Airplane food

[andromache]

Does anyone have any experience with the "Diabetic" option on airplanes?

What do you get - is it low-carb?

My guess is that, even if they did a T2D option, it would be based on the ‘official’ advice of low-fat and ‘heart-healthy’ whole grains, so probably wouldn’t be much to our taste.

 

[lovinglife]

Perhaps someone (with a bit of influence) needs to petition the airlines to include a 'low glycaemic' meal. It isn't that hard - or necessarily more expensive to do. I don't even need a dessert, or a special bread roll. Just real food with low GI.

But even as a T2 I don’t eat low GI meals, still too many carbs so that would t be suitable for me either, there are as many diets and dietary requests as there are people and only so much room on a plane. Unless someone's journey is long haul then just have a nice big low carb meal before you get on, should keep someone going until they land

 

[AndBreathe]

Does anyone have any experience with the "Diabetic" option on airplanes?

What do you get - is it low-carb?

I never order a diabetic meal. If do order gluten-free, which is more often than not much the same as the “normal” meal, but with even more brick-like bread. I haven’t eaten bread in years, so that’s no hardship anyway.

If I don’t fancy the meal, I’ll just fast. In fact, when flying with a Korean airline, long haul, I deliberately fasted, because I knew everything would be noodle based.

 

[jjraak]

Even worse than food on the plane, is food options at the airports! Fast food chains everywhere. I've struggled and failed to find anything suitable. Occasionally there's somewhere that may do an omelette but rarely.
I now pack my own (cheese, cooked eggs, olives, nuts) and prepare to fast if its a long flight.
Just make sure you drink lots of water and take some salt

Not sure how others do it, but you are right about the fast food.

We normally go to the 'pub' types, wetherspoons at Gatwick is one, most usually offer a breakfast menu all day.

Couple of eggs bacon & a pot luck with the sausage.

Overly priced but it's an airport, and nowhere near as dear as Mumbai..

Which does remind me flying out I'm quite lucky with choices, but flying back....
(Thank goodness for boiled eggs & nuts)

Only tested the once & pleasantly surprised by results...so it's been part of my plan for longer journeys.

 

[In Response]

So they’d rather you go hyper ‍

If the meals are targeted at people with Type 1, we do not need low carb meals and do not go hyper when eat higher carb meals if we treat with the correct insulin dose.
Not that I expect the caterers to think that much about it

 

[lovinglife]

If the meals are targeted at people with Type 1, we do not need low carb meals and do not go hyper when eat higher carb meals if we treat with the correct insulin dose.
Not that 8 expect the caterers to think that much about it

Also just like any other industry they are bound by government rules & guidelines

 

[Jenny105]

Depending on flight length I take my own .
Nuts etc in a carry on bag.

For longer flights I fill up at airport with a tasty fried breakfast.

Then try my best to pick the 'better' choice while on plane.

On flights to over 6 hours, I figured it took me ages to get T2D, one or two meals on a flight won't kill me, so eat as sensibly as I could given the menu.

Likely it's different if it's a daily weekly business flight but a once or twice holiday flight ?
Do your best but don't sweat it too much...life's way to short is my take now .

Thats my philosophy. I m taking an early 8 hour flight. So hope to get a breakfast . The Ill ask TUI previously about meals but one or 2chosen meals will be ok . Yes I'll take some , probably Luvlife peanut butter or egg sandwiches and some fruit and Grenade bars in case of delays .Plus nuts and maybe a very few Wetherall originals in between. And jelly babies in case of hypo - type 2 with one insulin

 

[Angela64]

If the meals are targeted at people with Type 1, we do not need low carb meals and do not go hyper when eat higher carb meals if we treat with the correct insulin dose.
Not that I expect the caterers to think that much about it

Only catering for T1 does not address what I need as a low carb T2D and only Empagliflozin. If i don’t eat enough protein my BG can go lower that I am comfortable with. T1’s if I’m right, inject and guess/know how much insulin they require. I can’t eat rice, potatoes, pastry’s, etc I limit Bread but then I make my own, bought rubbish is full of sugar. I’m needing to look to food combining like The Glucose Goddess promotes to see if that’ll help. Been in hospital for heart procedure Tuesday, nothing to eat since previous evening meal, they had NOTHING i could eat after I’d come round other than random sandwich or salad AND my throat was that sore it was raw!! Now, I’d previously emailed Profs secretary with all issues and requirements and sent to I think my named nursing professional. A nurse who offered me this food which I was like said oh kitchens closed and it was near lunch time, can’t cook scramble egg ‍ Well, we can send someone to Sains***ys for soup‍ Which I said yes. This was a private hospital in London but tbh wouldn’t have expected any better from the NHS. How are ppl to get better if this happens.

