With the lack of decent airline food or the lack of meal service in general, do many of you pack your own food for longer flights? If so, what types of things do you like to bring? What travels well?
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I make my travel sandwich on frozen bread, which keeps it fresh for the time I need it. I always take crackers and cheese on longer flights, never travel without bottled water, and often add one of Trader Joe's trail mixes to my kit if it is a long flight or if I am concerned about delays. Arriving late at an airport or being delayed after food services have closed can be an awful experience. You should get to know your home airports and those frequently traveled through. I know where the best sandwiches are at BWI, San Diego, Kansas City and Milwaukee, so I know what to secure for my return journey. As a final note, having hand wipes to freshen up can prove a God send, as can individually wrapped disposable toothbrushes with toothpaste embedded in the bristles. I buy them from my dentist because I travel so much. It is great if you are stuck anyplace or on a long flight. Safe travels!
In regards to the peanut allergy questions. Typically the problem with peanut allergies is that if they are severe enough the peanut particles in the air can cause reactions. I was on a flight with a relative who began to have severe breathing difficulties because bags of peanuts were being opened. She had only recently been diagnosed with peanut allergies, so she was still getting the hang of things. An airline pilot explained to us that the combination of nut particles and the recycled air is deadly to those with nut allergies. My relative now makes sure to fly on airlines that do not serve peanuts, and unfortunately her allergy has gotten so severe that if this were to occur again her epi-pen may not correct the problem. For everyone that likes to travel and eat peanut butter (I certainly do) you could do what I do, I make sure to ask the flight attendants if there are any people on board with nut allergies (they are told by their doctors to inform plane crews) and if there aren't I enjoy.
I usually take 9 am flights. First I have my coffee and a muffin and fruit, for lunch I often bring a subway or something similiar, with a pickle, fruit, cookies, chips to go with it...lol
I think people are making too much out of this whole thing. Unless a flight is longer than 6 or 7 hours, eat a meal before you go, take along a piece of fruit and cheese and crackers and call it a day. Your body can survive for a LONG time without eating more. Of course it's important to keep hydrated, so bring some water or ask for it on the plane. It's better for you while flying than alcohol or coffee. Really watch it with the peanuts or peanut butter! Some people are terribly allergic.
Speak for yourself Susan! There are many people who simply can't go that long. I know that it's healthier to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day then 3 large meals. I am diabetic and need to eat frequently (protein is best) and I am sure there are others with other health concerns that need to eat frequently. I don't expect fancy meals on flights, but if they are going to serve food, serve edible food! And since I prefer cheaper flights, I am willing to buy meals on flights, if that would make the quality better. As for peanut allergies, I had no idea that peanut particles in the air could cause allergies. I will do what Florida Travel suggested, and ask the flight attendant if there is anyone on the flight with peanut allergies before I open my nuts or peanut butter. I traveled with Trader Joes Trail Mix and dried apricots on my recent flights and they really helped!
Why are diabetics ALWAYS expected to take care of their disease and related problems themselves, but those who are allergic (cats, peanuts, etc.)ALWAYS expect other travelers and the airline industry to change their behavior?
Diabetics can have just as severe and life-threatening symptoms, especially with the added stress of traveling. And they CAN die because of lack of food over a short period of time, !
Case in point: Last winter, in Cancun after the hurricane struck, diabetics had to be airlifted to hospitals from hurricane shelters because the shelters ran out of food and could not get any more food due to severe flooding. Everyone including tourists had gone more than 24 hours without any food, but the diabetics were airlifted because their health was severely compromised at that point.
It is so clear from all the above comments that diabetics DO take care of themselves and DO come prepared for most emergencies. They don't expect their fellow passengers to "share" food with them because they have diabetes. They don't expect the airline industry to have diabetic food (or food, period) always available.
THEY PLAN AHEAD AND COME PREPARED FOR CHANGES.
People with allergies should do the same. It is so easy to get on internet message boards to ask how to handle just about any type of health problem in any situation these days....imo there really is no excuse for this "take care of me" behavior when traveling. Save that for the true emergencies and travel prepared.
BTW my husband is diabetic and we are both extremely allergic(pollen/dust), but we have traveled over 30 years prepared to handle it all. Thanks for all the terrific food suggestions--I have now updated our travel meals and I will definitely use my Trader Joes and Whole Foods for wraps!
