Food prep/stowage when traveling.

celticstar0610

Hi, I'm a flight attendant. Any good ideas for what foods travel well? I'm open to any ideas.

goal06082021

How much space do you have? Do you have the same allocation as us passengers, or does flight crew have extra storage space somewhere on the plane?

Do you have access to refrigeration? If not, how long do you need to be able to store food before eating it - 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 16 hours?

Do you have access to a microwave or other means of reheating refrigerated food?

rosebarnalice

I used to have to pack for several days at a time when doing fieldwork, and liked hearty salads made with napa cabbage or bok choy (doesn't go limp like lettuce or spinach, and not as stinky [or gassy!] as traditional green and red cabbage) and more tolerant of being served at room temperature if it has to sit for several hours (or even 2 or 3 days). I don't eat mayo, and prefer to make my own dressing with flavored vinegar and a protein--silken tofu, hummus, or refried beans. Very adaptable to different flavor profiles.

I was also big on hummus and peanut butter with either carrot sticks or radishes--which seem to hold up over time better than other veggies like celery or pepper slices.

And, of course, investing in a GOOD thermally insulated cooler was a MUST!

AnnPT77

Some of the shelf-stable entrees (grain/bean type things) are OK cold, if you pretend it's a salad. I like some stable snacky things that have decent nutrition, like crispy chickpeas or dry-roasted soybeans. Dehydrated soup cups or oatmeal cups might be an option - I assume hot water would be available on the plan or in a hotel room/airport. Chicken and tuna come in shelf-stable packets these days, and seasoned. (Tuna might be too stinky to actually eat on the plane.) Sturdy fruit like apples might work.