Ideas for packing food for airlines?

[TravelingChris]

We are going to be flying on three airplanes with a total of 6 hours flying time and only about an hour max in the layovers with one of them being at OHare. With traveling to the airport and renting a car at the other end, I think we are talking about 10 hours without food. So that is not okay and since these are small planes, there will be no possibility of buying food on the planes. I assume they will provide drinks. Yes, I do have older kids but both are teenagers and normally eat every few hours and certainly more than every ten. ANy suggestions for food?

[charmama4]

I remember flying and was told no PB or applesauce. they are considered liquids b/c you can "squeeze" them out of a container.

 

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/holiday.shtm

 

This is airport security from TSA very informative on what you cannot bring to help you bring what you can.

[Pajama Mama]

When we go on long trips or to an amusement park; I pack Subway sandwiches in a cooler. You can make them healthier and also have them cut in half for convenience. I would think teens would love Subway. You may have to have them dry. I doubt that you would be allowed packets of condiments.

 

ETA: Hmmm...maybe it's not a good idea though. I doubt that you would be allowed to pack an ice pack or ice to keep them cool.

[Giraffe]

I fly frequently. If you can - buy some food at the airport before you board the first flight, that way you're good if you get stuff taken by TSA. As far as getting food through security, pack simple sandwiches - freeze them first so that they stay fresh. Lettuce & tomato don't freeze well so keep it just meat, cheese, and mayo/mustard. Chips and crackers, granola bars, cheese cubes - all that works. You'll probably have to get drinks on the plane or in the airport. I get juice through because I'm traveling with a little one, but I don't think teenagers will get that exception. :)

 

Be careful about the small planes - they don't always have drinks on board. I'd be sure that you have some drinks with you before you board if at all possible.

[sleepymommy]

I've had no problems taking sandwiches and snacks on board. They just can't be liquid, liquid-like, or gel-like.

 

There are also usually food vendors in the airport terminal, if you purchase in the terminal (after security) then you can take those items with you on board, including drinks.

[milovany]

Bagels and cream cheese hold up well. Just eat them earlier in the 10 hour period rather than later.

[Lawana]

Trail mix is our standby. It has dense calories, and fills us up without taking too much space. We buy the individually wrapped single servings in a box at Walmart or Sam's Club.

[mrs.m]

I got through with grapes. Security joked that he was going to take them because he was hungry. LOL!

[TravelingChris]

Thanks for the great ideas. My reason that I can't only rely on vendors in the halls is that we have less than an hour at each location and when we had that at the college trip we did last month, all we had time to do is go to the restroom and get to the next flight before they were boarding. At O"Hare, we will also be changing terminals which is even worse. So I think some cookies or crackers in packages, some non juicy fruit , and maybe some nuts other than peanuts.

[HayesW]

Kashi granola bars are high in protein and help keep you full longer

 

Cheese sticks

Fruit leather

[Deb in NZ]

When I last flew with ds#2 I packed a bag with snacks & things to make into lunch. I was thinking homemade "Lunchables." I packed a bag of mini sub rolls, some lunch meat (roast beef), sliced deli cheese, hard boiled eggs, lunchbox-size bags of chips, mini cookies, granola bars, etc. You ARE allowed to take liquids on board, but each container can't be bigger that 2oz, must be in original containers, & all the liquids must fit in a quart-size ziploc bag. I brought the little contiment packs like the ketchup packets from McDonalds. I, also, put in the bag some small paper plates, napkins, & a few bags for rubbish. The "cold" food was packed together in a bigger ziploc back to help it stay cool. The snack bags & plates,etc. were in other ziplocs to make finding things easier. The condiments were in their own quart-size ziploc to easily grab as you need to carry your bag of liquids with you thru security. All the snacks were in a totebag I carried on the plane. We had 18+ hours of travel & knew we wouldn't get fed on the plane until we left LAX on the international leg of our journey, about 7 hours after we departed. I'm not a fan of airport food & choose to bring our own when ever possible. We did throw away the little that was left in the "cold" bag when we boarded the plane in LAX, but only because I knew we wouldn't be able to bring meat & cheese thru customs in NZ. The funny thing was the drug dog in the airport in NZ could smell the roastbeef on the totebag even though it had been packing in its own ziploc inside a bigger ziploc & then extras thrown away over 12 hours previously. Don't try to bring drinks through security. Instead get a bottle of water in the terminal after you pass through security. Then you can carry it on the plane. It'll be much cheaper than buying drinks on the plane, if they even offer drinks on small planes.

 

JMHO,

[Brilliant]

We bring food on planes all the time.

 

Our favorite thing to eat is a really yummy sub sandwich. Roast beef w/ horseradish mayo, or an italian-style cold-cut sandwich (with only a tiny amount of dressing; you don't want italian dressing all over you on an airplane). Made on a crusty sub roll or ciabatta roll. Lettuce & onions on the sandwich are usually OK; tomatoes tend to make it soggy so we skip those. I wrap the sandwiches tightly in plastic wrap, and keep in a cooler until we are actually getting out of the car at the airport. It will probably be 2-3 hours before we get to eat it, so some folks might be squeamish about leaving it out that long. But we aren't dead yet. :) I'd definitely make that the meal for the first flight, though; I wouldn't save it for a later flight.

 

Other than that...we try to bring other favorites, such as cookies, fruit-other-than-bananas-which-bruise-too-easily, snack mix (either trail mix or oriental rice mix). I have food insecurity when I travel - you never know when you'll be stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours - so I tend to pack more than what I think we'll need. If it's pre-packaged stuff then it can easily make the return trip home. But don't bring too much homemade or fresh stuff that will have to be thrown away if it's not eaten.