Kayleigh here. Even before going gluten free, airport food
was a pain in the neck. Stuck past security with nowhere to go, getting peckish
means picking up a day-old bagel and a $6 bottle of water. For some reason, I
had always assumed that there was no way you would be able to pack a meal of
your own and get it through the gate- there must be some kind of rule, right?
Well, turns out if there's a will, there's a way!
Mainly, the issue of bringing your own food is the liquids rule. You cannot get away with bringing some salsa to go with your tortilla chips, or even something as innocent as a sandwich spread with mayonnaise! More viscous spreads like peanut butter or hummus are likely to get confiscated as well, if not stored properly in your one quart liquids bag. So this brings us to rule number one: if you want to bring liquid ingredients, invest in some one or two ounce plastic containers with properly sealing lids, and make sure you'll have space for them in your liquids bag. Just wait to assemble the dish until you are on the other end.
Rule number two- consider where you'll be eating it. If you plan on waiting until you get on the plane, then packing pungent foods like tuna fish or curried lamb wraps may make your seatmates more airsick, if they were already going down that path, and nobody wants that. Likewise, try to eat any refrigerated foods early on. For example, you could bring sliced cheese and pepperoni sticks for a pretty satisfying snack, but they will not be too appealing by the end of a cross-country 8 hour flight.
Rule number 3- pack everything well. After getting bumped around on a shuttle, tossed onto a conveyer belt, and rifled through by a random check security guard, those taco shells will be corn crumbs, and that banana? You might not want to look. It takes up some precious room, but it is worth it to securely package everything in hard plastic containers, or even plastic bags with a good amount of air to cushion the food.
With all that in mind, there are still quite a lot of possibilities for an on-air gourmet. For one, nonperishable snacks like personal-sized chip bags, protein/energy bars (quite a few are gluten free- just check the labels), trail mixes can be great for on the plane, and leftovers can last through the trip and even the flight home! Salads and more durable fruits can make a healthy side, just make sure to pack dips and dressings in the liquids bag.
Mainly, the issue of bringing your own food is the liquids rule. You cannot get away with bringing some salsa to go with your tortilla chips, or even something as innocent as a sandwich spread with mayonnaise! More viscous spreads like peanut butter or hummus are likely to get confiscated as well, if not stored properly in your one quart liquids bag. So this brings us to rule number one: if you want to bring liquid ingredients, invest in some one or two ounce plastic containers with properly sealing lids, and make sure you'll have space for them in your liquids bag. Just wait to assemble the dish until you are on the other end.
Rule number two- consider where you'll be eating it. If you plan on waiting until you get on the plane, then packing pungent foods like tuna fish or curried lamb wraps may make your seatmates more airsick, if they were already going down that path, and nobody wants that. Likewise, try to eat any refrigerated foods early on. For example, you could bring sliced cheese and pepperoni sticks for a pretty satisfying snack, but they will not be too appealing by the end of a cross-country 8 hour flight.
Rule number 3- pack everything well. After getting bumped around on a shuttle, tossed onto a conveyer belt, and rifled through by a random check security guard, those taco shells will be corn crumbs, and that banana? You might not want to look. It takes up some precious room, but it is worth it to securely package everything in hard plastic containers, or even plastic bags with a good amount of air to cushion the food.
With all that in mind, there are still quite a lot of possibilities for an on-air gourmet. For one, nonperishable snacks like personal-sized chip bags, protein/energy bars (quite a few are gluten free- just check the labels), trail mixes can be great for on the plane, and leftovers can last through the trip and even the flight home! Salads and more durable fruits can make a healthy side, just make sure to pack dips and dressings in the liquids bag.
Jason here. I have found the best thing I enjoyed was the pepperoni stick. If you get the right size, it provides an easy to snack on meal with little to no cleanup. Combined with some carrot sticks, or fresh broccoli, and I consider a good on the go meal. If you are going this route, like Kayleigh mentioned, eat the refrigerated items early. The pepperoni stick was great even at the end of the flight, but the broccoli and carrots I would question.
Also make sure to plan a little variety in your meal. The
last thing you want is to pack all salty foods, and then find yourself airsick
craving only sweet foods. Brownies and cookies while not overly healthy, would
do the trick; just make sure they don’t have anything that would be construed
as a liquid, like a frosting or filling.
One last tip- bring an empty water bottle or two. There are always water fountains inside the gates, and it stops you from having to lay down a ridiculous amount of cash every time your throat gets a little dry.
One last tip- bring an empty water bottle or two. There are always water fountains inside the gates, and it stops you from having to lay down a ridiculous amount of cash every time your throat gets a little dry.
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