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I just got back from a trip and brought homemade Nan (a flatbread) and whole wheat chocolate chips cookies with me. I'll usually bring sliced fruit and cheese for a longer flight. As for liquid I just bring an empty reusable water bottle through security and fill it up on the otherside from a water fountain. You can save yourself some money since airport food is so expensive and save some trash from going into a landfill by using reusable containers for your food.

Every time we fly intracontinental, we bring food with us. We probably look like snobs, but I really can not stomach the airline food. It makes me sick. On top of the things that you mentioned, I usually make croissant sandwiches with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, cucumber and dill. Cut them in halves and each goes in a ziplock. Roasted almonds are a must, so is dark chocolate in small quantities. These can go thru security no problem in your backpack. I also bring individual servings of plain yogurt and have cubed mango or other fruit with it. Perfect dessert - it will make everyone around you jealous.:-) I recently (although it was a flight within US) had a liter of water in my travelling bag and passed thru security no problem... But I doubt it would work on an international flight - much tighter security

how is cooked rice "finger food"?

I consider packing food for a flight to be a lot of fun. I posted my tips for this task on my blog: http://cooking4theweek.blogspot.com/2007/07/just-plane-food.html

Obviously, the big no-nos: Nothing stinky, drippy, too oily ...

The things that people forget (and that can make your trip so much better):
Pack napkins and /or moist towelettes for cleanup.
Pack something for breakfast and/or snack - on a long flight you will be starving by the time you land and it can very disorienting to have to cure the munchies in an unfamiliar airport (I like cheddar and crackers and dried fruit for this).
Pack something for your neighbors - you don't have to share your whole meal, but you can make friends quickly if you share a square of chocolate, a cookie or a piece of fruit.

$23.50 for a tortilla wrap??!!

uh,... I don't think so!

Here in Europe, every flight we have been on has come with food -- much better food than anything that North American airlines come up with. And the food is actually pretty good on SwissAir. With 2 small children, I may bring along fail-safe food for them, but we are too loaded down to also lug all our food (much less to be able to take the time to make it).

Hope you enjoy Geneva -- we've had a cold wet spring, so hopefully it is nice while you are here.

I'm pretty sure forks are still okay, and you can always ask for those from the flight attendants anyway. A salad takes less than 3 oz. dressing so you could make a salad and pack a spice jar of dressing in with your toothpaste. (Eww?)

@spossberg: but you can eat rice with a spoon!

@monika1 - what part of CH are you in?

@Sunday Cook - your linked post is great - and good tip on the moist towelettes!

My sister recently flew domestically with some baklava in her pack, though I suspect the way she got it through security was to slip them a piece.

ummm... that sandwich look really satisfying! forget stale pretzels and nuts!

That Skymeals site is something else. I'm still trying to figure out their chicken dish which is described as "Plucked out of the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea."

Swimming chickens, anyone?

I always buy those premade spring rolls and samosas that they sell at Rainbow. They're yummy and easy to pack/eat. Not cheep though.

Last time I flew I brought prefab crackers with peanut butter--stuck them in the ziploc with the toiletries. (Next time hopefully I'll have time to make some sort of breakfast cookie with fruit and nuts, so I'll have something more nutritious to eat.) I remember reading a news story about a member of Congress who was trying to see what it was like to live on the amount of food you can buy with a standard food stamp allotment; he forgot about the TSA rules and had his peanut butter sandwich confiscated, which really put a dent in his food budget for the month.

I second the suggestion to bring your own bottles and fill them up once you pass security. No sense paying those outrageous prices in the airport.

Makes me feel not so stupid to hoard all the thick (and conveniently short) Delta plastic. I think they hand out wimpy ones now. So the old thick forks spoon and knives are strong enough to get some real use out of. They fit neatly in to a snack size zip bag and into my empty water bottle.

