Tips for eating well on the plane

Eating on the plane remains an assault on your taste buds. Too salty, too sweet, too greasy, too bland, in short: almost never tasty. But our friends from FavorFlav have hacks that make your airplane meal almost culinary. Want to know before you get catapulted into the air.

Do you have a flight planned soon? Whether you are a big fan of flying or not at all: eating and drinking at altitude is not always very pleasant. Still, you can make it a lot better for yourself. This is how you tackle it best.

Choose your airline

Doing good research is incredibly important. One airline serves better food than another. Always check the top ten of The Luxury Travel Expert before you book: they rank the airlines that serve the best food every year.

Order the vegetarian option

There are two advantages to a vegetarian airplane meal. First, you always get your food first and your table is also cleaned first. Additionally, vegetables retain their flavor better during reheating. With some airlines, you can really choose from a lot of options and see in advance what you will approximately get. For example, FavorFlav's Emma once ordered a Hindu meal because you would get braised lamb with it. Always check, therefore.

Go for umami

In the air, you taste sweet and salty up to 30% less. The flavor that remains best preserved? Umami. Order a meal with, for example, beef, mushrooms, or tomato. The same story applies to drinks. For example, order tomato juice or a Bloody Mary.

Dare to ask

Have you finished your plate but are still not satisfied? Don't hesitate and wait until all passengers have received their meal and then ask for some extras or a second round. There is always something to arrange.

Bring boozy minis

Alongside your mini toothpaste and mini shampoo, pack a mini bottle of alcohol in your hand luggage. Then order a glass of soda and some ice on the plane. In no time, you have a nice mixed drink, which is much cheaper than if you bought everything on the plane.

Sit at the front or back

When checking in, choose seats at the front or back of the plane. Just like with the vegetarian option, you receive your food first and the flight attendants also clean your table first. Additionally, it seems that if you sit at the back of the plane, flight attendants are more likely to give you extras. This is because the rest of the passengers are facing away from you and won't notice. Sneaky.

Bring your own food

Bringing a little something along can’t hurt. For example, bring a mini pack of fleur de sel to season your food. Or go for our beloved Mayo2Go or Sriracha2Go. A roll of cookies or small bags of chips are also always nice to have on hand, in case hunger strikes suddenly between airplane meals.

Text: FavorFlav