Airplane food to avoid: what science reveals about in-flight meals

Eating at 35,000 feet is rarely straightforward. Dry air and lower cabin pressure dull taste and smell, while freezing, reheating and long supply chains change texture and freshness. Airlines often boost salt, fat and sugar in airplane food to compensate, which can make meals heavier than expected. These factors don’t just affect flavour, but also influence hydration, digestion and overall comfort during a flight. Here's what science says about airplane food and highlights the items travellers may be best to skip.

Read more: Airplane etiquette: Which beauty rituals are acceptable at 30,000 feet?

Why airplane food tastes odd

Multiple studies show that the cabin environment changes how we perceive food. Low humidity and cabin pressure suppress taste and smell, and airplane food is often seasoned with extra salt to counter this effect. A menu item that might seem fine on the ground can lose dimension in the air, which may lead chefs to rely on sodium‑heavy sauces or spiced dressings, notes non-profit Centre for Food as Medicine & Longevity. Moreover, supply and storage protocols often necessitate processing, freezing and reheating, all of which can degrade texture and freshness.

Salt and sodium: the principal hazards

From reheating to storage, the journey of airplane food affects both taste and nutritional value (Photo: Mick Haupt/Unsplash)

The most consistent scientific finding regarding airplane food concerns sodium. A 2019 airline dinner study by Hunter University in New York found more than 800 mg of sodium per meal, which is more than 40 per cent of the recommended daily intake for adults. Elevated sodium is used to bolster flavour but can provoke fluid retention, higher blood pressure and excessive thirst—particularly relevant when hydration is already compromised by dry cabin air.

Avoid any airplane food item with dense sauces, pickles, bacon, cured meats or large amounts of cheese. These components are likely to push sodium beyond the general range of what you might consume in a regular ground meal.

High calories, fat and ultra‑processing

Air travel changes how we perceive flavour. Understanding these effects can guide smarter meal choices (Photo: Nahima Aparcio/Unsplash)

Beyond sodium, several analyses reveal that airline meals tend to be energy‑dense and fat‑rich. A detailed nutritional analysis of a typical flight lunch, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found 950 calories and 52 grams of fat, including 24 grams from saturated or trans fats. One major factor: many meals are manufactured en masse, frozen, reheated and further seasoned to mask degradation. This tends to result in ultra‑processed components—something linked in broader nutrition studies to poorer health outcomes.

Avoid meals that are heavy on sauces, deep‑fried items, pastries or pre‑mixed snack boxes. These are more likely to deliver excess calories and saturated fat without compensating for micronutrient value.

Snack boxes and small items you would usually skip

Most airline passengers grab a snack box or individual snack bundle rather than a full meal, especially on shorter flights. But these options often perform worse than the main tray meal nutritionally. The 2016 to 2017 Airline Food Survey notes that many snack boxes are high in calories, saturated fat and sodium—one beef jerky option contained 1,560 mg of sodium. Buying a full meal rather than multiple snack items is usually a better bet. Avoid snack boxes, cheese‑and‑crackers kits, jerky, pre‑packaged muffins and similar items.

Timing, hydration and smart choices

Cabin pressure and dry air alter taste and texture—some meals perform better than others at 35,000 feet (Photo: Steven Thompson/Unsplash)

Flight conditions compound the nutritional issues. Dry cabin air, which has 20 per cent humidity or lower, and recycled air encourage dehydration, which weakens cognitive and physical performance. Also, being in a sedentary cabin for hours can reduce metabolism and digestion. This means the same airplane food that may be acceptable on the ground can burden the body during a flight.

If you must eat the in‑flight meal, pick lean proteins (grilled chicken, fish), plain salads with dressing on the side, steamed vegetables and plain rice or potatoes rather than heavy sauces. Drink water regularly and moderate salt‑rich items. Avoid creamy pastas, heavy breads, large desserts, cured meats, chips or salted snacks.

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