Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I have some long plane trips coming up and am looking for new ideas for food to pack (both for the plane and for emergency snacks during trips).

I already have the obligatory stash of bars, as well as trail mix and candied nut clusters. I don't much care for packaged vegan jerky (too salty), but would love some suggestions for savory snacks because all I'll eat is sugar if left to my own devices.

So, what should I pack as my meal for the flight? And what are your favorite plane/tsa-safe snacks?

I get vegan sushi at the airport :) And every airport is different, but I once took a giant burrito on a flight from AZ to NYC. It was so good.

ha, I always buy sushi at the airport too. I'm pretending I'll actually get my act together and cook something real this time!

favorite flying foods for my long flights include: sandwiches with hummus or other bean spread, or sometimes pb&j; lentils and rice; burritos; curry and rice; apples; fruit leather; oatmeal packets; salads..... cook whatever you like and just pack it well. it's so great to have real food on long haul flights.

Cut up apples with a packet of Justin's almond butter. It's my new go-to snack.

Also, Go Picnic snack boxes makes some good vegan options. they are full of little packets like bean dip, banana chips, fruit leather, nuts, etc.
http://www.gopicnic.com/Special-Diets/Vegan-Meals
(vegan essentials sells some too - a different selection.)

Also, I really like to bring a giant bag of fresh veggies: carrot sticks, celery sticks, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas... Somehow I find that there's nothing quite like fresh veggies on a plane. They're light, hydrating, munchable and delicious.

I also really like to bring some Wild Garden Hummus Packets - they're shelf stable until opened, which makes them great for travel:
http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Garden-Tomat ... B003TOX1DC

I also like the Dr. Kracker crackers (http://drkracker.com/) - they feel hearty and substantial to me.

sometimes I make PB&J sandwiches to bring with me, and that's never been a problem. I suppose you could make a tofu sandwich too... but I feel pretty food safe about a PB&J sitting out for a while. Plus, everyone knows what it is, so no security person will get weird on you.

Lucky you, taking a trip!

i tend to get everything taken away from me, so it's usually some bags of nuts and dried fruit.
occasionally i have been able to smuggle a baguette with something yummy like grilled eggplant with vinagrette, but that doesn't always work either. I have had fruit taken away, which kills me.
and you people who can get burritos in the airport, you make me cry!!

jicama sticks with lime and chili!

I usually make sandwiches when I'm on the departing leg (although they usually get eaten at the airport), and pack raw nuts to snack on. Australia is really strict about fruit going into and out of the country, so it's usually not worth the risk to bother with fresh stuff. But honestly, I haven't had terrible experiences ordering the vegan airline meals- they're infinitely better than the stuff that omnis get, and you get it first! They really seem to put in a bit more effort for special meals.

I fly all the the time, and whether a 2 hour flight or a 15 hour one, I almost always eat all my plane snacks while waiting at the wait to board. I hate that.

My husband and I always get burritos at the airport. We just travel with nuts and various bars such as Mojo bars, clif bars, lara bars, etc.

Agreeing with others than nuts, bars and cut up veggies are easiest. If you want to get more elaborate with it, I have packed grain salads before. I keep it cold by freezing packs of tofurky slices and packing them all in one of those paper ice cream bags. Then by the time you get to your destination you can stash the thawed tofurky in the frig for emergency snacks. Ive also brought the Starbucks oatmeal and cups of soup on board, flight attendants will give you hot water for it.

Edit to say that I do always order the vegan meal but 95% of the time it is something I would not eat on the ground. I just flew Thai last month and was excited for a potential delicious curry - nope, it was the same lentils that smelt like feet and a pomelo/mayo salad on every leg of the flight. Still, it doesn't hurt to request it.

One time I thought it would be a great idea to bring hummus and falafel with me on the plane. I forgot that they make me bloated/gassy and that at high elevations gas expands! So. Much. Pain. So now I avoid anything garbanzo related!

Usually I just bring a pb&j, cut up fruits and veggies, trail mix or crackers (for my salt fix), and a few energy bars. If I forget to bring stuff I get a burrito at the airport. I try not to bring anything too aromatic since I worry about other passengers that are sensitive to strong smells.

Usually I take a Go Picnic or a sandwich made with Vegan Dad's lunch meat and some homemade protein bars (Peas & Thanks You ones travel well and work for breakfast, too).

I'm curious to know which airports have vegan sushi and burritos. I've never had much luck finding anything I could eat at airports. It would be great to not always have to pack stuff.

For people who are bringing hummus - does that count as a liquid/gel when you go through security?

From PCRM: Vegan Options at US Airports
http://www.pcrm.org/health/reports/2009 ... ood-review

And re the hummus, it so depends on who you get as a screener. Someone here posted about being separated from their Speculoos :)

I had to throw out a tub of tofutti cream cheese once, so I sort of assume that all paste consistency stuff is. However, I think it just really depends on how much security is paying attention because I've also forgotten to take my liquids out of my suitcase before and no one cared. i feel like i wouldn't risk hummus.

I have had hummus thrown out numerous times at security. I never learn.

The last (domestic, 1.5 hour) flight I was on there was someone with a severe peanut allergy onboard, and they threw out my PB bagel. I was sad to be starving but happy not to have killed someone.

ha, at one Belgian airport I was at, in the glass case of 'things not to take aboard' there was a knife, aerosols, explosives, and........a jar of speculoos

Yes, although some screeners will let it pass. I once managed to bring a pecan pie through security, had mac-n-cheez taken away another time, so it really depends on who's looking through your stuff.

One thing I've done is make a sandwich with the dry parts (bread, tofurky or tofu slices or whatever) and packed little packets of hummus or mustard in the allowed quart-size bag of liquids. As long as each individual cup/packet is under 100ml or whatever the limit is these days it's fine. It's not uncommon these days to find little snack-size cups of hummus at the airport (at least in America,) so you could buy one after you're through security. If that seems too sloppy you could also just bring in some hearty crackers (like oatcakes) and pack condiments in your bag-o-liquids or forage for condiments at the airport. I like salty stuff, so I would bring stuff like flavored rice cakes, seasoned seaweed strips, chili crackers etc.

Yes! well: speculoos spread but still, it's not liquid!

(luckily I had a speculoos SANDWICH and that they did not take)

Thanks! I will definitely look for some snack-sized hummus. I have a long flight coming up in March. I love the idea of having your dry sandwich ingredients separate from the condiments - smart!

I was coming to say the Go Picnic boxes! I've had a couple, and they are tasty. I will probably do those again with some Luna bars if/when I go back to Brazil. And next time I will remember to bring stuff for the return flight, too. Nothing like being stuck in an airport for several hours and not speaking the language! I ate so many Ruffles I still get queasy thinking about them.

Don't bring peanut butter in a jar! I lost my 24 oz jar of teddie natural peanut butter to security at 4am. I was really sad but far too tired/out of it to want to deal with checking in/checking my bag and security a second time.