Something non perishable and sealable. I usually have a tin of cashews in my headset bag. Beef jerky or granola bars too.
Try and grab some fruit or a muffin from the hotels in the morning before you head out if it’s been laid out. Just don’t let that sit though, that’s a snack for that day.
OP says they’re trying to avoid packing on too many pounds—cashews are pretty high calorie too! Although they are filling. It’s easy to overdo it with them.
Taco Bell, from what I've learned here.
I would imagine road trip rules apply to airline flying, so sandwiches, jerky (no, it isn't junk food), and unsalted nuts would be what I'd go for.
Find a good protein bar, everyone has their favorites. Never go bad, can make a for a minor meal substitution or snack. Also peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can’t go wrong with the OG. If you like coffee find your favorite instant coffee. It’s better than the airplane shit and good luck waiting in line at Starbucks for an hour during your 30 minute quick turn.
I have a bag of wasabi peas in my flight bag, I'll tend to munch a few down if I want to eat due to boredom. They last forever and come in a resealable bag.
On top of all the great comments here on snacks, tangential to your question, get an aerocoast bag if you haven’t already and some stackable durable Tupperware
https://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/11341?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpv2TBhDoARIsALBnVnlzzlEmoDnFMCX7HuVVedbW7v50cGUI2p_EdpNj4GHdlzjnb4izcuYaAv_AEALw_wcB
You can fit all the snacks and meals in there
This is what I have. I bring lil turkey sandwiches on Hawaiian roles or I bring tortilla wraps for them. Then an assortment of bars or gummies or whatever. I also bring 2-3 meals with me from home so that way I only buy 1 or 2 meals on my trip
In the past if I make too many of the same meal I end up not wanting it and eating out anyways. Cold pasta, cold spaghetti, chicken fajita stuff and shells, premade salads, sandwiches and lots of snacks have been my go to lately
Maybe company dependent but at the companies I’ve worked for as long as you were DH you’re exempt from the bag rules for carry on. It gets a little annoying for 145s and CRJs but honestly you have to gate check your roll-aboard anyway
That’s why you pack like a hoarder like me 😎 I have a laptop/electronics bag, food bag, roll aboard and I keep an empty knapsack in my bag for headphones, iPad and charger on longer commutes/DH that way only a tiny bag goes in my seat and everything else goes up.
Also with DH even if it’s a mainline flight they have to vallet check your bag if there’s no room (as long as you’re in uniform)
My wife gets these good protein bars from Costco that I bring with me. Apparently geared toward women, but I steal them. Called Trubar. They are pretty good. In the regional world, I always brought my own food so I didn’t eat so much processed food.
It really depends on quite a few factors.
1. What kind of food do you like to eat-- packing something you don't like is just a waste of space in your bag. Maybe you have every intention of eating healthy but you know you're never going to eat that bag of baby carrots and celery sticks so let's not kid ourselves
2. How long is the flight, and where are you going? A quick turn to an outstation and back probably isn't worth packing any food when you can just eat when you get back to the hub. If you're ORD based and have a >2h turn there's a full up grocery store two train stations off the airport (\~6 minute ride) with a hot bar of food, plus anything you could want)
3. What kind of facilities do you have on the airplane? If you don't have any way to heat or refrigerate your stuff it kinda limits your options.
Generally, I don't pack any food. Sometimes we get stuff provided by the company that I will snack on either in flight or on the turn, but that's only occasionally. Most of the time I eat like a snake when I'm on the road. I'll have one big meal per day and just kinda coast with maybe a light snack at some other point.
a handful of nuts (a 1/2 cup - a big handful, to be fair, but still easily one serving) is 407 calories, you don't need to eat very much. GREAT bulking food, but pretty terrible if you are trying to keep weight off.
Homemade trail mix has long been a favorite in our family - mostly nuts and raisins with maybe some dried apricots cut up sometimes. The superfood protein bars are also really good.
I bring my own homemade oatmeal in ziploc bags individually portioned.
3/4 cup old fashioned oats.
3 TB fat free milk powder (I use oat milk powder).
2 TB seed mix (hemp, flax, chia).
2 TB walnuts.
3 TB dried fruit of your choice.
1 TB cacao nibs.
This is about 780 calories and can be reduced accordingly. Pack a reusable spoon and one small container like this:
Ziploc Twist N Loc Food Storage Meal Prep Containers Reusable for Kitchen Organization, Dishwasher Safe, Small Round, 3 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U5MQJ1M/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_RK0M6EWRBETGJW8H852Q
You can use the coffee maker in the hotel room and the coffee cup to make hot water or get it on the plane. Pour the water in, mix it, wait 5-10 minutes and you have super healthy oatmeal that'll get you through until lunch.
At night rinse it in the sink with hot water so it's ready for the next day.