@ADonuts - LOL! Good catch! I just submitted it to the FailBlog (http://failblog.wordpress.com/)

For long flights I usually pack a Japanese obento:
Omusubi (rice balls wrapped in seaweed or pickled mustard greens), Tamagoyaki (egg omelet), orange slices and a package of miso soup (not the dried kind but the one that has real miso and you dilute w/hot water).

I pack it in a recycled small box (usually from xmas).

Oh and I also bring a small zip lock bag of cereal for my morning breakfast.

I've shared my meals with seat mates many times and made many new friends!

I love Japanese obento for flights too, although I usually will just buy a prepacked one from the Japanese market. They often come with a variety of little dishes, and you can eat it with chopsticks, which you can take through security.

Lately, though, our regular treat has been to pack BLTs on really good baguettes (pack the bacon separately so it doesn't get soggy). We don't eat them that often, so it's a real mood lifter on the plane!

Certainly, you mean airline food DOES leave a lot to be desired?

1) Remember that regular food just does not taste the same on a plane. So you may need to spice up to make it tasty.
2) You cannot bring an empty bottle passed security as far as I have seen on my frequent trips. So filling up once through will likely not be an option.
3) Indeed, in Europe I never take food on the plane. Usually the airline food is pretty much OK.

I also wish you a nice stay in Geneva ( i live only 25km / 15 car-minutes from there ) !

Personally, i've rarely had bad experiences about the quality of the food on airplanes. European Airlines ( Swiss, Lufthansa, KLM ) offer either customercards, were your profile is registered and where you can precise that you are vegetarian, or you ask for a special meal when booking your flights. Generally, but this is my opinion, the vegetarian food is very good!

So, have a nice flight, take some warm clothes ( still rather cool here, 9-11°Celsius) and enjoy Geneva !

Kathryn -

we are in Geneva, within sight (and sound) of the airport (not on a flightpath, thankfully). It's actually Grand Saconnex. (trade or humanitarian?)

yup, always take an empty water bottle. They'll make you pour out the water if you bring it full but they'll let you take the empty container. I'm disturbed by how many plastic water bottles are used on each flight I have been on. I don't think I have a 3 oz container to put apple sauce or pudding into.

Unless you're flying an amazing (usually international) airline where they serve you tiramasu and a beautiful sandwich with your own mini bottle of wine, packing food for the plane is essential.

There are some great ideas here - personally, I'm a big fan of packing kitchen-sink pasta, which is both filling and travels well:

http://jcarrot.org/why-i-love-bad-airplane-food/

The last few flights we were on not only served zero food, but the chips and snacks they did serve - you had to buy.
Here's what I like to bring:

Fruit & Nut bars -Lara bars are soo good, aren't messy and fill you up
Hard cheese and crackers
Mrs. May's roasted nuts
Beef jerky

@ Kathryn

Glad you like the post. One other item I forgot to mention: I always pack an extra napkin to use as a placemat - those tray tables can be *really* nasty. To keep things cheerful I use those super-fancy paper napkins with fun and beautiful patterns.

For water, I use Platypus bottles that I fill in the airport: they fold up flat when empty, so they don't take up any extra space when they aren't holding water.

Have a great trip!

weird are those new tsa rules? we were told no food whatsoever can be brought through security unless you have a medical need in january, my friend got her cookies confiscated, also another person in our group had their empty water bottle taken away

Re: ordering the vegetarian meal... they can be very good, but beware having those if you're on a long flight. My husband and I are both vegetarian and ordered all veggie meals for our 18-hour flight to Thailand. Every meal (and there were three of them!) consisted of starchy white rice, white bread, and a few vegetables. The combination of all the binding refined grains and sitting for 18 hours had us completely.. well, stopped-up for four days in Bangkok. We were miserable and wished we had had the forethought to bring tasty food with us like you suggest.

I fly internationally quite often for work and find that the food on any non-U.S. based airline always surpasses our American airline food... that is, if they even serve a meal!

Coming back from the mango festival last year I brought on a case of various mangos as my "carry on" and no one blinked an eye!

