Snacks on a Plane: Eating Healthy in Some Unfriendly Skies

By Martha Michael

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres used to do a standup routine about airplane dining in which she pointed out the sudden craving for tiny bags of peanuts after liftoff and people’s childlike excitement at the appearance of a beverage cart. The food you associate with modern day airline travel depends on your age, but it’s worth giving some thought before your next trip because some inflight choices are healthier than others.

Foods to Avoid in the Air

Some of the most popular airline foods aren’t necessarily the healthiest to digest. Travel website OneTravel.com has an article about the worst foods to eat while flying.

Fast Food is obviously frowned upon if you’re concerned about health benefits because of the high levels of oil and trans fats. Certain fast food items have a large quantity of salt as well which can cause you to retain water and make your hands and feet swell.

As healthy as they are, legumes are not a good idea for air travelers. The sugar they contain -- oligosaccharide -- doesn’t break down completely and creates bloating and gas. Beans are well-known legumes and others include:

• Lentils
• Peas
• Chickpeas
• Soybeans
• Peanuts

Cruciferous vegetables also cause gas. The following foods are considered undesirable food choices when you’re stuck in an aircraft:

• Cabbage
• Kale
• Bok choy
• Brussels sprouts
• Garden cress
• Cauliflower

Avoid drinking alcohol while flying. Many travelers like to sit down for a glass of wine before boarding, but the alcohol content can make you dehydrated. Bring or order water when you’re in the air.

Food to Bring With You

Many passengers miss the good old days when they could expect gourmet cuisine served by doting attendants during lengthy air travel. But the upside is the freedom you have now to carry on your choice of foods, which means that taking a trip doesn’t have to lead to sidelining your diet plan.

An article in Woman’s Day offers a list of healthy foods to bring when flying. Some are organic options and others are homemade so you can reduce the amount of sugar and preservatives they contain.

Pistachios - Low in calories and high in protein, pistachios that are already shelled will pack a punch without taking up much room in your carry-on.

Homemade snack mix - You can choose healthier fare when you create your own combo instead of buying pre-packaged snack mix.

Cucumber tea sandwich - When assembled using hummus and whole grain bread, tea sandwiches won’t spoil, and you get the added bonus of first-class style.

Chickpea snacks - With 78 percent less fat than peanuts, you get protein, fiber, and flavor without the extra pounds.

Cherry-Ginger bars - You can satisfy your sweet tooth with a homemade recipe using molasses, candied ginger, and cherries.

Cashews with pomegranate and vanilla - Packaged by Sahale Snacks, these cashews have more flavor than other nut mixes.

Organic chickpea puffs - Hippeas makes this healthy version of cheese puffs.

Spiced plum and quinoa muffins - A morning flight calls for muffins, and quinoa is packed with protein.

Banana chips - Bare makes a crunchy, gluten-free version of banana chips in strawberry flavor.

String cheese - This natural snack gives you the calcium you need and quells your appetite with fewer than 100 calories per stick.

You may not have a lot of options when you take to air travel, but with a little imagination, you may have more options than you previously thought.

Digestion in the Air

Early 20th century research showed that altitude affects taste, so airline chefs started tweaking their recipes to please passengers. They added flavor, but it wasn’t much of a health benefit to customers. For instance, French chef and TV host Raymond Oliver in 1973 advised UTA to increase sugar, cream, fat, and salt levels in recipes used for inflight service. Critics reflected on the improved flavor of airline food, but they would never give it higher marks than the meals you get on the ground.

An article in Bustle says that the lack of oxygen at high altitudes contributes to digestion issues while onboard. You don’t absorb enough oxygen and your blood flow is slowed down, which keeps your body from breaking down food. Thus, it sits in your digestive tract causing discomfort, fatigue, and bloating.

An article in Women’s Health explains the reason for excess gas and bloating when you fly. “Your gastrointestinal tract is like a long tube and any gas trapped in there will expand and put more pressure on it,” says Dr. Megan Rossi, a registered dietitian and researcher in gut health at King’s College London. If you’ve experienced your ears popping, it’s the same effect -- the result of air being squeezed inside a small space.

History of Inflight Meals

The difference between the bring-your-own food protocols today and elaborate airline fare from yesteryear are worlds apart in many ways, though some aspects have gone full circle. Like current menus with onboard food for purchase, passengers in 1918 paid three shillings for the first inflight meals, according to an article in Reader’s Digest. They were cold, pre-packed lunches served on Handley Page flights from London to Paris.

A few years later, guests boarding Daimler Airway, a precursor to British Airways, were each handed a glass of fruit juice. United Airlines designed a flight kitchen in 1936 in Oakland, Calif., on the ground, where food was prepared to serve hot to passengers in the air; they included fried chicken and scrambled eggs. In the 1940s, frozen foods were developed to serve to troops headed overseas during World War II and TWA adopted their use for its commercial airline service.

Pan Am Airlines offered early flights across the Atlantic Ocean with formal dining where uniformed staff served gourmet food on fine china. Menus included such dishes as consomme julienne, French lamb chops, and Belgian endive salad. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Pan Am partnered with Parisian bistro Maxim’s to raise the epicurean standards at 30,000 feet with duckling, lobster, and filet mignon.

My, how things have changed.

What’s the Deal?

It’s been decades since DeGeneres solicited laughs describing the phony grill marks on airline meat that implied the flight attendants were cooking over an open flame. But riffs like Jerry Seinfeld’s “What’s the deal with airplane food?” are still relevant no matter how many of the rules change. What’s not funny are the negative health effects from choosing quick and easy snacks and fast food over less toxic choices -- especially if you’re a frequent flyer.

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