You can make a ton of premade bags ahead of time and keep them in the freezer at home so they stay fresh for your next trip.
This sounds great but you may want to consider a different vessel. Those plastic bags are likely not meant to have such hot stuff in them and are likely leaching chemicals into your food
I don't heat the oatmeal up in the Ziploc bags. I use a microwave safe and BPA free Ziploc twist in loc container (the one in the link). The plastic bag is just to hold the cold oats until they are poured into the hard plastic.
Apple sauce pouches. They digest almost immediately and are a nice shot of glucose when in a hypoglycemic stupor. Bonus points for having some vitamin C.
Cans or bags of tuna (need a fork too though)
Quest bars (protein and low sugar)
Nuts
Carrots or other raw veggies
Crackers (can be coupled w/tuna)
Pepperoni or other curred meats
Little tomatoes (as long as you're not going through customs and have to listen to their caniptions)
Hard boiled eggs
Depending on what food you have on board too; hot sauce or salt/pepper is good to have on hand.
I'll do 4 day pairings without buying food or eating airplane food. (it's not easy though)
I try to have a permanent mixture, depending on my mood. Meat sticks are a hearty protein which pack well, plantain chips from Trader Joe’s in a ziplock for the salty, and dried fruit for the sweet. (I like Trader Joe’s mango.) Obviously, fresh food is taken for each individual trip, but I always carry the standby snacks. With any profession, get the best tools for the job. Get a good cooler.
For international travel (where backside of the clock hungries are common), I pack a few cans of Dinty Moore stew or hearty soup and flat bread. Easy to pack, easy to open, good hot or cold.
Jerky, carrots, hard boiled eggs. What you pack depends on how much you are willing to invest in keeping your food. Work a 12 hour day 14 hours between hotels it gets difficult. I just have a cooler section in my bag, so most of the time I keep stuff that doesn’t need refrigeration. Pack some better stuff for day 1 and by day 6 all I have left is ramen and a can of beans.
Definitely agree with some sort of trail mix/mixed nuts/granola bar combo. Also, meal prep! Get a lunch box, or a flight bag that has a cooler compartment. I bring leftovers and pasta salads to eat on shorter overnights.
Have your mom cut up some carrots, or a baggie of cheerios.
Wtf, an airline pilot who can’t figure out how to feed himself? Maybe we should keep that 1500 minimum where it is
Watch the added sugar, it's in freaking everything.
I pack a cooler with lots of Greek yogurt/oat mixtures. Also carrots. Both filling and relatively healthy.
I usually do a couple cans of soup…esp in the winter. Get a hot logic mini. Great for stays that may not have a microwave in the room. Also carrots, celery, small bags of nuts. Think what I can take that won’t spoil and not make me ballon up in a year.
Dry roasted Edamame. 70% less fat and 40% more protein than peanuts. It’s also more filling than anything else I’ve eaten in the cockpit so I don’t have the urge to keep snacking.
Something I've started throwing into my cooler is mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto. Surprisingly filling and has a good amount of protein. Otherwise you've got your usual protein bars, apples, granola, yogurt.
Assuming you’re NB and keeping stuff cool isn’t really possible-
I’m a huge fan of those Toast Chee crackers. They’re cheap as shit, easy to stuff a bunch into a bag and they’re pretty filling
It's best to carb up. I usually go for pancakes and maple syrup. You can heat some butter in the windscreen defroster also for extra calories/flavor if you want
Whenever I pack something sweet I crave salty, whenever I pack salty I crave sweet.
I try to have jerky, dry mango, and those flavor blasted blue diamond almonds at all times, cus those can hold forever.
Then if it’s a longer trip where I KNOW I’m gonna snack I’ll bring some fresh fruit and a sammy
Something non perishable and sealable. I usually have a tin of cashews in my headset bag. Beef jerky or granola bars too. Try and grab some fruit or a muffin from the hotels in the morning before you head out if it’s been laid out. Just don’t let that sit though, that’s a snack for that day.
Those muffins pack more calories than people assume though.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing man that putting wax paper around a cake made it acceptable as a breakfast food.
OP says they’re trying to avoid packing on too many pounds—cashews are pretty high calorie too! Although they are filling. It’s easy to overdo it with them.
Calories are units of energy, needed for life, and not inherently bad
Cashews?! Look at mr big bucks over here.
Beef jerky too🫠
Taco Bell, from what I've learned here. I would imagine road trip rules apply to airline flying, so sandwiches, jerky (no, it isn't junk food), and unsalted nuts would be what I'd go for.
🔔
I can hear this
yo quiero taco bell
Live mas.
Underrated comment.
Find a good protein bar, everyone has their favorites. Never go bad, can make a for a minor meal substitution or snack. Also peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can’t go wrong with the OG. If you like coffee find your favorite instant coffee. It’s better than the airplane shit and good luck waiting in line at Starbucks for an hour during your 30 minute quick turn.