TSA : What to know before you go

RalphEMole: I can think of no reason why cookies should be confiscated unless they were full of a creamy substance. (little debbie oatmeal cakes?) I believe you were the unfortunate victim of misunderstanding.
When it comes to the food items it is pretty safe to say that if it is not mentioned in the link above, you can take it. I would also remind everyone that if you have an experience where TSA has confiscated something that is not on the prohibited list, in some way you should definatly ask for a comment card. If you are uncomfortable asking the peeps that took your things then ask at the arrival airport or use the website. If no one reports inconsistencies like getting cookies taken than it will never get stopped.

Actually, you can bring plastic knives, according to the TSA's website you linked us too.

I've had success taking an empty water bottle through security. I suggest using a disposable water bottle in case the security officer is having a bad day.

Did anyone see on the TSA's website that "Toy Transformer Robots" are allowed? :-) Must be a joke.

Most flight lunches come with a little container of lettuce they call a "salad." It's just enough for a sandwich. Pack a very good pretzel croissant, pack some single servings of mayo you filch from the restaurants, and pack some lovely cooked bacon and a few cherry tomatoes. You can assemble, right on your tray, the most lovely BLT sandwich, right there.

Pack a small container of thick greek yogurt, which holds up well, and a single serving or two (again, condiment size packages) of honey. Honey over Greek Yogurt is an excellent dessert or breakfast, particularly if you also pack walnuts, to sprinkle on top.

i think a few sushi rolls would be perfect, or their korean variety, kim bap

order the vegetarian or vegan meal (you have to special request this at least 24 hours before your flight). you always get served first and the food is WAY better.. you generally get fresh fruit and some other yummy items that actually have flavor. wish i would have known this little secret before i became vegetarian.. would have saved my stomach a great deal..

hah! the 3 oz limit was the premise of a funny scene on 30 rock last week.

how long has this limit been in effect?
i've been loading up my backpack with wraps and sandwiches, including international flights!!

on a side note: my friends and i always bring fresh fruit, bread, and nutella ....mmmmm...nutella.

just had to share one more thing.
true story: last year i got sick and couldn't go with my family to chicago. my dad came back with a deep dish pizza and two hot dogs with the works.
hah!

When my mom visits out-of-state relatives, she takes a brisket in her carryon. I hadn't heard about them confiscating food. I brought a Korean fried chicken leftovers with a side of pickled radish and that wasn't confiscated when I flew in March. And I had my little Swiss Army knife that I forgot to take out of my purse -- either TSA didn't spot it or didn't care. I found it after I arrived and mailed it home.

...the only problem with ordering the vegetarian meals on flights is that sometimes (I particularly had this experience on Virgin Air) they consist of maybe 100 calories, as they are basically just some vegetables, maybe some starch, and no protein. Nice for a diet (I guess) but not for a long flight...it's not gourmet but I tend to just bring some good pb&j sandwiches on whole wheat bread, some fruit, and some dessert-like item (mostly for the psychological benefit). I've never had those things confiscated, but have had yogurt taken at least twice (though I blamed myself for forgetting the second time, not FSA for wrongly enforcing the rules).

I have had yogurt (the nice, greek style) confiscated, but have always been allowed to take an empty water bottle on.

Items I have taken on flights : Lara bars, Apples, Bananas, Pretzels, Potato Chips, Crackers, Popcorn.

OK, I'm getting hungry :-)

sushi on the plane? interesting, but not so much...

I love to take chopped up mango, almonds, nut and m&m mix, dried fruit, cottage cheese and pineapple and always, always a good piece of chocolate!

happy and safe travels.

I pack bento box lunches as well, but I pack all kinds of world food, not just Japanese. I wrote a how-to guide for packing bento lunches specifically for plane trips here, including tips for collapsible containers and cheap drink options: http://lunchinabox.net/2008/01/03/avoid-airplane-food-pack-your-own-bento-lunch/

My usual plane-bag lunch

- sharp cheddar cut into small pieces
-one bag of pecan crisp crackers
- a bag of raw almonds
-a bag of baby carrots
-an apple
-some honey candies
-a lara bar or something similar

if i'll be flying early and it will cover both breakfast & lunch, i will also bring a hardboiled egg that i eat before I get on the plane, because they can get somewhat smelly.

i used to bring spreadable goat cheese, but that got confiscated half the time. GOAT CHEESE IS NOT A CRIME!

