I’m getting asked a LOT of questions about whether you can take food on international flights, what food to take etc. I haven’t eaten plane food for about 15 years, instead preferring to take my own. I average 3-4 international trips a year, so I’ve got plane food down to fine art. It’s easier than you think.
Before we dive in, I will preface by saying that flying is one of the most unnatural things you can experience - from changing time zones to radiation exposure to the “food” offered on flights to the air you’re breathing, to sitting for extended periods, to broken sleep and to being surrounded by a high concentration of people in a very small area. So this now becomes an exercise in damage control. Is it any wonder you leave the flight looking and feeling like you’ve been in a washing machine?! Hopefully, the tips below will ease the damage and have you bouncing back in no time.
FOOD.
Yes, you are allowed to take your own food on planes. Liquids (which include tinned food and tubed toothpaste!!!) must be under 100g/ml. Declare anything that needs to be declared at the destination which is typically meat, dairy and eggs. Each destination country is different but this is a good general rule of thumb. The stuff I refer to below that I frequently take into USA goes through without any issues after I declare it.
Before I leave Australia I buy some fresh fruit and veggies – enough to keep me going for about 2-3 meals depending on the length of the flight. Things like lettuce, capsicum, tomatoes, celery sticks, cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, apples etc. I tend to buy these the day before or the day that I’m flying out so that they remain fresh. When heading back to Australia from overseas I head to the local farmers market or marketplace to buy produce (only if it’s convenient otherwise I just take all non-perishable food detailed below).
Things without pips and that don’t require chopping are easier (e.g. I prefer not to take a bunch of cherries, a large tomato or a block of hard cheese. Instead, I would buy blueberries, cherry tomatoes and pre-cut large chunks of cheese or veggies into smaller pieces). Use common sense. Having said that, I did take an avocado and used a plastic knife to cut it and all was well in the world.