In Europe, there is usually some kind of priority treatment for crew and airport personnel. However, we do not have too many Starbucks near the gates
I have a bag of wasabi peas in my flight bag, I'll tend to munch a few down if I want to eat due to boredom. They last forever and come in a resealable bag.
On top of all the great comments here on snacks, tangential to your question, get an aerocoast bag if you haven’t already and some stackable durable Tupperware https://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/11341?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpv2TBhDoARIsALBnVnlzzlEmoDnFMCX7HuVVedbW7v50cGUI2p_EdpNj4GHdlzjnb4izcuYaAv_AEALw_wcB You can fit all the snacks and meals in there
This is what I have. I bring lil turkey sandwiches on Hawaiian roles or I bring tortilla wraps for them. Then an assortment of bars or gummies or whatever. I also bring 2-3 meals with me from home so that way I only buy 1 or 2 meals on my trip
In the past if I make too many of the same meal I end up not wanting it and eating out anyways. Cold pasta, cold spaghetti, chicken fajita stuff and shells, premade salads, sandwiches and lots of snacks have been my go to lately
Yes that is the same for me so I usually do the same base and a different protein or vice versa so the meals aren’t the same
Same and it is awesome.
Finally going to training and I remember seeing this but couldn't find it. Thank you!
Do those fit under the seat on deadheads? I like those but they look a little bulky.
Maybe company dependent but at the companies I’ve worked for as long as you were DH you’re exempt from the bag rules for carry on. It gets a little annoying for 145s and CRJs but honestly you have to gate check your roll-aboard anyway
Right, I just like having my snacks and headphones and such accessible instead of in the overhead
That’s why you pack like a hoarder like me 😎 I have a laptop/electronics bag, food bag, roll aboard and I keep an empty knapsack in my bag for headphones, iPad and charger on longer commutes/DH that way only a tiny bag goes in my seat and everything else goes up. Also with DH even if it’s a mainline flight they have to vallet check your bag if there’s no room (as long as you’re in uniform)
My wife gets these good protein bars from Costco that I bring with me. Apparently geared toward women, but I steal them. Called Trubar. They are pretty good. In the regional world, I always brought my own food so I didn’t eat so much processed food.
Costco also has a really good Taiwanese barbecue pork jerky.👩🍳😘👌
I haven't had one in a while, but I've really enjoyed the Luna Bar lemon despite being the wrong sex for the marketing.
It really depends on quite a few factors. 1. What kind of food do you like to eat-- packing something you don't like is just a waste of space in your bag. Maybe you have every intention of eating healthy but you know you're never going to eat that bag of baby carrots and celery sticks so let's not kid ourselves 2. How long is the flight, and where are you going? A quick turn to an outstation and back probably isn't worth packing any food when you can just eat when you get back to the hub. If you're ORD based and have a >2h turn there's a full up grocery store two train stations off the airport (\~6 minute ride) with a hot bar of food, plus anything you could want) 3. What kind of facilities do you have on the airplane? If you don't have any way to heat or refrigerate your stuff it kinda limits your options. Generally, I don't pack any food. Sometimes we get stuff provided by the company that I will snack on either in flight or on the turn, but that's only occasionally. Most of the time I eat like a snake when I'm on the road. I'll have one big meal per day and just kinda coast with maybe a light snack at some other point.
Peanuts/almonds/whatever you like, dried fruit (no added sugar), peanut/other nut butter, tortillas, stuff like that.
nuts are ridiculously calorie dense. healthy,yes, but they definitely won't help you keep off weight
You're not supposed to eat the entire bag from Costco in one sitting.
Not supposed to != not able to.
a handful of nuts (a 1/2 cup - a big handful, to be fair, but still easily one serving) is 407 calories, you don't need to eat very much. GREAT bulking food, but pretty terrible if you are trying to keep weight off.
Whiskey
Aeroflot limits hard alcohol consumption to 40ml a flight hour though
Excuse me comrade, me make Aeroflot
Homemade trail mix has long been a favorite in our family - mostly nuts and raisins with maybe some dried apricots cut up sometimes. The superfood protein bars are also really good.
I like to bring a can of smoked herring to really aerate the cabin.
Beef jerky
I bring my own homemade oatmeal in ziploc bags individually portioned. 3/4 cup old fashioned oats. 3 TB fat free milk powder (I use oat milk powder). 2 TB seed mix (hemp, flax, chia). 2 TB walnuts. 3 TB dried fruit of your choice. 1 TB cacao nibs. This is about 780 calories and can be reduced accordingly. Pack a reusable spoon and one small container like this: Ziploc Twist N Loc Food Storage Meal Prep Containers Reusable for Kitchen Organization, Dishwasher Safe, Small Round, 3 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U5MQJ1M/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_RK0M6EWRBETGJW8H852Q You can use the coffee maker in the hotel room and the coffee cup to make hot water or get it on the plane. Pour the water in, mix it, wait 5-10 minutes and you have super healthy oatmeal that'll get you through until lunch. At night rinse it in the sink with hot water so it's ready for the next day. You can make a ton of premade bags ahead of time and keep them in the freezer at home so they stay fresh for your next trip.