Can I carry 1 carry on bag, 1 purse, and 1 food bag which includes in bologna sandwich breads, graopes or apples, dounuts and cheese tos snack?

plain, simple foods: trail mix, a peanut butter sandwich or a cheese sandwich, string cheese, an empty water bottle. i flew last week, and the water bottle was allowed passed security. when the flight attendant comes around, i get tomato juice for some extra salt and veggies.

Ordering the vegetarian meal doesn't always work. We're actually vegetarian and the majority of the time we get no meal because they say the food service usually forgets to add the veggie dinners in. I haven't had a meal for my last 4 or 5 flights. Next time, I'm taking snacks.

I'm pregnant and flying across the pond in a couple weeks. I distinctly recall in the past having a beverage I purchased (after clearing security) confiscated at the gate upon boarding...

I am HOPING I can buy several large bottles of water ( I now drink A LOT every day...) once past security and bring them aboard, but I will definitely ask the employees at the gate prior to purchasing.

I always bring a big water bottle with me, like a Nalgene or Sigg... if you keep it empty, you'll breeze through security, and then you can just fill up at one of the water fountains by the gate!

Skymeals = Chicken Breast Mediterranean - $27.50 ???

I think my heart stopped...

You've GOT to be kidding me...


Does this site think people are made of money or what? lol

Good tip, splim

WOW everyone seems like a pro air-rider.
I tried delta's sub and i really regret that i paid 9 bucks for something i tossed.

Under normal circumstances, I ALWAYS carry zip loc bag (double it if you have to) bring pineapple slices.

Not that I am super fogey yet, but pineapples are really good for your joints, high altitude, long hours sitting down, you get the picture. Oh and besides, if you zonk out like me on the plane and you are out of chewing gum, pineapples give refreshing and friendly conversational public air.

I second all of lilhuna's rec's.

One of my favorite moments on a plane came at the end of the long day, stuck in the middle seat, when the older gentleman next to me pulled three clementines out of his bag. He quietly placed one on the corner of my tray, and whispered, "For you" with a small smile and twinkle in his eye. The juiciness and refreshing citrus smell was never so welcome.
As she was cleaning up our trash, the flight attendant picked up our rinds and broke them up in the air to refresh the cabin air for everyone else.

Moist towelettes are, of course, a good accompaniment for carry-on clementines.

In the US, you can definitely fly with an empty water bottle. The regulations may be different in Europe, though, but I fly a lot, and I always take an empty water bottle now. It has never been a problem, even when I was selected for the "super special" security screening and they went through everything.

TSA is more lax about food than they used to be; I have gotten through with cups of yogurt and applesauce (not in a ziploc), which didn't happen when the ban first went into effect (my husband forgot one time and took a cup of yogurt through, and it got confiscated) and I even got through one time this year with a HUGE yogurt parfait. The security lady looked at it, and I said I would throw it out if I couldn't take it through. Her response was "Eh, there's more fruit than yogurt in there. It's fine." That's not to say that a TSA person would never take your yogurt or applesauce, but I don't think you're running as great a risk that it would be taken away as you would have been back when the ban started.

Our staples when flying are roasted almonds, applesauce, string cheese, Larabars or Clif Nectar bars, good chocolate, fresh and/or dried fruit (clementines are great when they're in season, bananas tend to bruise), and we often pick up a nice sandwich at a local place before we head out to the airport. For transatlantic flights, I have been known to make my husband a huge soba or udon noodle salad with a ginger-lime dressing and various vegetables and either chicken or beef, depending on what is in the fridge. It is okay at room temperature, you can make a huge amount and take it on with no problem, it's filling, and it's not a sandwich.

