I’ve spent years combing the internet for tips on preparing my own meals for airplane travel. Especially on long haul flights, I like to bring my own food along for the ride—it is healthy and economical. Some food bloggers prepare fairly intricate, time-intensive recipes for their trips, but with the last-minute chaos I inevitably encounter before I take off, I must keep things simple. In this post I share my strategy for putting together meals for travel and give you a few examples of recent meals I’ve packed.
Strategy
- Prepare your travel meal the day before your trip. It’s probably too much to ask of yourself to get something together the day you travel.
- Use what’s left in your refrigerator, but steer clear of smelly foods that might offend your seat mates. No tuna fish, friends!
- Bring sturdy foods that can sit for several hours without perishing: bean or grain salads, nuts, apples, dried fruits, chocolate, hard cheeses.
- Pack your meal in a container you can reuse during your trip. Always bring your own utensils and a light weight water bottle that you can fill after you go through security. Bring a cloth napkin or tea towel.
My Airplane Meals
Fun Snacks. Let’s be honest. Often, we won’t even have time to make a sandwich before heading to the airport. In that case, treats are the best option. If you have any “special” snacks hiding in your pantry, now is the time to pull them out. Stash a few energy bars in your purse. My favorites are Gomacro. They are organic, they taste good, and the business is owned by a mother-daughter team. Do you love chocolate, like I do? Bring some of your best chocolate on the plane. In the above photo, I treated myself to mendiants from Vincent Guerlais’ artisanal chocolate shop in Nantes. Tiny squares of fine chocolate topped in dried fruit, hazelnuts, and pistachios. A delight! And don’t forget to bring a few pieces of fresh fruit—mandarin oranges and tiny lady apples accompanied me on the journey.
Lentil Salad. If you have some leftover lentils or beans lingering in the fridge, make a salad. Here, I tossed leftover black lentils in a red-wine vinaigrette. The flavor was potent, which I needed in the sky when my taste buds were dull. I folded in a little cucumber, apple, parsley, feta, and walnuts. Toast the nuts if you have time. This textured salad was flavorful and filling. I also brought some cashews, a few mandarin oranges, and a tea bag. I find airplane tea to be undrinkable, but the flight attendants will almost always bring me hot water.
Soba Noodle Salad. I made this noodle salad the night before I left on my last trip to France and dressed up the leftovers for the next day. I made a soy and sesame dressing and tossed it with soba noodles and roasted broccolini. I folded in finely shredded kale and topped the dish with toasted sesame and sunflower seeds. I slept well on the plane and felt like a million bucks the next day when I arrived in Paris.
How do you approach your travel meals? Share your ideas in the comment section!
Inspirations
Recipes and Tips for Healthy Travel from My New Roots
Pack a Picnic for Your Next Flight from the New York Times
I’ve been making versions of Daniel Boulud’s gazpacho for almost 20 years. Over time I’ve streamlined the steps, but I still blanch the bell peppers to lessen their sharp bite. This recipe makes a creamy red soup, flecked with basil. Adapted from Café Boulud Cookbook
I love a beautiful cheese board. I love savory and toothsome charcuterie. This holiday season, though, I’m making a departure from my savory standbys. This year, I want bright, crisp vegetables to take the place of the denser, fattier meats and cheeses that I usually serve.
Visiting the Château of Versailles can make for a long day: lines, crowds, and so much sumptuous history to take in! For sanity’s sake, why not break up the day with a calm, delectable lunch?
Heart-shaped cookies abound! In the spirit of the season, I developed a savory cut out cracker recipe for a Valentine aperitif. Since I forego frosting and sprinkles, this treat is relatively low maintenance.
In 2010, while living in France, I hosted Thanksgiving for 24 American college students. Our “Franksgiving” celebration was boisterous and joyful. My students decorated my apartment with handmade construction paper leaves and turkeys. I cooked for days in the rickety Strasbourg kitchen—green beans, apple and cabbage slaw, winter squash. Students contributed favorite family casseroles, approximated with French market ingredients. I had rotisserie chickens delivered to the apartment on Garlic Street. It required a lot of planning, coordination, and energy to pull off “Franksgiving.” That fall, I gained a deep appreciation for the beautiful and large family meals my grandmothers, mother, and aunts have hosted over the years.
When I entertain, I almost always favor savory over sweet. I’d rather linger over a few small bites before dinner than serve a rich dessert after dinner.
Oh, how I’d love to slip away to Melbourne for a weekend! Alas! Quick visits to Australia are out of reach for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere. But all is not lost. My memories and pictures bring me back to the mosaic floors of Melbourne’s elegant covered passages and its iconic street art. And in my Kentucky kitchen, I revisit a stunning meal shared with my good friends Stephanie and Jeremy.
The beginning of August was gloriously cool and breezy—not Iowa State Fair weather by any stretch of the imagination. Mom’s cozy front porch is underused, so one day I welcomed her home from work with a mini porch party. It was a snap to organize this tiny gathering: