Next week I leave New York and head west to Seattle for four days, the first of a few trips I have planned this summer. Unsurprisingly, most of these trips necessitate that I fly or take the train which, besides mini toiletries, means one thing: a dearth of decent food. If you travel by plane, train, or bus in the US, you know that transportation hubs are food deserts with an insidious message: Vegetarian? Gluten-free? Kosher? Doesn't matter. What you eat while traveling doesn't count.
Or so says Elissa Altman of Poor Man's Feast. In a recent post she rants (as we all have at one time or another) against the state of food in airport terminals and train stations, and sarcastically dubs the situation "America's Most Important Food Rule":
So long as you're getting from Point A to Point B by plane, train, bus, or automobile, culinary and nutritional time stops. Food ceases to matter. Health issues flitter away like moths in a storm; gastronomical quality is neither assumed nor expected. Calories, fat—all of it stops counting. While you're on the road, your blood cholesterol automatically plummets to that of an infant born to vegan parents in south Asia.
In other words, fast food restaurants, by virtue of the fact that they're the only options available in most US airports, would have you believe there's no taste preference and no dietary or health concern that anyone seriously lives by. Everyone knows the travel rule! All bets are off!
Of course, we know that's not true. As Altman writes, the odds are pretty good that a large majority of the 2.4 million people who travel every day have at least one major food concern, and would desperately like options other than those "processed, packaged, laden with sugar, fat, salt, grown in a factory, and shellacked with chemical preservatives produced in a test tube." It's a cross-the-aisle food desert.
What is to be done? David Tanis takes an emergency food kit with him when he travels, which includes, among other things, harissa, a jar of mustard, fresh chiles, limes, a hunk of cheese, and sea salt. That might seem excessive, so here are a few other ideas:
• 15 Homemade Meals You Can Carry on the Airplane
• Holiday Travel: 10 Delicious, Portable Snack Recipes
• Good Food for International Travel
• What Foods Can You Carry on a Plane?
How do you deal with food deserts when you travel? Do you make things ahead? What snacks or food do you take with you on the plane? Share your tips!
Read More: Our Most Important Food Rule: And How To Break It at Poor Man's Feast
Related: Flying with Kids: What Snacks To Pack for the Plane
(Image: Feliks Kogan/Shutterstock)
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I just accept what's available and deal with it. I used to travel with a friend who was always searching for the "perfect country breakfast". But in many parts of the country, fast food/chain food is the only breakfast option. He was always disappointed. Me, I was just happy to be traveling. There will be a great meal somewhere over the horizon, and you'll appreciate it all the more as a result of the wait.
Since most flights we take are short in nature (2ish hours), I don't often have occasion that we need to pack food beyond a snack or two for the toddler. But when we have those longer flights, my problem lies in the return trip, when we've been living out of suitcases with limited access to grocery stores and our packed snack supply is severely depleted. That's typically when we find ourselves staring down some greasy sack at the airport.
I pack a bag of meals/snacks that is pretty comprehensive when traveling with my 3 children. Thankfully they are all happy to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so I always bring several of those, and plenty of cut up apples and carrots, plus lots of snacky things.
But I've actually noticed that Newark Airport (terminal C) has some pretty good looking newer resturants the last few times I've been through there.
When traveling by car, I try to stop at a grocery store for food, instead of fast food. It's less expensive and healthier!
Mid-C Frank, I think you're missing the point a little bit. While no one expects food "on the run" to be outstanding, given the constraints on time (especially in airports or train stations with their tight schedules), bringing along alternatives or encouraging less-processed food choices in airports, etc is really important. Although most people won't suffer great harm by eating a fast food meal occasionally while traveling, I really doubt that food allergies disappear just because you're "on vacation" and it can be almost impossible to find safe foods amid the processed options, especially depending on what kind of allergy you have (corn, soy, and wheat spring to mind as the most difficult to avoid). If you rely on the options at the airport/station/rest stop, your options often become a) go hungry b) take a gamble that you'll miss your connection because you're in the ER with anaphylaxis.
