What foods for frequent flyers to pack on planes?

[dimsumfan]

In light of the liquid ban and overall poor quality/cost of airport food, what are your favorite foods to bring on planes these days? I often fly a few times per week and would like to keep a good stock of items at home that I can grab and throw in my carry-on bag for outbound and returning flights. So far, I've thought of:

Peanut butter

Energy bars

Vegetable sticks (but maybe just one-way, as they should stay cold)

Tins of tuna

Cheese (that doesn't need refrigeration)

[Shalmanese]

I don't really bother for domestic flights but Some cheese and cured meats makes the ubiquitous bread roll on international flights more tolerable. Grapes and apples travel well. I like to cut up some carrot sticks and take a little plastic takeaway container of homemade hummus to dip it in. The hummus is thick enough that even if the lid comes off, it doesn't make too much of a mess (although I suppose this is illegal now).

Instead of bread, tortillas and wraps make sandwiches much more convenient. Pack the stuff seperately and assemble on the plane. Mixed nuts are great, so is dried fruit.

Whenever I fly through SFO terminal 1, I bring along a whole bunch of fixings, but a baguette from bouchon bakery and make a nice sandwich before my flight.

And I always carry a pack of gum for decompression purposes on descent.

[MelissaH]

Has anyone flown with a PB&J sandwich since the new restrictions took effect? And do they confiscate cheese sticks, or baby-cut carrots?

I'll need to bring something that can withstand an hour's drive to the airport, another hour of waiting at the airport, a couple of hours of flying, and a quick layover at O'Hare before my cross-country flight. I'm open to suggestions!

MelissaH

[Maison Rustique]

I thought the new restrictions prohibited food of any sort, but I may be mistaken.

[MelissaH]

I thought the new restrictions prohibited food of any sort, but I may be mistaken.

←

I was also under the impression that no food was allowed. But I looked at the TSA's Web page on banned and permitted stuff, and it doesn't explicitly say "No food allowed." The things it lists as not allowed in a carry-on bag are:

*All beverages;

*Canned or jarred goods containing soup, sauces, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables and jellies;

*Cheese in pressurized containers;

*Duty free alcohol and other items;

*Gel based sports supplements ;

*Jell-O's;

*Pudding;

*Whipped cream;

*Yogurt or gel like food substances;

*And also baby items if you aren't traveling with a baby.

My flight out leaves at 9:51 Eastern time and if everything's on time I'll arrive at my destination at 2:30 Pacific time (in other words, seven hours in transit, not counting the time to get to the airport an hour early!). I have barely an hour's layover at O'Hare, and even if the two gates were right next to each other, that's hardly enough time to buy something for lunch and wolf it down before being herded onto my connecting flight. I'll have the option to purchase a snackbox on board, but for $5 I can bring something from home that's better-tasting and probably better for me...if I'm allowed to bring it on board.

[jsmeeker]

I never pack any food for my flights**. But I'm flying short hops (like Dallas to Los Angeles), so it's not a big deal.

** a few times, I've carried a large container of cookies or brownies or chocoalte tofee with me, but that wasn't to eat on the plane. It was for a party at the destination city.

[dimsumfan]

I fly regularly, and non-liquid foods are DEFINITELY allowed. Keep the ideas coming!

[CaliPoutine]

I always travel with a mini softsided cooler and an blue-ice. I do take medicine with me that needs to be refridgerated so since I'm bringing the cooler anyway, I tend to pack sandwiches.

[NeilMalek]

I always travel with ... an blue-ice. 

Something tells me you're going to have some trouble with this on future flights.

I would stick to sandwiches / cookies / fruits / vegetables, and only things that don't need to stay cold. Anything that's vaguely gel- or liquid-like is going to get confiscated.

[CaliPoutine]

I always travel with ... an blue-ice. 

Something tells me you're going to have some trouble with this on future flights.

I would stick to sandwiches / cookies / fruits / vegetables, and only things that don't need to stay cold. Anything that's vaguely gel- or liquid-like is going to get confiscated.

←

Hmmm, I never thought about the ice thing. I have a travel pack( from the pharmacutical company) that has two small ice packs and a place for my Byetta( diabetic medicine). My Diabetic meds MUST stay cold so I wonder what I'm going to do. I'm taking a flight next week too.

[jenc]

Cali > I'd phone your airline ahead of time and ask about that situation.

