Food for long haul flight

glider3560

I'm taking a 11 hour flight later this year for a work trip (as I have done several times in the past) + 3 hr to the airport + 1 hr the other end, so quite a long journey. My employer pays a daily allowance for food (rather than needing receipts) so it is in my interest to spend as little as possible. I also prefer homemade food to eating packaged rubbish from the airport.

Airport food is expensive, so I'm looking for ideas of:
a) food in eat in the airport
b) food to eat on the plane (a little 300g tray of ready meal doesn't fill me in any way)
c) food for the return flight

The food cannot be liquid based, as it has to go through security.

For (a) I normally take sandwiches, but they're a little boring. But for (b), I need some more ideas. I tried cous cous before, but it didn't taste great cold. I also tried pasta in a small amount of tomato sauce but that was awful cold. Any suggestions?

Also, for the return flight, I won't have anywhere to prepare the food, so any ideas of stuff I can buy in the supermarket (I'm going to the USA, so assume similar things to what we can buy here)?

I did the journey once (the first time) without taking any food, expecting to be fully fed on the plane. I was incredibly hungry on arrival. The breakfast in particular was pathetic (100g of plain yogurt and small sachet of granola).

markdebby

My experience of entering America is food stuff are not allowed.
Got my head chewed of for having an apple lurking in my bag.

coffeehound

Mixed roasted nuts are always a good option.

Gem-gem

I usually pack some Eat natural bars and some cashew nuts. I have made sandwiches and boiled eggs.

Last year, on a flight from Singapore to New Zealand they offered people noodles in a pot that you just add hot water to. That was great as a snack if you can get hot water from the air stewards.

What about anything tinned with a pull can.

Scotch eggs
Wraps
Crisps
Veg sticks and dips
Sausages
Sausage rolls
Cheese and biscuits

glider3560

markdebby wrote: »

My experience of entering America is food stuff are not allowed.
Got my head chewed of for having an apple lurking in my bag.

I always ticket the "yes" box on "do you have any food". They sometimes ask what, I say potato chips, tea bags and candy (which is all I generally have at that point and all are allowed in). They wave me through.

Greenqueen_2

Be careful with eggs.

I once got pulled over for bag search because a HARD BOILED egg showed as "liquid"!

I now generally fall back on (dry) breakfast cereal. A bit boring but fills a grumbly tummy, crisps or biscuits. Then vow to eat healthier things once I arrive.

greenbee

Don't forget that as well as the journey to the airport you have the three hours hanging around/getting through security (after 7 years of regular work travel I noticed last year I'm supposed to be there 3 hours in advance, not 2... ), and then you have to get out the other end 16+ hours after you got up feeling grotty and grubby and dehydrated and sluggish...

I tend to take dried fruit, nuts, cereal bars etc as I don't want to eat large quantities on flights, but like to have something to snack on if I'm feeling hungry outside of scheduled meal times. Meal replacement bars might work as they're designed to be filling. Otherwise, sleep as much as possible and then you don't have to think about it

Livelongandprosper

Do you eat airline food at all or just don't like it?

My preferred method of meals is eat before I leave. But then I don't eat loads

For you if you are just a very hungry person ( compared to me that is) is use your meal allowance at the weatherspoons before boarding

From home I'd take a pack up of different snack type foods to eat around the main meal

I love cheese and biscuits. Take a plastic knife. Humous and pitta or bread sticks or even Doritos Packets of nuts and raisins

Pasta pots ( homemade) can be scrummy. For take out I use pasta with either chicken or salmon, mixed with mayo and chilli sauce, chuck in some sweet corn , chopped peppers, olives, anchovies , capers. Lots and lots of flavour and texture

Even egg mayo can be jazzed up with celery, peppers, onions,gherkins, Mayo. Slapped in a wrap with some lettuce it's not only nice, it doesn't dry or go soggy because of the grated cheese

I'm a picker rather then an eater so for me it's snacks all they way. Flap jacks are extremely filling as well and are so easy to make

The only rules I follow for eating on a plane, is don't disturb my neighbour. So nothing really stinky or anything that gives me wind. An 11 HR flight and I'm guessing the person next to you will want to nap

coffeehound

Hmm, hope I don't sit in front of you people with your stinky eggs and fish!

MMF007

Good question. I found the food so bad on the last long haul I did that i left 80% of it. The so-called dessert was almost entirely sugar.

I take some snacks- nuts (but not peanuts in case of nearby allergy sufferes), dark choc (slightly less sugar than airline dessert!), crisps, and fig rolls because they are quite moist but the sugar is slow release.

Sandwiches or savouries - anything that could give me food poisoning I eat within 4 or max 5 hours from time it left the fridge! So eat ham one first, cheese ones will keep for days! The warning about taking food into a country is very valid and you are not supposed to take cheese in (assume gross over reaction to foot n mouth possibilty).

Purleeese don't take egg sandwiches or boiled eggs because i)food poisoning risk, ii) if you sit next to me I'll throw up at the smell.

Yes to cheese n biscuits (I could live on that for ever) and an apple or grapes.

Make sure you eat it all before landing so customs don't lock you up :rotfl:

I was once delayed 24 hours and airline provided food vouchers. Bought a footlong Subway beef salad. Ate some, put rest in cabin bag for on plane. Slept the entire flight. Deplaned, collected other luggage, walked through customs, passed sniffer dog, into taxi, unpacked at home and found 36 hour old beef sarnie. YUK.

turn3r

You cannot bring fruit, cheese or meet into USA , if you google you will get a whole list of items not allowed, so make sure if you don't eat everything you leave it on the plane. I would also totally watch anything with nuts as you wouldn't want to cause someone an allergic reaction especially as it can be fatal.
Why not buy a pre packaged salad? When leaving America you could try and visit a whole foods as they have an amazing build your own salad bar. Depending which UK airport you are leaving from the plane food you can buy from Gordon ramsays plane food (Heathrow) is really good.