Flying makes you fat

A ham and cheese croissant, a bag of chips or a bowl of salted peanuts. That short flight to London, Milan or Barcelona is always just a bit more pleasant when you have something to snack on with your book. And that these snacks are anything but healthy, you know and I know. But did you also know that during long flights you consume an absurd amount of calories? As in: an average of about 3500 calories? Unfortunately, I'm not making this up; it's our British neighbors who went on a research mission...

There are several explanations for this. First of all, we taste less in the air. Our nostrils dry out, which not only changes our taste but also makes us smell less. That reduced sense of smell is the cause of our diminished taste. Additionally, the noise of the airplane also makes it harder to taste sweet and salty flavors. Reminder: I'm not making this up. To make the food still taste good, a lot of tricks have to be pulled, such as adding not only a mountain of salt but also 15 to 20% extra sugar. No wonder every meal contains so many calories. If you have a long flight planned, the chance is high that you'll consume several of these calorie-rich meals. And I haven't even mentioned the refreshing cola, gin and tonic with nuts, or those bottles of wine with the meal. The fact that you often feel like putting something in your mouth on the plane is not just due to boredom; many passengers on board often sit with their buttocks clenched in the seat because they are stressed. And stress just happens to stimulate appetite.

In short, you better throw some snacks in your bag to get through that flight a bit healthier. You can indulge in that Thai curry, American burger, or cheese-covered Italian lasagna upon arrival, because those calories are worth it. Ha.