Foods to bring: cookies, carrot sticks, apples. I personally would bring chinese BBQ buns or something, as they're nice and compact. They usually survive well, though after five hours outside, they're getting to the end of their life. Not that I haven't eaten one after that long anyway.

You could probably try steamed buns from the frozen section of the grocery store if yours carries them. 30seconds in a microwave and then store in a ziploc bag.

If you don't have that, I'd do apples, carrot sticks, a chunk of gruyere, bread and some really nice dark chocolate. And maybe some cookies.

[Pam R]

I flew last week. Peanut butter or jam or mayo or ketchup or any other condiment in little packets (the kind you get with your toast in a restaurant) are not allowed. But if they are already on the bread in a sandwich they are allowed. BUT if you are diabetic, they let you take the packets.

I'm not sure, but I think fruits and veg are OK. We had some chips and nuts with us and they were allowed (though the little can of nuts caused some issues with security, once they were exrayed and then put into another machine they were allowed).

[Lilija]

No duty free alchohol? Oh dear, I'm going to Jamaica in a few months... This makes me very unhappy.

Generally I pack popcorn, nuts, cheese, grapes, and maybe some cured meats to snack on. I also always have a protein bar or two. But then, this is my standard bag of food, for any trip.

[bookluvingbabe]

I flew last week and food was allowed--we brought back scones, Timbits and a ton of candy.

We checked the wine we bought--mine was in mini-bottles (Canadian ice wine) and got through fine. Not sure if the big bottles made it safely to California.

I also had nuts and dried fruit with me and it wasn't an issue.

[DTBarton]

One thing I like to do is search out a good deli where I'm traveling. Then I get a nice pastrami or corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard. Keeps forever in the carry-on.

[NeilMalek]

I always travel with ... an blue-ice. 

Something tells me you're going to have some trouble with this on future flights.

I would stick to sandwiches / cookies / fruits / vegetables, and only things that don't need to stay cold. Anything that's vaguely gel- or liquid-like is going to get confiscated.

←

Hmmm, I never thought about the ice thing. I have a travel pack( from the pharmacutical company) that has two small ice packs and a place for my Byetta( diabetic medicine). My Diabetic meds MUST stay cold so I wonder what I'm going to do. I'm taking a flight next week too.

←

Agreed with above poster, I'm sure they've got measures in place. I'd definitely call and find out what they are, though, esp. since they might tell you to leave the travel pack (which sounds like it has some value) behind.

[JSD]

We just got home today after flying Southwest this week across the country and back. On longer flights they give you a whole can of something to drink and of course peanuts, and also some crackers, and fruit and nut mix. Before we left home, I went to the grocery store and had sandwiches made. Because of the liquid ban, I also bought apples which I cut up and mini carrots. We didn't have problems with any of the food. I didn't bother with trying to keep them cool, and it wasn't a problem.

[SuzySushi]

I always travel with ... an blue-ice. 

Something tells me you're going to have some trouble with this on future flights.

I would stick to sandwiches / cookies / fruits / vegetables, and only things that don't need to stay cold. Anything that's vaguely gel- or liquid-like is going to get confiscated.

←

Hmmm, I never thought about the ice thing. I have a travel pack( from the pharmacutical company) that has two small ice packs and a place for my Byetta( diabetic medicine). My Diabetic meds MUST stay cold so I wonder what I'm going to do. I'm taking a flight next week too.

←

Cali, like others have said, best to call the airlines ahead of time. The TSA's rules are not clear as to whether ice packs constitute permitted "diabetes supplies." It could be that the hard plastic ice packs are permissible, while the gel-type ones are not. Best to ask! You should also carry a written prescription from your doctor for all medications and supplies, and keep them in their original containers with their prescribing labels that have your name on them.

[beany]

Cali > I'd phone your airline ahead of time and ask about that situation.

Foods to bring: cookies, carrot sticks, apples. I personally would bring chinese BBQ buns or something, as they're nice and compact. They usually survive well, though after five hours outside, they're getting to the end of their life. Not that I haven't eaten one after that long anyway.

You could probably try steamed buns from the frozen section of the grocery store if yours carries them. 30seconds in a microwave and then store in a ziploc bag.

If you don't have that, I'd do apples, carrot sticks, a chunk of gruyere, bread and some really nice dark chocolate.  And maybe some cookies.

←

Its funny, I flew out of Toronto a few weeks ago, and the security guard took away my barbeque sauce from Mcdonalds but he didn't notice the vinegar packets I had in the front pouch of my backpack.

