Your Guide to Nutrition on a Long Haul Flight
Part 2 in the Long Haul Flight Series
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Now that we have covered the basics of how to enjoy a long haul flight including how to entertain and pamper yourself, and what to pack, we can turn more specifically to what to eat on a plane.
I mentioned in the first post in this series the snacks I like to pack to keep me satiated and healthy (but more importantly, can be thrown into my bag as I am exploring my final destination), but here I discuss two main goals for your in-flight nutrition:
1. Strengthen your immune system.
2. Eat to promote sleep.
We will tackle your immune system first, because no one wants to have a cold (or worse) on vacation. Your main helpers here are vitamin C, vitamin D, and a good probiotic.
Vitamin C.
You’ll inevitably walk onto a plane and see someone whip out a packet of Emergen-C. Don’t be that person. There’s nothing wrong with this, but you are much better off getting vitamin C from real food.
[Fun nutritional fact: we still don’t know what is in the nucleus of the vitamin C cell, so any supplement you take is synthetic. Hence eating an orange is better used by the body than Emergen-C.]
What to eat: For this reason, I usually take an orange onto a plane with me. Then I grab a couple of lemon wedges from the flight attendants not for tea, but to squeeze into my water. Lemon is an absolute nutritional powerhouse for many reasons, but it is loaded with vitamin C.
Vitamin D.
There aren’t many food sources high in vitamin D. This is the sunshine vitamin, but you are going to keep those windows closed because 1) you want to sleep, and 2) there are some serious UV rays up there.
What to eat: salmon has a nice amount of vitamin D, but while I made a joke about not wanting to be the person with Emergen-C, you really don’t want to be the person bringing fish onto a plane. For this reason, you are best off with a supplement.
As an added bonus, vitamin D can also aid in sleep because it drives circadian rhythms, and lower levels have been linked with poor sleep.
Priobiotics.
The more we learn about the good bacteria in your digestive system, the more we learn that it affects essentially all your systems. Here specifically, that bacteria helps your body produce more antibodies to fight off any foreign invaders.
What to eat: you can bring some non-fat Greek yogurt with you, then top it with some nuts and dried cherries (you’ll see why during the food recommendations to help you sleep. But if you don’t want to cart around dairy in case you forget to eat it before it’s potentially started to go a little bad, you really cannot go wrong with a supplement, and there are many great options from which to choose. However, my personal favorite are Pearls. In general, these are great to take with you (I never go overseas without them) because they can also help prevent any sort of tummy issues.
In terms of foods to prime you for sleep, we all know melatonin, but omega 3’s, iron, and magnesium are also nutrients you need.
Your best friends to promote sleep, look to bananas, tart cherries, walnuts, oats, and fortified cereal, with additional snack ideas below.
1. Melatonin.
This is the magic hormone that makes you nod off. While I always bring melatonin gummies with me (I use them to help sleep in the hotel too), there are some food stores rich in it. Tart cherries, nuts, oats, mushrooms, peppers, strawberries, and grapes are all good sources.
Recommended snacks:
Frozen grapes (they’ll still be cold on the plane, plus they’re really hydrating).
Homemade trail mix with dried cherries, walnuts, pistachios, and dark chocolate pieces. Add cashews and almonds as well for magnesium.
An oatmeal cup (ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water) topped with dried cherries.
A homemade quesadilla with shredded cheddar, mushrooms and peppers.
2. Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
You already know the anti-inflammatory and heart benefits of these, but who knew that helped with sleep? It turns out that reduced inflammation is linked to better sleep because they help with circadian rhythms. The best sources are fatty fish (not an option here) and avocado (that is an option here).
Walnuts and flaxseeds are great portable sources. Recommended snacks are that homemade trail mix noted above or a single-sized serving of guacamole with veggies or protein chips to dip in it.
3. Magnesium.
This calms you, which also helps if you are a nervous flyer, plus it prevents muscle cramps! For magnesium, go with a banana, fortified breakfast cereal, or that trail mix I mentioned above.
[Side note: if you don’t feel weird about it, pop the banana peel into one of the sealable baggies you brought with you. When you get to the hotel, you can put it into a cup of hot water from the in-room coffee maker to steep a tea that will induce sleep. With the other half, you can rub the fleshy part on your teeth as a natural teeth whitener.]
Finally, this one is not a shocker, but stay as hydrated as possible!
Now that we have covered foods to include in your carry on, let’s review the things to avoid.
1. Alcohol.
Much like on land, it may help you fall asleep, but then it disrupts your sleep. The quality of your sleep is of the utmost importance, particularly so when you aren’t spending your ideal length of time in your bed. While it’s fine to have a glass before your flight and with your meal (you’re on vacation, after all!), it is best to limit the amount of vino you have to ensure the best quality of your sleep. Remember that alcohol also dehydrates you, so for every glass you drink, please be sure you are having at least that much water.
2. Caffeine.
This should go without saying, but the coffee or tea you have with your meal will stay in your system for awhile. The half life of caffeine is 5 hours (in other words, half of the caffeine will still be in your system 5 hours later). This is yet another reason to focus on water as your main drink both before and during a flight.
3. Spicy food.
This one pains me to say since I have an unabashed love for spice (as does your metabolism, pain receptors, and immune system), but it can trigger acid reflux, which obviously makes both falling and staying asleep a challenge.
4. Sugar.
The issue here is mainly the spikes and crashes in your blood sugar that keep you awake then interrupt your slumber. However, excess sugar also feeds inflammation, which can disrupt your body clock in general.
5. Saturated fat.
This also leads to inflammation, plus many foods high in saturated fat and make you feel really heavy. If you’ve ever gorged on steak or cheese, you know exactly the feeling to which I’m referring.
So now that you know what to eat and not to eat to stay healthy and fall asleep on your flight, it’s time to read a book to wind down, then pop in your ear plugs, slather your face in an overnight hydrating mask and eye cream, then slide on your eye mask and fall asleep.
So there’s your crash course on how to eat on the plane that will make you feel better through the entire trip (it will help beat jet lag after all). And speaking of which, read the final part of the series, How to Prevent and Beat Jet Lag!
And remember that it’s always better to go prepared with more snacks than you may need - you can always eat the rest in the hotel!
If you’re looking to fit your entire vacation into a carryon, sign up here for my packing list that does make it possible!
You Might Also Like:
How to Actually Enjoy a Long Haul Flight
Your “Day Of” Prep List for a Long Haul Flight
How to Travel with Just a Carry On
