5 Genius In-Flight Food And Beverage Hacks From A Flight Attendant

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Flights can be stressful affairs, especially the parts that bookend the actual flying bit of the journey. From navigating security and endless walks to the gate to deboarding and the suspense of waiting for your checked-in luggage, it's nice to find some peace when you're actually on your seat, floating through the sky. Getting peckish during this time is natural, and carrying some snackables is a good idea so you're not at the mercy of the in-flight food cart. While carrying fast food through airport security is a possibility, it has its caveats, since some items may not be allowed and others just don't taste good by the time you're seated and the flight has taken off. 

Cold, soggy fries at 30,000 feet taste as depressing as they do on the ground, so Chowhound got some tips from someone who knows the ins and outs of eating and drinking well on a flight. Barbi, journalist and veteran flight attendant, gave us her favorite hacks, as well as some important dos and don'ts for enjoying meals in-flight. "You know you're on an airplane and there will be a service of some kind, and just like going through a drive-thru window, you know you're going to order something, so be ready with your order," advises Barbi. She also dropped some quick tips on how to make life a little easier for those around you. "Be conscientious of yourself, your surroundings, and your seatmates," she said, before delving into how best to bring food on board and the best snacks to carry with you on flights.

Even if you're on an international flight, most of the food onboard is not the healthiest. Sure, you get a small side salad and maybe a piece of fruit. Apart from that, most of the offerings on a flight, be it short or long-haul, included or purchased, tend to be less healthy options. When it comes to carrying your own snacks on a flight, Barbi recommends carrying some healthy bites. "Personally, I'm not a fan of fast food, so anything like apples, bananas, or homemade sandwiches is fine. But packing your food for airline travel isn't easy, especially if you're trying not to damage it. Even crew members have a hard time keeping fresh fruit from being damaged." The solution? Hardy and healthy snacks such as carrot and celery sticks.

The veteran flight attendant, a healthy eater herself, is also partial to pistachios and carries them with her on flights. You can also elevate dried fruit with sour candy pieces for the perfect in-flight snack, and for dessert, Barbi recommends a pint of blueberries and Think! Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie keto protein bars. If you're craving saltier munchies such as chips or pretzels, chances are they're available in-flight.

For a heartier meal, homemade sandwiches and an assortment of charcuterie elements are easy and delicious options. Here, the containers you carry them in are all-important. Sure, you can wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil, but be prepared for a squashed mass of bread and filling by the time you get to eating it. "If you're bringing food from home, collapsible, silicone food storage containers are fantastic options for keeping your food smashproof until you consume it, then taking up little space in your carry-on afterward," recommends Barbi. Pick up something like the Annaklin collapsible food storage containers and you can prep your flight meals beforehand and store them until you're ready to fly.

For a fancier bite, enjoy an assortment of charcuterie in the air. Multi-compartment snackle boxes are quite popular and can be loaded with lots of different elements. Of course, to ensure your snackle box is filled with TSA-approved eats, pick solid foods such as cold cuts, hard cheese, nuts, and chocolate pieces while avoiding liquid and semi-liquid foods such as dips and cream cheese.

When putting together your in-flight snack or meal, keep in mind that the crew almost certainly cannot reheat the food for you. Planes carry very specific equipment designed to keep only the food they serve onboard hot. "We don't have a microwave on the plane, and even if we do have ovens, we still can't accommodate heating food for passengers," explains Barbi.

Even if you think they might be able to heat up the food you're carrying with you, it's generally not a good idea to make such a request. Flight crews have a long list of responsibilities during the flight, with tasks specifically laid out for efficiency and passenger comfort. Asking them to reheat something for you doesn't just interrupt their workflow, it can also cause delays in other passengers being served. Fortunately, there are lots of options that don't need to be reheated and are perfect to eat during a flight, including the ones suggested by Barbi. Grilled vegetables, grain salads, and soft breads such as focaccia and pita also taste great without having to be heated up.

There are a few things to keep in mind when carrying water with you on a flight, even if you're doing it to avoid additional single-use waste. When asked about passengers who carry their own water bottles, Barbi says that it's not always convenient to fill up their bottles on the flight. "I appreciate their desire to have water to drink in an environmentally conscious container, but unfortunately, there isn't a lot of bottled water to go around," she explains. "Plus, a lot of flight attendants are squeamish about pouring water from the giant bottles of our water on the plane into a bottle that a passenger's lips have touched." 

Another aspect to keep in mind is the TSA 3-1-1 rule, meaning you can carry a maximum of 3.4 ounces of liquid per container through security. Therefore, it's best to carry an empty water bottle with you and fill it with water at a drinking fountain after you have crossed the security check. Alternatively, you can buy a beverage from the airport terminal after clearing security and carry it with you on the flight.

Finally, when you're done eating, you can make life for the flight crew a lot easier by not leaving your leftovers and trash strewn about. For small debris such as orange peels and pistachio shells, Barbi suggests using the air sick bag to store it and simply handing the bag over to the flight attendant when they come around to collect trash. "If you have more than will fit in the small bag, ask the crew for a larger trash bag. We'd much rather you ask for that than clean up a huge mess you've made," she elaborates.

If you're carrying food with you in disposable packaging, keep in mind that large boxes are difficult to dispose of in the limited space that's available inside a plane. "Those giant pizza boxes are a total pain for the crew," reveals Barbi. "Trash space is premium real estate, so if you can ditch the box before you get on the flight, that's so much better for us."