Most food served on airplanes is prepared by outside catering companies trucked to airports and then loaded on each flight and as it turns out, most airline employees actually avoid most of this food and bring their own with them. Flight attendants are the experts when it comes to food and drinks that are served to passengers and there are certain items that they recommend staying away from. Here’s a list of what they think you should avoid the next time you fly.
- Water (Coffee and Tea included) – Whytney (last name omitted) has been a flight attendant for a major airline for seven years and says that tap water on a plane should be avoided. She said “It all comes down to how often the pipes are cleaned” and this water is used to brew the coffee and tea. Bottled water is fine but she goes on to say “Most flight attendants won’t drink the tap water, coffee or tea.” One study from 2019 of 11 major and 12 regional airlines found that Alaska Airlines and Allegiant Air had the safest water and Spirit Air and JetBlue came in last.
- Steaks and Fillets – flight attendants report that these items are almost always overcooked and Dennis, a Delta Air Lines flight attendant said “If you are particular about how your steak should be prepared, don’t eat it.”
- Alcohol – dehydration is a big problem on flights due to lower barometric pressure in an airplane’s cabin. Whytney says “Alcohol affects your body negatively when in high altitude” and Clare Morrison, a medical professional said, “The lower level of oxygen in your blood means that you may seem drunker in the air than you would on the ground after consuming the same amount of alcohol.” One other note – the ice served on flights was probably made with the tap water that flight attendants avoid.
- Entrees in General – the low cabin pressure on airplanes can cause a less intense taste in food and most airplane food is high in sodium to enhance flavor. According to a study commissioned by Lufthansa and Vanessa Rissetto, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian said “because of pressure shifts, some people retain water during a flight, so something overly processed or too high in sodium might exacerbate” headaches related to dehydration, fatigue or constipation. Many of the entrées served on flights are high in sodium and deli sandwiches also fall into that category.
- Cheese Trays – most of the cheese served on flights is the processed variety that doesn’t require refrigeration and one flight attendant said: “Stay away from cheese trays, as they aren’t too fresh. They are [made of] cheese, sure, but they’re basically shelf-stable products.”.
Source: Huffpost
Photo: Getty Images