As summer slowly comes to an end and the fall travel season begins, there’s a good chance you’ll be departing for greener pastures in beautiful cities across the globe. But if you’re like us and aren’t on a billionaire budget, you may want to be a bit more frugal with your spending — particularly on food. No, we’re not talking about the delicious delights found in countries abroad, we’re talking about the overpriced and under seasoned meals at airports and on flights.
We’ve all been there: an excessively long layover, phone about to die and all that remains is the rumble of our stomachs craving sustenance. Being at the mercy of airport food, let alone airline food, is not something we look forward to. Which is why we’ve compiled a list of the best and safest plane-friendly snacks that will certainly pass the airport vibe check.
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Whether you’re flying domestically or internationally, packing the right snacks to keep your hunger satiated is essential. Unfortunately, not all snacks are permitted — for a myriad of reasons. So before you rush out and buy a grocery cart full of food, consider asking yourself these questions:
What are plane-friendly snacks?
Typically a plane-friendly snack is a solid food without any cream or custard filling. In addition, any spreadable liquids like peanut butter or mayonnaise must follow the universal 3-1-1 rule. This rule outlines that any liquids should be limited to travel-sized containers and not exceed 100 ml per item. So please, do not risk bringing any expensive jams or honey on board (thank us later).
What snacks can I bring on a plane?
Typically solid foods have the green light — from muffins to pasta. Anything that can last at room temperature is ideal — we wouldn’t want heaps of ice cream melting out of your pack now would we?
Here’s a few snacks to consider when packing:
What snacks should I avoid bringing on a plane?
The idea when packing snacks for a plane is to not be overly complicated. Often the most simple of recipes can do the trick! Anything too labour intensive like a lasagna might further impact the remaining time you need to pack. Not to mention, there are a few items that really don’t make sense for travelling. Here are a few to make sure you avoid:
How do I pack food for a plane?
Listen, the less hassle you get from TSA the better. The best way to package up your food is in an airtight transparent container. This will avoid any messy spillage while making it easier for security to identify what delicious goodies you’re jet-setting off with. We recommend a storage container like this one from Amazon that has a lightweight and well-made design.
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Can I bring snacks on an international flight?
Absolutely! Food allowance on flights are not limited to domestic travel. Keep in mind, however, this might not be the case for every country. For example, Australia has extremely strict laws where fresh produce or homemade meals are not permitted on the aircraft. Our best advice to is check the travel advisory section of your desired country’s website before packing up.
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Why is airport food so expensive?
To give the food vendors some grace at airports — there are a few reasons why airport food is so expensive. For starters, owning and operating a food stall at an airport racks up an insane amount of rent costs in addition to high delivery fees. Believe or not, space at an airport is incredibly limited, especially for food. Vendors need to pay an outrageous amount of money to keep their food as fresh as possible for the endless amount of people travelling through.
Can I make plane-friendly snacks at home?
That’s the idea! Your best bet is to dedicate some time a day or two before travel to meal prep what you’ll be taking on the plane. To ease your panic, here are a few stellar recipes that are quick, easy and delicious to make at home:
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