Airplane Food and My 15 Hour Flight Experiences

Every time I board a plane, I think hell. I get air sickness and my appetite drops vastly. Airplane food shouldn't be too bad, but every time I have it I just feel terrible. My taste buds are knocked out and air sickness would just not go way. I have very bad food memories on planes. The psychological damage isn't healing and the air sickness just stops me from enjoying anything in general. Planes are very noisy in general too. My flights are usually more than 15 hours because I'm traveling to Asia from the States. I haven't even included the waiting times. Traveling is a big deal.

For such a long distance trip, you have to be fed and dehydrated. With the no liquids and gels rule, that means no water. I don't like always asking for water, but it shouldn't be a problem because flight attendants are usually very generous with beverages. If I'm on such a long flight, I have to stay hydrated right? As a kid, I would always get soda but now that I'm older I think that's my worst option. Depending on which flight, sometimes my juice options are better. I've had crappy orange juice before and tasty apple juice. With a bad stomach, tea is the best option to calm it down. In 2011 on my flight from Hong Kong to mainland China, I was given a bottle of distilled water and a cake of some sort. Water is still water so I drank that stuff down. I forced myself to eat so that I wouldn't end up fainting with my luggage.

To ease air sickness or any sort of traveling sickness in general, citrus and ginger works the best. Recently I discovered an orange flavored ginger chew that combines the both things and I highly recommend it to travelers. It removes any acid and bloating you feel and it's not a medicine. It's simply a piece of candy. On my previous trip in 2011, I didn't have that option so I stuck a chunk of salted ginger in my mouth. Sugar coated ginger would have been my first pick, but sugar would just create more acid in my stomach. Man, that salted ginger saved my life.

On planes, you usually get two to three options for a meal. You either pick two different types of meat or a vegetarian option. It didn't matter to me because I just felt too sick to eat. The meals alone aren't enough to fill you up. They're kinda like school lunches only upgraded with fancier ingredients. I usually save up my pack of salted peanuts and dinner bread for later on the flight. The best snacks I ever got was when I flew with Continental Airlines; mini cheeseburgers and Haagen Daaz ice cream. According to this article,"Why Airplane Food Is So Bad", it explains a lot why I think plane food is hell. Your taste buds are shot while the cabin is pressurized and your sense of smell deteriorates. It's probably why I prefer strong flavored foods that forcefully stimulate my taste buds. It mentions how in a tasting experiment, bitter and umami can stay relatively the same no matter what pressure you're under. I did bring with me lots of seaweed snacks on a flight in 2006. I got very thirsty afterwards, but those things kept me awake and happy.

With the stingy meals that we keep seeing, you gotta keep yourself full. (Do they still give cup ramen on flights?) If you have certain allergies or other problems to deal with, pack your own meals. It is not uncommon to the frequent flyer that you should pack as much as two meals and a crapload of snacks. Long flights are stressful and food may just be the only way to cheer you up (and entertainment too). I've heard of people packing sandwiches and pasta salads. Always eat and drink before you board.You need your energy. On many previous flights, I've always packed myself a lot of onigiri and/or sushi that I made hours before. I use to bring jerky with me as well. For the onigiri/sushi, I prepare myself a well vinegared rice and super simple ingredients like Asian pickles. One year I put in some avocado. As for snacks, I did dried cranberries and raisins before. An assortment of cookies was also desirable like packs of oreos and sandwich cookies. 

Next time I board a plane, I will be sure to bring an assortment of nuts, granola bars and maybe a bag of tortilla chips. Dark chocolate is another good choice of snack. Tea bags are also a good idea because you can always ask for hot water. I've heard of people bringing pickles and it might be a good food to stimulate your appetite. Cheese sticks have been a choice for some travelers. If you are traveling this summer, pack a bit of home with you.