This Recipe is dedicated to making your airplane travel with children as easy as a picnic on the plane. Picking at airline food can be discouraging. Make it easy on yourself and take along some healthier choices that your whole family can enjoy. Having taken 30 flights in 3 months for work one year, I speak from experience here. The bit of attention and energy it takes to prepare your own food is guaranteed to be returned to you in feeling better during your flight, and having more energy after you arrive at your destination. Drink plenty of water during the days and hours leading up to your flight, and be sure to walk and stretch in flight. Flights are drying to the body and skin, and contracting.
Travel security restrictions for liquids can be confusing. To simplify, here are the TSA’s rules at this link on what you can bring on the plane to eat.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm
The issues of smelling up the plane with food odors, and waking your neighbor with garlic or tuna has been considered, fear not!
One packed-and-ready-to-go “Plane Picnic:”
- Bagel Chips and Whole Wheat Pita Slices
- Cheddar Cheese Slices
- Green Grapes
- Plum Tomatoes and Sugar Snap Peas
- Spinach Dip
Some of the simplest snacks, meals, tricks & treats for your family in flight:
Easy Meal ideas:
Tortilla or Nori Seaweed Wrap:
Wrap precut avocado, & cheese or homemade chicken salad. Add greens like lettuce and sunflower sprouts. Keep dry and wet items separate until you are in flight.
(Don’t take avocado pits on the plane. Agricultural security may confiscate them in some places.)
One-Dish Meal: Prepare at home, prior to your flight.
Prepare a grain you like; rice, or quinoa, a high-protein alkalizing grain. Combine grain with bite-sized chicken meat, olives, feta, seeds, &/or nuts.
Add chopped vegetables; lightly steamed cut-up green beans, asparagus, & carrots.
Add parsley, or basil, and mix with olive oil & lemon, sea salt and spices in a container-to-go.
Protein:
Cut slices, cubes, or String cheese
Scrambled or Hardboiled eggs
Nut butters:
Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, & cashew butter
These are very delicious and are suggested to avoid the strong-smelling odor of peanut butter. Also, they’re thicker, so less likely to be confiscated as liquid.
Vegetables & Sea vegetables:
Cut-up Carrots, celery, tomatoes
Crunchy, lightly sautéed zucchini slices
Baked sweet potato wedges on cookie sheet.
Edamame, boiled and salted
Dressings Trick:
Since liquids are limited to 3 ounces, why quibble or be held up at security measuring. Here’s a helpful hint that is really helpful!
Toss heavier veggies lightly in dressing and store.
(Veggies like sliced zucchini, tomatoes, celery, etc.)
Add them to lighter greens & lettuces, or wraps,
just before eating.
Dried Foods
Simply add boiling water to:
Oatmeal,
dried soups,
noodle cups
Your favorite teas
Treats:
Nuts & dried fruits
Teething cookies
Buttered toast with jam
Keeping it Cool:
Put a plastic frozen water bottle in with your foods. Drink water before going through security. Toss bottle in recycling. Done. You are ready to fly.
Links to Re-usables on the Web:
Wastefreelunches.org – save money on litterless lunch items
Weangreen.com – baby food storage, child-friendly small glass cubes
Grassrootsstore.com – cloth bags, lunch bins, and more
Lifewithoutplastic.com – stainless steel lunch containers
Pamperedchef.com – pyrex containers
Wrapnmat.com – reusable lined cloth napkin with Velcro seal
Kleankanteen.com – stainless steel bottles
Ewg.com – The Environmental Working Group focuses on the body burden of toxins in our world & in our children.
Laptoplunches.com/products.html – reusable items for lunch
Great recipes & meal ideas in photos: http://www.laptoplunches.com/list-all-recipes.php
