Tips for Snacks, Drinks on Flights

Foods On A Plane - how to not starve when you fly

Mar 9, 2007 Dan Florio

How to bring your own snacks or just drink yourself silly on the airlines that won't feed you.

Business travelers can't always afford to fly Business Class. Some airlines, like American Air - dispense with food service entirely in Coach, no longer serving even minor sustenance like peanuts. If you fly Coach, you can just starve, right? Or shell out three dollars for the bag of snack chips you once received free in return for your ticket. I say bring your own snacks or make do with lots and lots of free beverages when you fly.

Food To Bring on a Plane -

• Pack a lunch bag from home or grab takeout. Remember that liquids won't be allowed past security. Puddings and other borderline liquid foods may not be allowed either - try calling your local airport to get the official scoop. Think High Density Nutrient Snack. Bring nuts, beef jerky, crackers, dried fruits, vegetables, cookies and sandwiches - these should be okay. Trail mix is a great choice - you get a lot of filling caloric and compact bang for your buck. Don't forget snack and protein bars - some are very tasty these days. Clif Bars are a good product to try.

• Buy snack foods in the post-security gate areas of of the terminal. You need to plan a bit of extra time for this, and not all terminals have food service, so it's riskier than bringing a sack lunch from home.

• Milk. It's as close as you can get to a filling food from the free beverages onboard. See if there is chocolate milk. Ask lots of packets of sugar, and even add creamer. Stir into a thick milky treat. It's not really a milkshake but you can pretend it is.
• Coffee. Caffeine is a mild appetite suppressant, plus you can also add milk, cream, sugar and more sugar to ease hunger pangs.
• Orange Juice. It's fruit. It's full of vitamins and antioxidants. Add sugar packets to this too if you're really hungry, plus a twist of lemon or lime. The airlines do have little wedges - just ask for them. If you get a can of club soda with all this, you have the makings of a tasty virgin Sangia.
• Tomato Juice. Surprisingly thick and filling, tomato juice isn't just for Bloody Marys anymore. Ask for Tabasco, salt and pepper. Often flight attendants already have drinkable cans of Bloody Mary mix (sans the Vodka). It tastes like a Spicy V-8. See if you can have a celery stick and some olives too. Eat all the garnishes and ask for more.

Choose from the drink options above and repeat until full. Non-booze drinks are still free on all flights and you can have lots of them. The airlines might not feed you properly, but you can at least get your money's worth and a somewhat satisfied belly.

Related, on Suite - Eat Healthy On the Road

The copyright of the article Tips for Snacks, Drinks on Flights in Business Travel is owned by Dan Florio. Permission to republish Tips for Snacks, Drinks on Flights in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.