Your Healthy Flight Guide

Even when I’m traveling I would bring my own food. How about airplane food. Airplane travel doesn’t have to be the worst part of your trip ever again! Here’s a guide.

These airplane meals vary widely in quality and quantity across different airline companies and classes of travel. They range from a simple beverage in short-haul economy class to a seven-course gourmet meal in long-haul first class.

The type of food varies depending upon the airline company and class of travel.

Meals may be served as “one tray” or in multiple courses with no tray and with a tablecloth, metal cutlery, and glassware (generally in first and business classes).

The airline dinner typically includes meat (most commonly chicken or beef) or fish, a salad or vegetable, a small bread roll, and a dessert.

Caterers usually produce alternative meals for passengers with restrictive diets. These must usually be ordered in advance, sometimes when buying the ticket.

Meals must generally be frozen and heated on the ground before takeoff, rather than prepared fresh.

Guillaume de Syon, a history professor at Albright College who wrote about the history of airline meals, said that the higher altitudes alter the taste of the food and the function of the taste buds; according to de Syon the food may taste “dry and flavorless” as a result of the pressurization and passengers, feeling thirsty due to pressurization, many drink alcohol when they ought to drink water.