Love that Mr. Bento, by the way! I'd love to get one of those for my husband to take to work.

Sandwich would be my choice of food if I have to travel for such long distances. Its quiet safe and is balanced enough to have it as any part of your meal.
Travel Guide

I work for an airline. We get a lot of complaints about the silly things TSA does - they're extremely inconsistent, so don't be surprised if they make you throw out a salad because the dressing is already on it (or a sandwich because it has a spread) - or have you stuff your dressing in your quart sized bag with your lipstick and deoderant. TSA Agents have one of the highest turnover rates, so the chances that you will be encountering someone brand new who doesn't really know the rules is pretty high.

I've always been lucky, but I usually bring single-serving sized items that can't be mistaken for liquids or gels of any kind. Though you never know when someone will think cheddar cheese is a gel. Sheesh.

I fly often and it is true that while in the US, you can fill up your water bottle post security and take it on the plane, but in europe, they do a screening at the gate and you will not be able to bring on a full bottle.

Usually if its a small amount of liquid food that is a condiment, if you place it on the food before it goes through the screener you will be fine.

I'm thinking a pan bagnat type sandwich would be great, since the whole point of a sandwich like that is for everything to soak into the bread over time and make it soggy. Like a lot of others here, I'm also a fan of nuts on flights (as in almonds, not as in drunk fans coming back from a bowl game). Another thing that I've really come to like in recent years is watermelon or honeydew (or both) cubes; they're refreshing and give you a bit of liquid renewal too, without being banned by TSA. And this is probably terrible to admit . . . but we've also packed up stellar stinky cheeses and enjoyed them so much in the midst of a long flight that they were worth every nast glare (and, to redeem myself a bit, we shared with the ones who LIKED stinky cheese).

In Europe the airport security is more drastic. Even if in Europe aren't so much incidents in the planes, they still are mad when they're seeing you getting in the plane with a bottle of water bought from the airport of course... So they are selling you something but they don't allow you to take it in plane with you.

___________
instant loan

"I use Platypus bottles that I fill in the airport: they fold up flat when empty, so they don't take up any extra space when they aren't holding water." i agree fully have safe journey

If I am traveling from a city that has a Trader Joe's (they are not here in Colorado), I simply hit up a sammich and snackins from Trader Joe's. Their sammies and wraps travel well since they are kind of protected from being squished. I'll also get fruit.

For those of you looking to get a fresher faster meal, but want more substance than the vegetarian meals generally offer, request a gluten free meal in advance. You won't get a pasta dish (overcooked anyway), but generally a better looking piece of fish with potatoes and usually fresh fruit instead of something that is supposed to be cake. I do this out of necessity, but my husband has started also ordering the gf version because it really is just better. Not all airlines offer this option though and you must order it in advance of your flight-like a week before.

they have water on the plane, as well as knives and forks.

I get take-out sushi from the airport food court, and bring that along for relatively short flights (3-4 hours max). For long flights - snacks, fruit, sandwiches.

Yes they have water but never enough to keep you hydrated. And there are knives and forks in FC but you are lucky to get a spork in coach.

Normal sandwiches don't taste the same on a plane? What the heck is that all about?/

I just bring a couple of cheese sandwiches and a few apples along. If I have them at home, some fruit leather (sunrype). Otherwise some raisins (or homemade trail mix type stuff). Drinks - well, they'll give you as much water as you want in the plane and I just rely on that to get me through. As long as you're drinking 1 glass of water for every hour of time difference, you'll be good to go in terms of jet lag.

Forks? salads? way too complicated.

One thing I learned on my last transatlantic flight - if you take your own food, be sure to throw away any leftovers on the plane, before you reach customs. Even a leftover apple or a tomato in a sandwich, if carried through customs, counts as bringing plant material across national borders--which is a no-no. (Fortunately the customs officer who confiscated the apple I accidentally carried through was nice about it!)

