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Flight Food

Jilly986

Well-Known Member
Messages
86
Location
Essex
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Animal cruelty, rude people
I'm flying to the States next week (BA) and enquired about special meals. It seems I have the choice of normal, halal, muslim, vegan or vegetarian. No diabetic or LCHF to choose from. Assume I will have to hope there's salad on the menu.
 
AndBreathe said:
This part of the BA site suggests they do diabetic meals, but be careful; I doubt they'll be low carb.

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/food-and-drink/special-meals
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ok thanks that's useful. Don't know how I missed that on the website
AndBreathe said:
There was a bit of discussion on the thread below, you may find helpful:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...als-for-a-long-days-travel.60845/#post-605690
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AndBreathe said:
There was a bit of discussion on the thread below, you may find helpful:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...als-for-a-long-days-travel.60845/#post-605690
Click to expand...
 
The discussion on the other thread would be useful. On it, a few of us make comments, based on personal experience of inflight diabetic food, and so on.
 
I've just come back from a return trip to Australia. As far as food is concerned I just pick what looks to be the best menu option for me and leave the potato, rice, bread etc. A guy sitting next to me had ordered a 'diabetic meal' and it came with crispbread (could be worse, but he had a bread roll as well) and potatoes in the main course. He did have cheese for 'dessert' though!
 
I think I've made the mistake of ordering a diabetic meal then. I guess I can always re-order a 'normal meal' and just pick through it. Hopefully I can play safe with a salad
 
I would be inclined to order normal, but leave what I think high carb. tbh they are such tiny amounts that you'll probably be o.k. I would however take my own food substitutes too, like olives and nuts, cheese etc. Drink LOADS of water and walk about regularly. Don't drink alcohol. Take any meds with you in your hand luggage (might need letter from doc). Dress lightly but take warm items - I go terribly hot and cold on long flights x
 
Jilly986 said:
I think I've made the mistake of ordering a diabetic meal then. I guess I can always re-order a 'normal meal' and just pick through it. Hopefully I can play safe with a salad
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I wouldn't worry too much. If you can reorder, great, if not, it's no big deal
 
Excellent that there was cheese for dessert. I also found on a recent flight that they do little pots of olives and nuts - very good
 
Tweetypie said:
Excellent that there was cheese for dessert. I also found on a recent flight that they do little pots of olives and nuts - very good
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This was business class mind - more choice no doubt.
 
I'm flying premium economy so somewhere in the middle food wise I think
 
Jilly986 said:
I think I've made the mistake of ordering a diabetic meal then. I guess I can always re-order a 'normal meal' and just pick through it. Hopefully I can play safe with a salad
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I'm sure they'll be something suitable for your dietary needs, if not have you thought about contacting the airline and asking them to provide a suitable meal?
 
Yes I might just do that. I know they say they can't guarantee to meet your requirements but if you don't ask etc......
 
I made a rather bad choice when recently flying to Hanoi. There were no food choices for diabetics so I opted for gluten free - big mistake! Had the faulty idea that this might somehow be better ...

Firstly, the food was bland to the extreme - no spices or salt added. And I should have known: a lot of sweet sirupy fruit thrown in. I was pretty envious about my sons food which looked delicious (or at least as delicious as such flight meals may look!). - I kind of hoped that they would have forgotten about my special diet request when going back - but alas, not so. I was singled out at every meal. - And in spite of this small rant, good that they made sure that I got my special meals. Had I suffered from gluten allergy, I also suppose that the last thing they would wish to have on board would be a passenger having a 'gluten reaction' when flying over Russia ...

Next time, I will put no special meal requests in and just pick from whatever is served - and offer my dessert to my neighbour ...

annelise

- by the way, breakfast was excellent: mushroom omelet
 
Ok I've now changed my diet requirement back to 'standard meal'. I will just play it by ear and just do the best I can with whatever is on the menu. It's only for 10 hours 10 mins after all.
 
I honestly don't think there is much difference in the appropriateness of the food diabetic versus "normal", for anyone low carbing. I took particular note to really look on the ocassions I did order the diabetic option. Whilst it's not so extreme in Premium, you do receive your meal before any companions you might have, so will either be leaving your meal to cool, or eating in advance of them; which feels uncomfortable to me. Bearing in mind the portion size of any pasta or potato, it doesn't feel like a mega hazard for me.

I must admit, I did make sure I had a couple of small packs of salted peanuts in my handbag, so that if it all went horribly wrong, at least I had something I could go to immediately, without making a bit fuss. As you say, it's only a few hours, and on the way back, you'll probably be asleep for much of it.

(And there's always the M&S Food as you come out of Arrivals at Gatters, if you happen to end up starving. They'll have yoghurt, cooked chicken and so on.)

Enjoy your trip.
 
Thanks. I've noted you're tips. Definitely a trip to M&S first is in order
 
Are airlines obliged to provide special diet food...of course even if they say they do a diabetic meal it won't be LCHF. It may seem like many many diabetics are doing the LCHF diet but in reality it is just a very small percentage because most diabetics unless they come on this forum and like most of us here they will not have heard of before. So anywhere that does provide a diabetic meal will only follow the NHS guidelines. Only if it is ever recognised officially by the medical profession as being the best diet for diabetes will place like airlines restaurants and even hospitals begin to offer LCHF meals
 
It's interesting that an airline which offers three types of vegetarian meal doesn't do a low carb.
In the last couple of years I've changed from diabetic meals that seems to be heaving with carbs, to just ordinary, and then removed the potato or rice, anything calling itself a desert, keep the cheese. As you say, it's only 10 hours, west coast? lucky lady, I wish you a very enjoyable holiday/business trip/whatever.
 
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