In Vancouver my contact lens solution was allowed through even though in Edmonton my shampoo was removed. There was a huge table will all the products that passengers had to surrender. At first I thought it was a display of the products not allowed on planes, but then I too had to add to the table.

One trick I used was to ask for a plastic/paper cup from a fast food restaurant so the air hostesses could fill them up with water as bottles and cans are not allowed to be had by passengers.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I've flow to-and-from Panama twice in the past six weeks. While there is a hot food offering on both Taco and Copa, I have been less than thrilled with it and have now taken to bringing a boxed charcuterie plate with me; cured meats, a few cornichons and olives, a couple of hunks of cheese, some crackers or bread, and fruit.

Perfect.

[ghostrider]

One trick I used was to ask for a plastic/paper cup from a fast food restaurant so the air hostesses could fill them up with water as bottles and cans are not allowed to be had by passengers.

←

Allowance of water bottles apparently varies from one airport to another. I have this as first-hand info from friends who've flown very recently. But the bottom line is that you can't count on being able to take water on with you.

[dls]

One trick I used was to ask for a plastic/paper cup from a fast food restaurant so the air hostesses could fill them up with water as bottles and cans are not allowed to be had by passengers.

←

Allowance of water bottles apparently varies from one airport to another. I have this as first-hand info from friends who've flown very recently. But the bottom line is that you can't count on being able to take water on with you.

←

I've been on about 30 flights since the new TSA regs went into effect. With O'Hare as my base, destinations have included most of the major airports on both coasts and to/through points in between. After clearing the TSA screening area, it appears to be "business as usual" at all locations. Not once have I seen additional screening at the gates I'm boarding through or the ones nearby. Several times I've witnessed individuals putting bottled water that they had purchased in the terminal into their carry on bag and zipping right on board. So much for the new regs.

BTW-The TSA rats did confiscate a few miniature bottles of Tabasco that I always carry to "enhance" the food served on the plane along with a couple of miniatures of Vodka left over from prior flights. My guess is that the Vodka never made to the dumpster.

[bookluvingbabe]

TSA did search every bag again at the gate for my flight from Buffalo to BWI.

I assumed it was because we were flying to DC.

[MelissaH]

I've been on about 30 flights since the new TSA regs went into effect. With O'Hare as my base, destinations have included most of the major airports on both coasts and to/through points in between. After clearing the TSA screening area, it appears to be "business as usual" at all locations. Not once have I seen additional screening at the gates I'm boarding through or the ones nearby. Several times I've witnessed individuals putting bottled water that they had purchased in the terminal into their carry on bag and zipping right on board. So much for the new regs.

BTW-The TSA rats did confiscate a few miniature bottles of Tabasco that I always carry to "enhance" the food served on the plane along with a couple of miniatures of Vodka left over from prior flights.    My guess is that the Vodka never made to the dumpster.

←

Any suggestions on places to snag a *very* quick bite or sip in O'Hare? I'm particularly interested in places that sell caffeinated beverages in the various United concourses that are open between 5 and 6 AM. At that hour, I'm not too picky.

MelissaH

[dls]

I've been on about 30 flights since the new TSA regs went into effect. With O'Hare as my base, destinations have included most of the major airports on both coasts and to/through points in between. After clearing the TSA screening area, it appears to be "business as usual" at all locations. Not once have I seen additional screening at the gates I'm boarding through or the ones nearby. Several times I've witnessed individuals putting bottled water that they had purchased in the terminal into their carry on bag and zipping right on board. So much for the new regs.

BTW-The TSA rats did confiscate a few miniature bottles of Tabasco that I always carry to "enhance" the food served on the plane along with a couple of miniatures of Vodka left over from prior flights.    My guess is that the Vodka never made to the dumpster.

←

Any suggestions on places to snag a *very* quick bite or sip in O'Hare? I'm particularly interested in places that sell caffeinated beverages in the various United concourses that are open between 5 and 6 AM. At that hour, I'm not too picky.

MelissaH

←

MelissaH - If you're flying United, you most likely will be in T1 (a very limited number of their flights arrive/depart out of T2). For caffeine, there's always Starbucks and numerous other vendors. Wolfgang Puck is OK for a quick bite or to grab something to carry on board.

A full list of the concessions in T1 can be found here. I assume that, with the exception of the bars, most will be open at the time you will be there.

Safe trip.