Tag Archives: plane food
10 Food Strategies for Plane Trips
We fly a lot – and we’ve learned that even in the chaos of last minute packing, it’s critical to take the time to prep a food carry on.
Of course, a few days before a flight, we always log on to the airline website to choose the best possible “Special Meal” option — assuming that a meal is being served it all. We also always consider it a bonus if we get something edible – and that is usually on international carriers like Emirates or China Air where plant-based dishes are part of the native cuisine. On domestic flights, food is usually a snack, there’s no way to request anything special and, surprisingly, it’s almost never plant-based – except for the occasional carrot and celery sticks with two cherry tomatoes and diary dip that you can buy.
So we’ve learned:
1. Keep a box of those little 1.5 oz size hummus containers from Costco in the fridge (a dozen to a box for a little more than what they sell one for with pretzel crisps at
airport kiosks). You can even buy a big bag of those great pretzel crisps and plastic bag them. I take enough for a round trip and store them in the mini-bar at the hotel.
2. Make big roll-up sandwiches spread with veggie dips and stuffed with other goodies that won’t spoil. (recipes to follow). Cut them in fourths on the diagonal and bag each quarter in a sandwich baggie.
3. Pack a quart size bag of celery sticks, broccoli florettes, cauliflower stems, jicama sticks, skinny asparagus, grape tomatoes, and raw (or par boiled) carrot sticks for dipping in the hummus or just munching.
4. Throw in fruit – apples, pears, grapes (especially grapes), bananas (be careful where you put them, they can really make a mess).
5. Nuts! I always have a bag of almonds in my purse. Also, keep a trail, granola or other snack mix on hand so it’s easy to bag a few handfuls. Also toss in a half dozen good granola bars.
6. Find a small insulated pack and keep it handy for loading up. We have a tall, flat bag with a velcro top that was a give-away at a convention. It takes up a lot less room – packed and empty – then the cube-shaped ones with handles. One of these makes it easier to manage the food in a cramped economy seat and keeps the food from oozing onto your books or Kindle.
7. Carry tea bags. I’ve been drinking green tea for way more than a decade so I got in the habit of always having some tea bags in my purse – since in the early days restaurants didn’t know what it was. A flight attendant will usually be happy to provide hot water – and airlines that serve tea as a standard alternative to coffee make it in advance with not such great quality black tea.
8. If you have access to an airport club, they are generally more in tune with their customers than the airline catering services. We have found the little hummus containers, small peanut butter cups, pitas, fresh fruit, fruit “cocktail,” quality snack mixes, pretzels – and they don’t seem to mind if you pocket a few items for the trip
9. Troll the food kiosks on the gate-side of security for unexpected finds – the offerings are getting better and better (that’s where we first discovered the hummus cups and pretzel crisps). But the prices are also getting higher and higher. So this is a good place for inspiration if not shopping.
10. Bring enough to share. If you are traveling with a friend or business colleague, be sure you have enough for both of you – an offer to share will almost always be gratefully accepted (even by meagens*).
*Our grown son, the only one of us not eating a plant-based diet, has dubbed himself – and others of his ilk – a “meagen.”
Beware: Hummus is a Gel
The only way to insure that we all have enough to eat on planes, is to carry it on. Not starving is a function of how creatively you can run the security gauntlet with your food intact.
We discovered that security (at least the one in Mobile, AL) sees hummus (and baba ganouj) as potentially dangerous gels – even in the sealed 4 ounce size. On the way to Mobile, Delta served ham and cheese on thickly buttered bread – so we were determined not to starve on the way home.
Spotting a health food store on the way to the airport, we stopped for a late lunch and loaded up for the trip home. It had taken two days to get there (“weather” delays) and we feared the worst on the trip north. We can fly to Beijing, Cairo or Dubai with no delays but we can’t get to a wedding in Alabama without serious problems on both legs. So it was with more than some dismay that we saw our unopened containers of hummus, baba ganouj and guac perched forlornly on the top of the X-ray machine. (And we did end up delayed in Atlanta on the way home – with nary a plant-based snack in sight.)
Solution: Spread the spreads on wraps and roll ’em up – or stuff pita pockets. Security doesn’t seem to confiscate sandwiches. And tuck some prepared veggies in your carry on – security doesn’t bother with those either.
Thanksgiving Road Trip
This year we are heading to my sister's farm in Middleburg, VA – about 5 hours from Rye, NY (on Thanksgiving morning make that 6 hours). That means a road-tip. Dust off the van (new tires!), load it with food for the trip and food and wine for the visit, and add my almost 90-year-old mother, and our 30-something son and daughter.
Now for the road trip food. Since we are leaving at 6:30 am, driving through Manhattan to pick up one passenger, and then hitting the GW bridge, we will need breakfast, snacks and beverages. This is a snacking group – so lots of snacks.
Breakfast:
Whole Wheat and Everything bagels fresh from the bakery (picked up on the way). Spread with our own version of veggie cream cheese (Tofutti Cream cheese with chopped fresh herbs, tiny dices of scallions, celery, carrot, cucumber) or with whipped sweet potatoes.
Mini-Crustless Tofu Quiches courtesy of Fat Free Vegan.
Arnold's Whole-Wheat Sandwich Rounds (low-calorie, high-fiber) with almond butter and lo-sugar, fruit only strawberry spread.
Vegan Muffins
Snacks:
Hummus with pretzel crisps and toasted pita wedges.
Nuts! almonds, pecans, walnuts
Trail Mix
Fresh Popcorn – sprinkled with a crunchy salt substitute and/or Old Bay Seasoning
Beverages:
Thermoses of hot coffee and green tea, and a cooler with Water – plain & flavored – and Iced tea