But Chris, being extremely allergic to pollen and dust is not the same as anaphylactic reactions to peanuts. The windpipe literally swells shut within minutes and they are blue. Taking allergy medications ahead of time will not avert it. It's not a matter of coming prepared for changes or even having a few minutes to put those preparations into effect. Even traveling with an Epi-pen may not be enough. It's an unusually aggressive and quick deadly allergy and can't be compared to other sensitivities that are involuntarily aggravated by the environment. These people's susceptiblity to peanuts is often difficult to overcome even if they live to get to the emergency department and they are often immediately put on a ventilator and have even needed a tracheotomy to be able to be put on the ventilator. There is no time on their side to weigh what is happening to them. We can effortlessly eat something else besides peanuts so these individuals can fly for a few hours.
I know of 2 cases in our tiny little state where people have died from just eating a trace of peanut butter. One was an unsuspecting college girl who ate a bowl of chili (who would think peanuts would have been an ingredient) and was dead before she got to the hospital. Another was a local teacher who ate something at a party not knowing it had some form of peanuts in it and she too died before she got to the hospital. Nut allergies are not like being allergic to mold and dust. I say leave the peanut butter at home and pack the cream cheese. Cream cheese and jelly...mmmmmm good!
Just curious -- do those surgical masks help peanut allergy sufferers?
I, personally, avoid bringing anything peanutty on planes (don't want to start my vaca by killing a fellow passenger)!
But as far as folks objecting to "stinky foods" ... well IMO that's in the same category as me not liking your perfume or aftershave, or smelling mold from that carryon you've kept in the basement for a year (and that happens frequently), or me being mildly allergic to Fido or Fluffy who is traveling on board with you, etc etc etc.
Bottom line, 200 people in a tin can is going to produce a lot of odors and we all need to be tolerant to the best of our abilities.
Here's what I bring: baked goods - they keep a long time and don't spoil...croissants, muffins, broiches - fruit - chocolate (always end up sharing with people around me) - candy, gum and believe it or not, cup of noodles - for long trips. Ask the flight attendant for hot water... I always bring herbal teas, mint tea bag helps ginger tea is good for travelling.
Whwnever I am on a overbooked flight, I just start tossing peanuts down the aisles...someone always gats up and i take their seat. Darwin rules! Perhaps it would be simpler to bump nut-allergists into first class...solve alot of problems.
All this talk of food reminds me of a humorous situation that happened about two years ago in the New Orleans' airport. A suspicious package was found in one of the men's rooms so the entire airport was shut down. The search dogs were going crazy after this package so it was suspected to be a bomb. Imagine the surprise when it was found to be a large container of gumbo! Finally, someone spoke out and said that he had accidentally left the package there; he loved his mama's gumbo and was bringing some home with him! Those search dogs know a good thing when they smell it! Ya'll come visit to help out our city. You can still have a great time, but be sure to take a devastation tour (on your own is fine; don't pay for one). We really need the help of the entire country. Please don't forget about us.
As many have mentioned here peanuts on an airplane can be deadly for those that are allergic. In regards to the post that peanut allergic people should "..PLAN AHEAD AND COME PREPARED FOR CHANGES." Food allergic/peanut allergic passengers are doing exactly that when requesting a peanut snack free flight or requesting that their fellow passengers do not eat peanuts while sharing the same flight.
I don't need to restate what the reactions to peanuts can be for those allergic as this has been done already...but for those, in particular to reference the poster who I quoted earlier--if you feel the need or must have high protein foods ready at all times, may I suggest soy nut butter as a subsitute. Trader Joes, Wal-Mart, Target and many other larger chains carry this as an alternative to peanut butter. It has the same consistency, smell and similar taste. Please see below for more details on the various nut and subsitute butters on the market:
Calories Protein Fat
Peanut, natural 94 3.8 8
Peanut, reduced fat 95 4 6
Sunflower 80 3 7
Soy butter 85 4 5.5
Soy butter 80 4 6.5
No, I am not a sales person for sunflower butters or soy butters. I am a mom of a child with a peanut allergy who was a former peanut butter addict and needed to find an alternative when we discovered his allergy. I just would like to inform those that are attempting to be sensative to their fellow passengers and enjoy peanut butter-free snack of the alternatives.
Many posters have mentioned bringing milk, iced tea, frozen juice or water...I want to know - how do you get that through security? Any time I fly, any liquids are not allowed unless purchased at the airport AFTER security. I have even had trouble with an empty nalgene bottle that I planned to fill from a drinking fountain at the gate. How do you do that?
