There are lots of exciting things to look forward to when jetting off to new horizons, but in-flight meals don’t often make the list. Let alone having coffee up there. To keep yourself fuelled whilst in the sky, you’ll want to bring your own selection of carefully selected snacks and perhaps a small meal, depending on the flight duration. If you’re traveling with kids, the more the merrier – snacks act as a distraction and pastime, plus, no one wants to fly with a hungry, upset child. And for picky eaters, taking your own food is even more important.
But what should you pack, and are there any restrictions? To help inspire your selection, here are some easy, airline-approved foods and coffee – yes, there’s a great way of having good-tasting coffee in the air without bringing all of your equipment – to take on your next flight.
Healthy snacks
Taking a selection of nuts, dried fruits and snack bars is a great way to keep yourself going in between meals, and such foods are small and easy to bring with you onto an airplane. Nuts are a great way to keep up your protein, and dried apricots, raisins or cranberries can help curb sugar cravings. Be sure to throw in a few snack bars made with oats or granola and minimal added sugars, or try whole grain crackers with individually wrapped, hard-cheese portions. A good choice of snacks can make for a satisfying accompaniment to an in-flight film.
On the last trip to the US I’ve decided to not purchase meals in advance, so I brought a selection of snack and protein bars, as well as a mixed bag of nuts with me. Oh, and my favorite Nougat brand from my home state, Thuringia, Viba. Plus some apples and bananas. Yep, exactly, you can totally pack fruits in your carry-on.
Fresh fruit and vegetables
If you’re looking to take some fresh fruit and vegetables with you, you’ll want to pick those which are durable and won’t disintegrate at the bottom of your backpack or carry-on luggage. Bananas, apples and satsumas are a good choice, and are sure to keep the children happy until meal time.
Try packing some sugar-snap peas, baby carrots or cherry tomatoes for a refreshing, crunchy snack that is far healthier than crisps – you could even add a small pot of hummus to dip some veggie sticks into. Do make sure, you check on the airline regulations (more below), on what you can bring. Some airlines will not allow you to bring non-solid food, such as hummus.
I remember a flight coming from a South East Asian country going to another and had a jar of peanut butter in my carry-on. It was considered a liquid, so I had to leave it at the security check-in. Poor little jar of peanut butter. I felt so sorry for it.
Homemade meals
There’s no reason why you can’t take your own meals with you on a flight, so long as airline regulations allow you to do so. Sandwiches or wraps are filling and easy to eat on the go with minimal mess, and so long as you keep the fillings from emitting offensive odors (think tuna or pickle or Durian, if you happen to travel in Asia), they can be a discreet way to fill up mid-flight.
Looking to reduce the carbon footprint of your travels? A vegan diet cuts emissions by 75% – if sustainability is important to you, you could consider taking purely vegan snacks and meals to help counterbalance the carbon footprint of your flight. Popular choices include a pasta salad with tofu and vegetables, or a grain-based salad or buddha bowl.
Not a home-cooker or meal-prep person? Every airport has a great choice of restaurants and shops to grab a sandwich or healthy wrap before stepping on the plane. Before I entered my flight to the states, I ate a gigantic bowl of Udon Miso soup loaded with vegetables and Veggie Gyoza at London Gatwick airport that filled me up until halfway through the entire flight. Worth the money and waaaay cheaper than paying $20-30 for an inflight meal.
Get your caffeine fix
Traveling by plane doesn’t necessarily mean you need to give up on coffee entirely. We all agree that usually coffee in the airplane cabin isn’t the tastiest. Hence we avoid it and bite the bullet until we land safely and find the next specialty coffee shop or roastery.
But, this wouldn’t be a coffee blog, if I hadn’t some suggestions for you.
Some airlines do work with bigger coffee brands now, e.g. Stumptown just started their partnership with Alaska Airlines, some even create special blends to actually have your cup of joe taste good – read about why food and beverages don’t taste great on planes below.
At bigger international airports you can find branches of specialty coffee shops & roasteries. So grab your favorite Latte or Drip Coffee and get on board. Of course, you can totally bring your own coffee equipment, like I usually do, when slow-traveling.
I usually pack my Hario scale, my Comandante grinder, and Kalita Wave filter, oh, and a bag of coffee, of course. Now, depending on where you’re headed and how much luggage you wanna carry and bring, this may not be an option.
Plus, I don’t often prepare my own coffee on the plane. It can get messy, you know, turbulence and stuff like that. But you can totally make your own coffee on the plane. No flight attendant will ever deny you some hot water.
So, here’s my suggestion, and I’ve done it several times: Grab some specialty instant coffee – nowadays you don’t need to pay a fortune anymore to get a small package with those little sachets and there’s also more coffee brands producing instant coffee, too – and make yourself a decent cup of coffee.
Check regulations ahead of time
Always check with your airline what is and isn’t permitted on board to save wasting food, and also what you will or won’t be able to leave the airport with once you land in your destination.
Coming to Mexico one time I got asked – I had already gotten off the plane and went to get my luggage, when I got stopped by a lady: Did you bring any fresh fruits or vegetables with you?… I actually had and grabbed the small bag of carrots I had packed way back in Germany and handed it over to her.
Remember that airlines typically require all food to be wrapped up, and the 3-1-1 liquids rule still applies – again even for spreads like jam or peanut butter.
It’s also key to note that flying temporarily changes your taste, so everything appears a little more bland than usual. You can compensate by adding a little extra seasoning to your dish, but be respectful of others around you. Strong smells are not welcomed by airline passengers, and you’re unlikely to be anyone’s favorite person if you bring foods such as fish, blue cheese or fermented vegetables on board, no, not even your homemade Kimchi or Sauerkraut.
Looking for more travel tips? Head over here!