By the time you read this, I'll be somewhere between Cincinnati and Istanbul, reuniting with a dear friend and starting an adventure two years in the making. I love to travel. What I don't love is airplane food. If you're "lucky" enough to be served a meal, it's usually not very healthy or tasty.* I always travel on a pretty tight budget, so shelling out $10 for a watery salad or fast food in the airport isn't something I like to do. The "snacks" that airlines sell now are not any better: potato chips, candy, and other junk food is the norm. Yuck. Flying already leaves me feeling dehydrated and tired, without adding excess sugar and salt to my body. How do I avoid paying high prices and eat right until I land--and beyond? I pack snacks. Last year, I went to Guatemala as the guest of a local nonprofit. The breakfasts and dinners at our hotels offered delicious Guatemalan cuisine with plenty of vegetarian options, but lunch was often a boxed lunch on the bus as we traveled between schools. As a vegetarian who's allergic to peanuts, my options were limited in rural Guatemala. I planned ahead: I bought a loaf a whole-wheat bread, a jar of all-fruit preserves, and a jar of almond butter. I packed a bag of whole-grain pretzels, a box of granola bars, and a jar of almonds. During long bus rides, unexpected layovers, and less-than-healthy lunches, those snacks were a lifesaver. When I didn't really have the option of heading to the local grocery store there (though I did buy some avocados at a farmers market one day and received some local fruit from some students another day), it was nice to know that I had healthy snacks to tide me over until my next meal. (I loaded up on fruits and veggies at mealtime, not to worry!) On this trip, I'll be staying with a friend and thus will have access to a kitchen, grocery store, and the glorious markets of Istanbul. But to get there, I have a long trip. I've packed 100-calorie packs of nuts, a box of granola bars, and a canister of sports drink mix. (We'll be heading to the beach and the desert, and I dehydrate easily in the heat!). Every little bit counts, whether it's nutrition or money. Some of my favorite travel snacks: For the plane:
Throughout the trip:
I keep a couple of servings in my purse, a couple more in my carry-on, then store the rest in my luggage. This is also the only time I buy prepackaged foods (100-calorie packs of nuts rather than a bulk amount), but it is easier when you're in the go. *Side note: I've found that foreign airlines serve better food, more often. Air India (flight from Paris to New York) served an excellent vegetarian curry; Asiana and All Nippon Airways from Japan to Korea served finger sandwiches and curry on a 3-hour flight… KLM, Turkish Airways, Lufthansa are all generous with food and drink, from my experience. By spending a little bit of money upfront (I spent maybe $10), I am able to ensure I have a healthy snack no matter what travel situation I encounter. Do you pack your own snacks on airplanes an when you travel? What are your favorites?  You will earn 5 SparkPoints
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It's hard for me to resist pastries in the mornings and frisbee-sized chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon, so I packed Weight Watcher chocolate muffins and various 100 calorie packs. I ate a muffin in the morning in my hotel room so when I got to the class, I was able to pass on everything but the fresh fruit and ice water. During breaks, I either snacked on Cheez-Its (if I wanted something salty) or 100 calories of cookies or Hostess cupcakes (if I wanted something sweet).
In the evening after dinner, I hit the hotel gym for an hour on a treadmill. It was the first time I ever lost weight during a week that included a business trip. It was a huge victory for me! Report
Have a great time! Report
An empty water bottle - fill it from the drinking fountain during layovers to avoid buying soft drinks. On long flights ask a stewardess if they can fill it. Report
So now I make sure I have lots of snacks so the situation doesnt happen again!! Report
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Thank you for the great ideas. They can certainly be adapted for use by anyone. A few years ago I traveled for a week in Southern California after weightloss surgery. Before leaving I special ordered a a box of Ostrim ostrich snacks. They come in several flavors. They are a very low fat version of the Slim Jim. They require no refrigeration, have one gram of fat and contain protein. They slip into pockets, purses, backpacks or other places so that one is never without a high protein low fat snack! Report
the authorities and they were discarded. so now, if i can't get there by car - well - que sera sera ! BB Report
I'm doing a long haul flight (Florida to Australia) in August and I appreciate all the great snack ideas! Report
But if you go for airline food, it's really worth saying you're vegetarian - the food is invariably better. Best airline food - Malaysian Airlines.
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Travelling or not they are good to keep you on track. Report
I pack protein bars, apples, carrot and celery sticks and low fat cheese and crackers. I do this on national flights as well as international flights but I make sure not to take fruit on international trips unless I know I will eat it before I land. Report
We take our own coffee and tea making with us as most european hotels don't do it, that does save us a lot of money. We were able to purchase small containers of UDH milk and sachets of coffee as well as the Spenda tabs I packed from home. It was cool enough for the yogurt and milk to stay out on the window ledge over night. That allowed us to have Muslie and yogurt for breakfast where Hotels wanted 12 Euros for breakfast.
Our long distance flights of 24 hrs on Singapore airlines were very good as far as food and drinks go they always look after their customers.
In Eurpoe we were catching trains everywhere so we had bananas and apples as well as biscuits for the man and a bottle of water, with us.
You can take your bottle of water from Australia, but at Sinapore you cannot take that through security, even though you have been in the airport all the time. We take an empty bottle with us and fill it up in the Gate waiting area from a water fountain.
In some places we had an apartment for a few days, there we shopped and cooked our own meals. When that was not available we ate at resturants.
Most days we had a bread roll/ bagette with ham and salad . We noticed it was called an Americano; as well as fruit for lunch Report
Someone asked if fruit was allowed - it's fine if you are flying domestically, and it is if you are flying internationally too, as long as you eat it / throw it away and don't try and take it through customs at the other end.
I also make provisions for the fact that if you order a special meal, they may well forget or give you the wrong one. This has happened to me more than once, and once when I pointed out their mistake they took it away and wouldn't even let me pick out the things I could eat, so I would have been left with basically nothing for 10 hours had I not packed oatmeal. Report
also, i always bring at least one water bottle - just make sure it's empty as you go through security, then fill up after before you get on the plane. when i go to countries where i can't drink the water, it's reassuring to know i'll be exiting the plane with some good old fashioned american water. Report
Also, you can pack fruit for international trips so long as you consume or toss it on the plane before landing. So if you're taking a long flight and want some fruit, you absolutely can bring it. Air-popped popcorn also makes a nice treat and doesn't weigh much, as do rice cakes (I know, some people don't like this, but i think they're good with peanut butter or hummus).
In the airports, if you don't pack snacks in advance, Starbucks is a great place to go. They usually have fruit cups or veggie boxes you can pick up. I also go into the bookstores and buy a bag of pretzels. I actually find that United has pretty good snack options domestically. Might not be worth the money you pay for them, but they do have some pretty healthy wraps and salads that I have found to be better than most airplane food. Of course, in the end, packing your own is still the best way to go! Report