I'd also be careful with creamy cheeses. A friend of mine lost her precious cabecou and other soft cheeses on CDG-Airport in Paris (intereuropean flight). I also doubt, that yoghurt will make it through the security control in Europe, unless you fill it in one of these tiny containers - may be Yakult will do, but that's not exactly a meal. We also had to say good bye to a jar of Australian jam during stop over in London (we managed to fly it from Darwin to Cairns though). I'd bring only "solid" food, just in case.

Just a heads up, as many have said if you're flying on a nice foreign airlines (SAS for example) the food and service are a whole nother world. Domestic flights feel like prison comparatively.

The food is entirely edible and at lunch and dinner you get wine, and that includes us cheapos in economy.

Jiff was making these tiny serving packs, one of those with pretzel chips was pretty satisfying. You can also buy pre-sliced apples designed for kids lunches, also great with the PB.

This is why I always fly foreign-flagged airlines when going overseas: Their food is far, far better than anything the domestic airlines dish out.

The reason those meals are so expensive is because they KNOW people don't want to pay that much- they don't want to serve it; they're an airline, not a restaurant.

Totally NOT sushi on a plane. Wha?

DO tastebuds change in elevation?

I like to bring dried fruit, nuts, cookies, veggies (carrots, celery, etc.). A container of chickpeas with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and spices would be good...

I like the beef jerky idea.

Yeah, I don't trust plane food. I barely trust restaurant food. And I CERTAINLY don't trust chain restaurant food. I'm definitely a do-it-myselfer.

Oh and hardboiled eggs- totally!

After the security check-point there are places that sell food. I bought a good sized salad and some little chocolates to hold me over.

wertygirl - The trick is to confirm your meal at least once. I always request my meals when I book the flight, then confirm 48 hours in advance, 24 hours in advance, and at check-in. (That way, if they've gotten lazy, they have another chance to enter the meal request, and if they tell you they forgot to enter the meal again when you check in, you'll hopefully have time to buy something.) Only one airline has ever goofed (they gave me the dairy version and I'm very allergic, but fortunately not everything had dairy in it).

If you don't like calling airlines repeatedly, see if they allow travelers to manage their bookings online (British Airways does), which is faster and easier.

Of course, I always bring a couple of Larabars in the event of a long delay. I can last for hours on *one* of those things, and they take up almost no room.

We travel from Europe to the US at least once a year with our two food allergic children, who cannot have the airline food. So we have to bring all with us! Normal food that we pack: grapes and apples (must have all that eaten before we get off the plane, or the Ag people confiscate it and we get a fine), sushi rice made into cakes or smoked salmon and cucumber sushi, simple pasta with tomato sauce, their favorite dip with peppers and cucumbers for dipping (again, with the Ag dept). Yogurts. We always over pack, because we have no other food we can offer them, and we normally have a 4 hour drive once we get in. Everyone gets their own bento box (we did bring our own forks with no problems).

Highly flavored foods are the way to go...anything that has strong flavor since either the altitude or the air in the cabin dulls the tastebuds. Treats are helpful, but you don't want kids bouncing off the walls on an airplane :-).

Although I love nuts, nut-product pose a serious health risk to those people who are allergic to nuts. Some people who are allergic to peanuts (a legume) and tree nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc) don't even need to ingest the nut to have a reaction to it.

While some people can have an anaphylactic reaction to ingested food, others can have this life-threatening reaction if they come in contact with causative agents.

Nuts are usually oily and peanut butter is rather sticky - if a microscopic bits comes into contact with someone who is allergic, they could die.

I have a son who is deathly allergic to nuts and although we make arrangements with the air carrier to have a nut-free flight, sometimes they still serve nuts on the plane. Bringing nuts and nut products on planes pose a serious health risk to other people, especially given the increase in nut allergies and children.

@lonnstrom: seriously? Are people to avoid bringing on any food that someone might have an allergy to? It would seem incumbent upon the allergy sufferer to avoid dangerous environments, not expect the rest of the world to conform to the needs of the odd individual with an allergy.

@shanalulu - -I guess my son should stay confined to home rather than worry about some messy eaters.