Fortify Your Flight
by Willie Victor
It’s easy for people to be thrown off their eating schedule when they travel, which can cause the blood sugar to dip, making them tired, spacey, and cranky. For those of us with allergies, it’s even harder to stay nourished, as we can’t always rely on restaurants, let alone airplane food.
Most airports have better restaurant choices today, but it’s possible only fast food establishments are available, so carry lots of snacks – at least twice the amount that you think you will need to replace meals. Account for the hours that you will be in the airport, the time on the plane, and for any possible delays.
Do your best to eat something substantive (not just sugar or starch) at least every four hours. Sorry, coffee doesn’t count.
Here are some suggestions which require no refrigeration, keep the blood sugar stable, are easy to carry, and take up little space:
- Hard-boiled eggs (protein)
- Avocados (protein and good fats)
- Snack bars (protein)
- Trial Mix – dried fruit (antioxidants), coconut (good fats), sunflower seeds (protein)
- Nuts (protein)
- Crackers – I recommend Blue Diamond Nut Thins, which are made from nuts and rice, and have no gluten, saturated fats, or cholesterol
Be warned that if traveling outside the US, canned tuna, salmon, or sardines are not allowed back into the US and will be confiscated before you board the plane.
The air in an airplane is drier than Arizona – about 20% humidity. Be sure to drink water at least once an hour. Alcohol, which may lighten the mood, unfortunately also dehydrates the body, and so is best avoided.
If you are gluten-intolerant, call the airline and ask if you can have a gluten-free meal. And be aware that the coating on the peanuts airlines serve often contains gluten.
If you have a peanut allergy, do NOT eat airline meals or snacks and alert your airline ahead of time. They may be able to serve you non-peanut snacks, provide a peanut-free buffer zone by not serving peanuts to the passengers seated near you, or even allow you to pre-board to inspect and clean your seating area. These days awareness is growing, so don’t be nervous about asking those passengers near you to please refrain from eating peanut products.
Adhering to these few steps will keep your body satisfied and allow you to fully experience the true delights that have become modern airline travel, such as extra luggage charges, dead reading lights, and Icelandic volcanoes.
Bon voyage!
Thank you for the great tips! I’ll add avocado to my list. I’m allergic to tree nuts (risk of anaphylaxis), in addition to being a Celiac, and am frustrated by the lack of awareness of the seriousness of this allergy in addition to peanut. US flights are usually safe, but European flights frequently serve hazelnut snacks, and there is no way to alert the airline as to the potential seriousness of a reaction. I carry hand wipes to wipe down my area before getting settled, which peanut-allergic passengers probably do as well. Thanks again for your great newsletters.
Thanks, Liana. Good idea with the hand wipes. Yes, I know, peanuts, like gluten, are getting more and more into the mainstream, but there is SO much more for folks to learn. I liked Willie’s idea of asking for a peanut-free (or in your case, a nut-free) zone around your seat. Provided the airline listens, that is.