I think we need to highlight that it's ridiculous that travel hubs are a fresh food desert. Perhaps with enough interest in the matter, restaurants will be more encouraged to offer less-processed, more allergy-friendly fare in airports, etc. And in the meantime, we need to figure out what foods are easy to prepare and take from home, so we aren't stuck hungry.
Well, isn't the real issue that most American restaurants serve unhealthy overprocessed junk, not that most American restaurants in airports serve unhealthy overprocessed junk? I mean, I understand the point that if you've got a layover or something, you're stuck with the crap in the airport, but in most places in the U.S., you're stuck with crap anyway. I'm trying to think of a restaurant where I live that serves fresh whole food and I'm not coming up with anything. That's why I hardly ever eat out.
There's also the issue of the ridiculous TSA regulations on what food you can bring on a plane. Good luck bringing your homemade soup or peanut butter sandwich with you. In my more paranoid moments, I wonder if part of the motivation for the TSA rules is to increase sales of food and drinks in airports since it's so hard to bring your own in.
I always pack wayyy too much to eat when traveling. Especially in the past decade as the airline industry has deteriorated only about half of my flight itineraries seem to work out as planed. Maybe I just have awful luck but it seems like there is always a delay, mechanical problem, overbooking, weather, whatever. To make it worse im one to snack and binge when stressed, bored or upset so stranded in the airport can be a perfect storm for me to grab a burger. But im less likely if I have a backpack full of options.
I always pack nuts, chocolate, crackers, a snack size hummus (make sure its 3 oz or less and fits in your toiletries), sometimes a wrap cut into pinwheels (much easier to eat on the go). Dont be afraid to pack smelly things either like tuna or a hunk of summer sausage and cheese with crackers. Just eat them in the terminal instead of the flight.
KRDAVIS -- I didn't miss the point. I don't have any food allergies/issues so I don't have to worry about that. I only need to worry about 'culinary expectations'. Quite frankly if I did have allergies, I'd pack my own food for even local travel, as I don't trust most restaurants and delis et al to avoid cross-contamination of ingredients, etc. The education on these issues just isn't up to par yet.
I always pack fresh fruit and some nuts for any trip and if I have time I take some homemade cookies or pastry with me. As far as airports I rely on the ones that have Starbucks because at least they have some oatmeal and they always have some banana. And for the food deserts, I try to find a grocery store to get some fruit/baby carrots/celery. I also extensively research Chowhound boards before I go anywhere, there are always some great suggestions of places to eat.
@KRDAVIS - it wasn't just about food allergies. The (yes, somewhat excessive!) emergency food kit mentioned in the post, containing "harissa, a jar of mustard, fresh chiles, limes, a hunk of cheese, and sea salt" would be no help in that area...
I travel a lot for work, often unexpectedly and to smaller communities. I'm vegetarian, which means restaurants don't always work for me (and I don't always have time to wait for food anyway).
So I generally swing by a grocery store as soon as possible and buy a stash of trail mix (no candy or other hyper-processed stuff), whole-grain crackers or bagels, instant oatmeal, low-fat Babybels, etc. If my hotel has a fridge, I'll buy yogurt, baby carrots, fruit, maybe a takeout garden salad.
It saves a lot of money and spares me from eating a lot of crap.
I also travel a lot for work and am frustrated by this. When I have time, and an airport has sit-down restaurant options, I can usually find something decent; otherwise, it's tough. I've actually made it sort of a challenge to myself to see if I can even locate vegetables in an airport. Usually your only fast-food option for that is Panda Express or something. However, you can usually find apples and bananas, and I load up on these so that I don't have to consume quite as much of the junk.
I've actually been impressed by how the airports food selections have been improving. Whenever I'm at SeaTac, it seems like there are a myriad of great options, that may be expensive, but have something I like. I don't know about food allergies, but when I fly I don't like to have anything heavy or too greasy (just in case there is some bad turbulence!) but they still have lots of options. It may not be the best food I've ever eaten, but it does the job when I'm starving or just need a little something to get me to my destination.
This is my biggest pet peeve when traveling. I'm a vegetarian and there are never any "grab and go" vegetarian options. I usually end up with french fries or a stale scone. Salads and sandwiches all have meat on them. One time I found a snack size container of hummus and crackers. That was pretty exciting.