Reheat: What To Pack For Lunch On An Airplane

Jess Kapadia•

Today we're bringing you one of our classic What To Eat For Lunch columns. We'll be back with a fresh brown paper sack of lunchniness tomorrow.

I always assess my food situation before I get on a long flight. If it's New York to L.A. or anything shorter, all I need is a container of quinoa salad, some crunchy veggies and hummus. If I'm heading to Europe, I'll pack a couple of pieces of baked tofu and dried fruit in addition. I used to bring Greek yogurt, but now yogurt is a deadly weapon and can't go through security. Why the hippie food? I'll tell you.

Now I'm not a scientist, but I do fancy myself a lunch specialist and black diamond-level traveler (that is a thing). I know by now you have one mortal enemy on a plane, and it's in damn-near everything they sell off that cart that bumps the elbow you were sleeping on your hand with clean off the armrest, sending your head crashing into your tray table: sodium. It's the reason your pants don't fit right on planes — salt will blow you right up. I also tend to stay away from meat because it just doesn't seem to digest properly on a plane. Rest assured, there are plenty of animals for you to eat back on the ground.

Shun the snack packs full of processed meat, cheese, salted nuts and Pringles and let's deflate you with some airplane-friendly food that is not a weapon like yogurt is. Also, none of these are pungent enough to make your neighbors despise you and all taste good at room temperature. Make and pack the following high-veggie, low-sodium dishes, and you'll be surprised at how not-crappy you feel back on dry land:

And seriously, pick up a container of Greek yogurt before you hit the gate. It will keep you fuller while seemingly taking up no space in your stomach, and quell those bloats like nobody's business. I nearly wept as I handed over my Fage 2% to an undeserving TSA agent the first time I discovered you couldn't bring it through security. But ever since the delicious stuff became America's new sweetheart you'd be hard-pressed to find an international airport that doesn't sell it somewhere. Oh and this 20-hour flight to Singapore I'm embarking on shortly? Yeah, I'll probably be breaking a bunch of these rules.

More on air travel from Food Republic:

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