solascriptura Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Does Anyone have ideas for reasonably healthy snacks for kids on long haul flights? My kids do not like nuts or jerky and due to travel restrictions, fresh fruits are not allowed. This difficult because the flights are over 20 hours and I am not sure if they will eat the airline food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Dry cereal and cereal bars? I packed stuff for our trips, but my kids generally didn't need it because we always found something they could eat. Even my picky eater. If anything we all ate too much rather than too little. ;) I did have to relax some of my rules about nutrition. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'm not very strict at all, really. :). I just can't deal with the sugar highs and lows on long, packed flights. The last time, the kids meal consisted of weird chicken nuggets, a six pack of Oreos, two chocolate bars, and a weird fake juice thingy. Really? They wouldn't eat the weird nuggets so they basically ate the cookies, chocolate, and had punch to drink. Hahah... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'm not very strict at all, really. :). I just can't deal with the sugar highs and lows on long, packed flights. The last time, the kids meal consisted of weird chicken nuggets, a six pack of Oreos, two chocolate bars, and a weird fake juice thingy. Really? They wouldn't eat the weird nuggets so they basically ate the cookies, chocolate, and had punch to drink. Hahah... why don't they get a regular meal? They are carb loaded usually, but not as bad as cookies, chocolate and punch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 We often bring healthy homemade pancakes in a ziplock. Can you bring cheese strings? Crackers are good for a snack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'm not very strict at all, really. :). I just can't deal with the sugar highs and lows on long, packed flights. The last time, the kids meal consisted of weird chicken nuggets, a six pack of Oreos, two chocolate bars, and a weird fake juice thingy. Really? They wouldn't eat the weird nuggets so they basically ate the cookies, chocolate, and had punch to drink. Hahah... My kids have always gotten the regular meal. Another option (or backup plan) is to grab a sandwich and milk at the airport before boarding the flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 why don't they get a regular meal? They are carb loaded usually, but not as bad as cookies, chocolate and punch. I usually do. However, on international flights the foods are hit or miss too. I love beef curry noodles, but it might not go over well with a four year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Like SKL, we've had good luck with our kids eating the airline food. I always feel like there is too much food offered on long-haul flights and a reasonable amount of variety. You could call the airline ahead of time to order special meals (for example, a vegetarian meal) or to see what types of food might be offered or available for purchase. We also think it's a lot easier to buy something healthier after you go through security and take it on the plane. There are too many restrictions on what you can take through security and I think a lot of the snacks that are allowed just make everyone thirstier when flying is already dehydrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Why are fresh fruits not allowed? I understand that one cannot enter another country with certain agricultural items, but one can certainly go on a plane with fruit (at least in my experience). My son's basic meal as a kid was Caesar Salad with chicken, always available at the airport even if I did not like the price. And pasta with tomato sauce was offered as an option on my recent international flights. A call to the airline to see if they have something like this is a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Given those restrictions? Dried fruit, hardboiled eggs, juice, sandwiches (lots of sandwiches of different varieties, but nothing too smelly because... it's a plane?), crackers and cheese, muffins, hummus and pita. Pack it all with some ice packs, and plan to eat the more perishable sandwiches and cheese and eggs first, saving the raisins and juice for later. Top it off with some chips and cookies and maybe some candy. Hope for an airplane meal they can eat, just for the variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I usually do. However, on international flights the foods are hit or miss too.If you don't mind the higher price, fresh fruits and sushi are usually available after customs. We had paid up for Odwalla smoothies too at the cafes after customs. Ask what is the typical airline menu for that flight path. The airline booking office usually knows. I don't eat beef so if beef is the only meat, I have to opt for vegetarian. My kids are picky eaters. We end up letting them eat ice-cream (Häagen Dazs) and fruits from the regular meals (they eat theirs and ours so two servings each). We ate healthier when in the transit lounge. We could ask for instant noodles in a bowl from the air stewardess too anytime which while not healthy was a useful stop gap until we reach an airport. Ours was 9 + 7 hrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlcricket Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Are ice packs allowed through airport security? Aren't they classified as a liquid? Given those restrictions? Dried fruit, hardboiled eggs, juice, sandwiches (lots of sandwiches of different varieties, but nothing too smelly because... it's a plane?), crackers and cheese, muffins, hummus and pita. Pack it all with some ice packs, and plan to eat the more perishable sandwiches and cheese and eggs first, saving the raisins and juice for later. Top it off with some chips and cookies and maybe some candy. Hope for an airplane meal they can eat, just for the variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Huh, are they? Well, then, strike that. Stick it all in an insulated bag and eat the perishables that much faster. (Perhaps if they're very *small* ice packs?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 You can take ice packs that are frozen solid through security. They can't be mushy at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I have always been able to take fresh food on board, I just leave my extra on the plane before going to customs. I also take whatever cheese I have left with crackers. We have always gotten adult meals for the kids. That way they get a choice and do much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Most airlines offer a fruit plate, you could try that and augment with cheese and stuff. You can also check out the other special meals, there might be one that works better for your kids like vegetarian or kosher or whatever. I found that Air France has really good kids' meals. (No idea if there is a choice of carrier.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 We generally just take cookies, chips, crackers, rice waffles, candy... Not the healthiest but just for that one day I don't really care. DS gets bothered by food smells in airplanes so refuses to touch the "regular" meal (and is happiest if we don't have it either). He loves low budget airlines with little/no food served. Both kids also tend to throw up when landing after long flights (yep, flying is just a barrel of laughs for us) so it is just as well if they don't have that much to eat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 If you're leaving from the US, you can take fresh fruit out; the restrictions are on bringing it in -- you just have to finish whatever you take on the plane (or leave leftovers behind). Clementines and apples travel reasonably well. On long haul flights, I usually bring some of those along with dried fruit and instant oatmeal packs in the event someone really claims desperation. They can give you hot water on the flight. (Ramen noodles would work too, but :ack2: ) In the airport after security, I usually pick up a couple of hummus-and-carrot packs. You can also order a vegetarian meal in advance, which usually will have plain pasta or rice along with a main dish your kid may or may not go for, plus the set-up of crackers, rolls, etc and beverage. And way more salty stuff than anyone needs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 We took dried apples, granola bars, rice crackers for me, regular crackers for dh and P, and just chucked the leftovers when we stepped off the plane so we didn't have customs issues. We budgeted for Caesar salads with chicken at the airport prior to boarding. The regular meal was a choice of an herbed chicken breast with a few roasted potatoes, a small salad, a Colby/Jack slice of cheese, roll, and cookie. So I was able to eat the chicken, potatoes, and green beans an gave the roll and cookie to P. Call the airlines to see what will be available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 There are restrictions on flying with fruit to many places. You can't fly with fresh fruit to or from Hawaii, for example. I agree with checking the airline's website online. You can see what is offered on specific routes. Many of the snack boxes are pretty good. The last time my kids and I flew on a long flight, I bought 2 sandwiches, 2 snack boxes, and we shared. A full meal wasn't an option, which is something I find more often in the last couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 why don't they get a regular meal? They are carb loaded usually, but not as bad as cookies, chocolate and punch. I suspect it was a kid's meal. You can ask your travel agent to override that & give your kids a regular adult meal if you think that would be better. I pack Cliff bars or other protein bars & vegan chocolate for flights & we pre-order vegan meals. One nice thing about ordering a special meal, is that usually you get served first. They want to get those out first before they start walking down the aisles with 'chicken or pasta?' Also - I always gave my kids gravol & they ate quickly, watched the movie a bit & then mostly slept... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.