and dietary point of view again I would say yes. The onboard meals are worth it in that sense was well.

What about bringing your own food, is that a good idea? I wouldn’t say this is bad. However one needs to make sure not to bring foods that may be hard to consume while restricted at your seat. Again, I’m referring to Economy Class where this type of thing would happen more often. You would need to bring your own plates; made of plastic of course. Knives and forks even made of plastic may attract the attention of security after check-in. It would be best to ask the flight attendants they may be able to supply you an extra set of stainless steel utensils from a spare meal. Perhaps ask but don’t assume there will be any available.

What I suggest, and I think this is a brilliant idea, is to bring with you foods of high nutritional value that are easily digested. One of the biggest problems for travellers in the pressurised cabin of planes is getting bloated, perhaps from food eaten previously at the departure point or even from home.

So what kind of foods are we talking about here? I’ve been thinking about what athletes and in particular cyclists consume during big events like the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, races that run over a 21-day period; the energy snacks and gels. Cyclists can’t eat large meals or heavy foods when cycling. They’ll have a large dinner after a day’s racing and an energy laden breakfast the next day. During racing normal foods would take too long to digest and get into their system. The same, I believe, would apply to passengers sitting in one position for six hours or more. Cyclists are in the saddle 4-5 hours, so it’s not too dissimilar.

The answer is to eat light nutritional, healthy meals when flying long haul, especially on overnight flights where rest is more important than eating everything that is served to you. Drinking plenty of fluids, nothing alcoholic or containing caffeine, to keep you hydrated in the dry atmosphere of the plane cabin. If you want a cup of tea or coffee have that at breakfast time. Same with the food served at breakfast, that’s the only real meal to have as you’ll be consuming this about two hours before landing. You’ll feel better at destination, rested and full of energy.

This was just a thought and would be interesting to know if anyone has tried energy bars (snacks) and gels instead of airplane food and how they felt during and after a long-haul flight.

Cheers