 

[Lupf]

i used to fly a lot, less so since the pandemic. My solution is to use travel days as intermittent fasting days, I never liked airport or airline food anyway. On short flights I simply don't eat and fill up my water bottle after security, I know where the fountains are in airports.I rarely do long haul flights these days, but if so, I am pragmatic and take the more fatty menu, leave out the desert, and get a 2nd glass of red!

 

[Melgar]

I'm going a bit off topic here, but bear with me. I have coeliac disease (An autoimmune disease that attacks your intestines when you eat gluten) . I pre-ordered my airline gluten free meal from Air Canada. They failed and said they cannot do it. We were in the air when they told me this. I was on an International flight from North America to the UK. So they came along with a plate of pickled cucumber and lump of highly processed cheese. Nasty. So what I do now is pre-order a Charcuterie board. The Charcuterie board consists of Abundant Genoa and Calabrese, salami, Prosciutto, smoked turkey, Gruyère and Oka cheeses. They are accompanied by pearl onions, green olive, dried apricots, mini gherkins, bruschetta, and mini naan bread. I ditch the breads and replace them with gluten free rice crackers which I bring with me. If you can pre-order these cheese plates they would be great for those on low carb diets.

 

[AndBreathe]

I'm going a bit off topic here, but bear with me. I have coeliac disease (An autoimmune disease that attacks your intestines when you eat gluten) . I pre-ordered my airline gluten free meal from Air Canada. They failed and said they cannot do it. We were in the air when they told me this. I was on an International flight from North America to the UK. So they came along with a plate of pickled cucumber and lump of highly processed cheese. Nasty. So what I do now is pre-order a Charcuterie board. The Charcuterie board consists of Abundant Genoa and Calabrese, salami, Prosciutto, smoked turkey, Gruyère and Oka cheeses. They are accompanied by pearl onions, green olive, dried apricots, mini gherkins, bruschetta, and mini naan bread. I ditch the breads and replace them with gluten free rice crackers which I bring with me. If you can pre-order these cheese plates they would be great for those on low carb diets.

Which airlines offer charcuterie boards? I can't say I have encountered those before.

I live a low carb and strictly gluten-free lifestyle, so do always peruse the relevant meal offerings each time we fly.

 

[aris]

Biltong and Droewors should tide me over. This is basically South African "charcuterie" - biltong is kind of like beef jerky, and droewors is a dried sausage - similar to a polish kabanos. Does not need refrigeration and pure protein (avoid ones which have sugar - some do). Alternatively, polish Kabanos is available in most supermarkets. If going abroad, i'd suggest eating it all before landing or disposing anything left over. Customs in many countries don't take kindly to imports of meat or vegetable products.

 

[Melgar]

Which airlines offer charcuterie boards? I can't say I have encountered those before.

I live a low carb and strictly gluten-free lifestyle, so do always peruse the relevant meal offerings each time we fly.

@andbreath Air Canada, but I would think BA would offer something similar.

 

[AndBreathe]

@andbreath Air Canada, but I would think BA would offer something similar.

Thanks.

I just rechecked, BD don’t offer suchan option, nor do Qatar or Emirates, with whom Ihae flown recently.

 

[Melgar]

Thanks.

I just rechecked, BD don’t offer suchan option, nor do Qatar or Emirates, with whom Ihae flown recently.

Oh no! That's disappointing.

 

[AndBreathe]

Oh no! That's disappointing.

Gosh, my typing! No alcohol had been consumed. Honest.

 

[Antje77]

Gosh, my typing! No alcohol had been consumed. Honest.

I thought it was your Scottish side (not the whisky, just the spelling!) shining through!

 

[AndBreathe]

I thought it was your Scottish side (not the whisky, just the spelling!) shining through!

Why didn’t I think of that?

 

[helenannb]

I've travelled with many different airlines over the years and have yet to find one that offers a low carb meal. The best you might get is fruit instead of chocolate cake

 

[Grace04]

My partner has just booked to visit family in Australia. He’s flying with Qatar Airways and said the choice of meals was huge including low carb. Unfortunately he opted for vegetarian so I won’t be able to report back on their low carb option.

***So as not to mislead folk I’m amending this to say Qatar unfortunately don’t offer a low carb optio. He’d miss read it. I should have checked myself before posting.***