Even if you're not a jet-setter, you're probably aware that you should stay away from airplane food. You might be better off preparing your own meal to take on board - something British chef Jason Atherton, who trained under Gordon Ramsay, occasionally does, although he admits to trying "not to eat on planes (at all)".
"My favourite is a cold protein salad made from cooked salmon, brushed with a little bit of teriyaki sauce and fresh chili over the top, and some blanched vegetables," he told LiveMint. "I make it at home and put it in my backpack - and eating it 6 or 7 hours later, it's great."
At the helm of a global restaurant empire with eateries in the likes of London, New York, and Hong Kong, Atherton logs around 500,000 miles in the air each year. However, he says he learned his best tip from Hollywood actor Jude Law.
"It was Law who told me to always take Tabasco on a plane," he said. "Airplane food is always bland, so it's great to give it kick." While Atherton says he can avoid eating on board for up to 12 hours, he added: "If I go to Australia, I have to eat, obviously, because it's 24 hours on a plane for me.
"I just eat the protein, drowned in Tabasco, which tastes ok - well, it tastes of Tabasco, to be honest."
Next time you travel, it might be worth taking a bottle on board. Whether you're in economy or first your food isn't all that it's cracked up to me. Writing on a Quora thread, user Shreyas P, who claims to have been a flight attendant for five major airlines, warned that airline meals are "very unhealthy", even if you've opted for the raw or vegan option - hard to save the planet 40,000 feet in the air (especially in a gas guzzling machine).
"The food on your tray is prepared not in the galley but in the aircraft catering which is often done 12 hours before and even days before the aircraft departure," Shreyas wrote. "Now, how many such industries do you know where the hot or cold meal was made days before you consume it?" If you're flying in the morning or overnight, she said you should be particularly wary of your breakfast.
"The scrambled egg or the omelette that you just had was not only egg but can be a mix of egg and other substitute," Shreyas wrote. "That cut fruit which is on your tray still looks fresh and how is that possible when it was cut hours before the departure, have you ever wondered?"
"Don't drink the coffee on airplanes," she added. "It's the same potable water that goes through the bathroom system. "We recently had a test for E. coli in our water, and it didn't pass, and then maintenance came on and hit a couple buttons and it passed. So avoid any hot water or tea. Bottled and ice is fine, of course."
Time to start making extra room in your carry on luggage.
