Healthier Foods in Flight

Can you eat healthier when flying?  We just got back from a trip to the West Coast.  Delta now offers “Flight Fuel” with a range of healthier food choices.  Downside is the cost, no more “free lunches” on Delta.  They still offer free beverages but to fuel up, you pay up.  The good side is they now offer quite a few healthier choices for a snack or a meal.  

Healthy Snacks

Fruit and Cheese – you get 3 cheeses:  Muenster, Apple-smoked Gouda, and Vermont Sharp White Cheddar, some Flatbread crackers, almonds, red grapes, one strawberry and if they remember some chocolate.  We were supposed to get Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate square but this was missing from our snack packs on the west bound flight.  We ordered it again on our East Bound flight and didn’t get Ghirardelli chocolate but Hershey chocolate covered Acai Berries which were quite good.

Pretzels or Peanuts:  When the flight attendant comes around offering pretzels or peanuts, choose peanuts as the healthier choice. Yes, peanuts are higher in fat than pretzels but it is a heart healthy fat and the serving is quite small.  

Delta Flight Fuel:  Fruit & Cheese

Sandwiches/Wraps

Mesquite-Smoked Turkey Combo – Gruyere cheese, tomatoes, basil spread, arugula on a ciabatta.  Does have the not so health Kettle Potato Chips.  Also served with a brownie for dessert.

Luvo Southwest Grilled Chicken Wrap – 470 Calories – they didn’t provide calories on the above choices but do for their 2 wraps.  Grilled chicken, (no antibiotics in chicken), roasted tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, edamame, bulgur, millet with whole grain barley, Arugula, and a cilantro yogurt dressing.  Served inside a tomato whole grain tortilla with garbanzo hummus.  You also get a cookie, a multi-seed, coconut chocolate chip.  Unusual to be served whole grains on a plane and whole grains are so good for your health.

Luvo Sesame Grilled Chicken Wrap – 480 calories – Grilled chicken with whole grain rice, edamame, shitake mushrooms, and barley, arugula, tasted sesame ginger dressing.  Served in  a tomato whole grain tortilla with garbanzo hummus.  Also served with a multi-seed, coconut chocolate chip cookie.

Healthy beverage options are available.  My daughter likes club soda on ice with a lime slice.  Juice such as orange, tomato or apple juice are usually available.  Tea, milk, or Starbuck’s coffee are also healthier beverage options.  Bottled water on ice is also a great choice to stay hydrated in flight.

If you are flying anywhere this summer, there are healthier options to fuel up in flight.

Sources:  Food and Beverages