By Stephanie DeRosa
You already know that plane food is plain bad. Those in-flight meals chock full of salt, preservatives and other yucky ingredients leave us bloated and uncomfortable. So how can you eat your own healthy, fresh food in the air without it perishing or getting confiscated before it even reaches the gate? Good news -- it's actually really easy! As it turns out, you can take any food on a plane as long as it's packed right and according to security regulations. Get ready to say adios to unappetizing plane food and hello to healthy, happy flight meals. Here are Travelle's tips for taking food through airport security and on a plane:
Wrap It Up
Bringing a sandwich onboard? Wrap it tightly in plastic first to prevent tomato slice juices and the like from leaking out into your carry-on. Once it's leak proof, wrap it once more in parchment paper and you're good to go! Just avoid using aluminum foil as it may become an unnecessary cause for concern when your bags get X-rayed.
Follow The Rules For Liquids
In the eyes of airport security, dips, dressings and sauces are no different than shampoos and perfume. This means they follow the no bigger than 3.4oz rule for liquid carry-on items. If you're packing things like a favorite low fat salad dressing or hummus, pour it into a tightly closed 3.4oz container and seal it up in a quart sized plastic bag. Keep in mind that if you're carrying on, some airports will require that you put all liquids in a single plastic bag and include any food in your total allowance.
Solid Foods Get A Free Pass
From avocadoes and salads to pastas and chicken, any size serving of solid foods can be brought though security and onto the flight in glass and plastic containers, or plastic bags. Any meal or snack you don't mind eating at room temperature is perfectly fine to bring on a flight. But remember -- liquid foods must be in 3.4oz containers or smaller!
Keep Food Fresh
There are ways to prevent finding disappointingly inedible food in your carry-on midflight! Packing fruit or veggies in a small cooler keeps them from getting mushy and going bad. Just be sure that any icepacks are completely frozen when going through security. If they're not solid, they're not allowed. Freezing meals in spill-proof containers beforehand is also a good way to take food on a plane. It gives your dinner time to thaw out between going through security and getting seriously hungry on the flight. And it'll still taste delicious.
Prepare Your Water Supply
Staying hydrated is always important, especially on a flight. But plane water isn't as clean as we'd like it to be and bringing our own bottled water through security is a big no-no. A good way around drinking plane water or buying bottles in bulk at the airport is to bring your own empty reusable bottles or thermoses. Because they're not filled, your bottles will pass through airport security without the bat of an eyelash, and you can fill them up with clean cold or hot water before you board.
Time To Dig In
Don't want to use the plane's utensils? That's ok, you can bring your own! Spoons, forks and butter knives are all permitted in your carry-on. Bon appétit!
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