If you’ve ever wrestled with a fussy toddler over a tray of airplane food, I feel your pain! Traveling with kids can be a challenge, especially when it comes to meal times. But don’t worry – I’ve got your back! With a few simple tricks up your sleeve, you can turn even the pickiest eater into a happy traveler.
Understanding Airplane Appetites
Delving deeper into the topic, I’ll progress to addressing airplane appetites. The unique environment on board often poses some peculiar challenges to our sense of taste and appetite, which can be especially impactful for picky eaters.
Why Eating on Flights Can Be Challenging
Being airborne can, in fact, alter the dining experience in a few unexpected ways. For one, the cabin’s dry atmosphere may affect our sense of smell. Consider your everyday aromas of freshly baked bread or brewed coffee, their enticing smells play a significant role in stimulating your appetite. However, up in the air, the decreased humidity levels can diminish these smells, making foodstuffs on board seem less appealing.
Furthermore, the constant and high-frequency noise inside the airplane cabin has the potential to numb the taste buds. Yes, you heard it right! The so-called ‘white noise’ can jeopardize the ability to taste sweet and salty foods, which highly contribute to a satisfying eating experience.
The Impact of Altitude on Taste and Appetite
Too, the altitude might have a more notable impact on your eating experience than you might initially ponder. As the plane climbs higher, the cabin pressure increases equivalent to being 6,000–8,000 feet above sea level. Consequently, our taste buds, which respond to this pressure, seem to hibernate, causing the perception of food flavors to reduce by nearly 30%.
Notably, backing up this claim, Lufthansa, a major airline, found that passengers consumed nearly 20% more salt in their meals while flying as a testament to the muted sensitivity to taste.
Mustering these challenges, appreciating why a picky eater might find the airplane environment even more knotty to navigate, isn’t a tall order.
Preparing for Your Flight
Having acknowledged the difficulties of feeding picky eaters in a flight environment, let’s move on to preparation and planning. A little legwork before your journey can smooth the path for both you and your little ones in the air.
Choosing the Right Foods for Picky Eaters
Selecting meals that will pass the taste test at 30,000 feet involves a combination of considering your child’s preferences, and understanding the alterations that cabin conditions can impose on food taste. It’s paramount to choose foods known to retain their appealing flavor during flights. Fruits like oranges and strawberries, I’ve found, can still burst with flavor, as the sweet and sour taste zones on tongue remain unaffected by air pressure. Salty and savory snacks like pretzels and cheese also hold up well against the flavor dulling effects of high altitude.
Tips for Packing Meals and Snacks
Aside from the choice of food, how you present meals and snacks can play a role in keeping picky eaters satisfied during your flight. Packing food in familiar lunchboxes gives a sense of comfort, and separately packing favorite snacks ensures a quick solution should the main meal gets rejected. Be mindful of airline restrictions on liquids, and consider creative options, like freezing a yoghurt pouch that will thaw out by the snack time. Remember to bring moist towelettes or small hand sanitizer bottles – cleanliness matters, especially in the closed cabin environment. Lastly, a surprise snack, kept only for the last resort, could be your ace in the hole during a challenging mealtime.
During the Flight
Next, let’s delve into maintaining peace during flight hours, focusing on managing with limited space and keeping your fussy eaters interested.
Managing Mealtime with Limited Space
Counteracting food preferences amidst tight seats, numerous passengers, and scanty tray tables present a new challenge. Yet, it’s about creativity and preparation. First, minimize the mess by utilizing easy-to-handle, non-drippy food. Think sandwiches cut into fun shapes, for example, hearts or stars, or string cheese as opposed to liquids or sauces. Second, leverage the packaging. Use containers that manage clutter and double up as a mini-table, like a bento box. Lastly, plan a staggered meal plan. Instead of serving all at once, dish out the food in timely intervals, thus, controlling food-traffic on the tray table and preserving your child’s interest.
Additional Tips for Longer Flights
Let’s plunge into a few practical hacks that could be a rescue remedy on long-haul flights for your picky eaters. Hold on tight, relief is on the way!
Maintaining Hydration and Routine
Keeping children hydrated on flights doesn’t just quench their thirst. It has a crucial role in combating effects of altitude on our bodies, ensuring a well-maintained bodily function. Provide drinks regularly during the flight but avoid sugary beverages which could leave them unsettled and energetic. It’s also beneficial to keep a familiar feeding schedule. Stick to your usual meal and snack times even while flying. This cues kids into expecting food at those times, helping align their internal clocks, especially important during long-haul flights crossing time zones.
Handling Food Allergies and Sensitivities
If your child has food allergies or sensitivities, It’s crucial not to take airline’s food safety for granted. Airlines cater to a diverse dietary requirements but it’s critical to inform the airline, at least 24 hours before your flight, regarding your child’s allergies. If possible, pack meals and snacks they’re safe to eat. For instance, you might pack gluten-free snacks if your child has Celiac Disease, or pack nut-free items if they’re allergic to nuts. This approach can help ensure their health and well-being, mitigating issues arising from food allergies. And remember, carrying an EpiPen or required medications on-board is an absolute safety measure to account for unexpected scenarios.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Traveling with picky eaters doesn’t need to be a daunting task. With a little preparation and a few smart choices, it’s possible to keep those little tummies happy and satisfied. Remember, it’s all about packing flavorful foods and familiar snacks. And don’t forget about hydration and sticking to regular feeding schedules, especially on long flights. If food allergies are a concern, be sure to inform the airlines ahead of time and pack safe snacks. And always, always be prepared for the unexpected. Carry necessary medications like an EpiPen onboard. Here’s to stress-free travels and happy mealtimes in the sky! Safe travels, folks!
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