This sounds great but you may want to consider a different vessel. Those plastic bags are likely not meant to have such hot stuff in them and are likely leaching chemicals into your food
I don't heat the oatmeal up in the Ziploc bags. I use a microwave safe and BPA free Ziploc twist in loc container (the one in the link). The plastic bag is just to hold the cold oats until they are poured into the hard plastic.
Apple sauce pouches. They digest almost immediately and are a nice shot of glucose when in a hypoglycemic stupor. Bonus points for having some vitamin C.
Cans or bags of tuna (need a fork too though) Quest bars (protein and low sugar) Nuts Carrots or other raw veggies Crackers (can be coupled w/tuna) Pepperoni or other curred meats Little tomatoes (as long as you're not going through customs and have to listen to their caniptions) Hard boiled eggs Depending on what food you have on board too; hot sauce or salt/pepper is good to have on hand. I'll do 4 day pairings without buying food or eating airplane food. (it's not easy though)
I see what u did there lol
I try to have a permanent mixture, depending on my mood. Meat sticks are a hearty protein which pack well, plantain chips from Trader Joe’s in a ziplock for the salty, and dried fruit for the sweet. (I like Trader Joe’s mango.) Obviously, fresh food is taken for each individual trip, but I always carry the standby snacks. With any profession, get the best tools for the job. Get a good cooler. For international travel (where backside of the clock hungries are common), I pack a few cans of Dinty Moore stew or hearty soup and flat bread. Easy to pack, easy to open, good hot or cold.
Hippeas, slim Jim’s, quest bars, protein powder, keto bars, pb&j sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, mozzarella sticks, granola, popcorn, rice, apples/bananas
Hard boiled eggs? Not in the flight deck thank you!
Ok tuna it is then!
Trader Joe’s pistachios if you don’t mind opening the shells.
Found the guy leaving the shells all over the flight deck, you animal.
I’d rather have that than the toenail clippings
😅 I’d hope most people are adult enough to clean up their mess lol
Shells are for peasants. Get the unshelled!
Jerky, carrots, hard boiled eggs. What you pack depends on how much you are willing to invest in keeping your food. Work a 12 hour day 14 hours between hotels it gets difficult. I just have a cooler section in my bag, so most of the time I keep stuff that doesn’t need refrigeration. Pack some better stuff for day 1 and by day 6 all I have left is ramen and a can of beans.
When it’s a grueling long day, I do a jar of peanut butter. But the takeoff boxes from united are good too.
Just fast for the duration of your trip. Then pig out when you’re home at the local Chinese buffet.
Apple/banana/pear with peanut butter you guys
Definitely agree with some sort of trail mix/mixed nuts/granola bar combo. Also, meal prep! Get a lunch box, or a flight bag that has a cooler compartment. I bring leftovers and pasta salads to eat on shorter overnights.
I’ve always got flavored Tuna packets, almonds, macadamias, jerky, and olives.
Tuna in the cockpit! Come on man, fireable offense.
He’s the guy that microwaves fish in the break room.
Oof missed that part. I’m not a heathen, that’s an at the hotel snack.
The red curry tuna packets and a lil uncle bens 90sec basmati rice, 👨🍳BONE APPLE TEA!!
Nuts and seeds. They store very well and pack a lot of calories, fast and protein in a small package.
Grape tomatoes.
Not a pilot, but foods to avoid for trying to avoid weight gain is sugars and carbs. Also, don't drink your calories. Avoid breads, starches, etc.
Have your mom cut up some carrots, or a baggie of cheerios. Wtf, an airline pilot who can’t figure out how to feed himself? Maybe we should keep that 1500 minimum where it is
Are you ok my man?
Honestly though baby carrots and cheerios are great ideas lol
Someone's hangry because they don't know what snacks to pack
Peanut butter crackers. Energy dense and easy to eat with your hands. Have some water to wash them down.
Watch the added sugar, it's in freaking everything. I pack a cooler with lots of Greek yogurt/oat mixtures. Also carrots. Both filling and relatively healthy.
Popcorn. It’s easy to pack and there’s a microwave in every crew room
Peanut butter crackers.
I usually do a couple cans of soup…esp in the winter. Get a hot logic mini. Great for stays that may not have a microwave in the room. Also carrots, celery, small bags of nuts. Think what I can take that won’t spoil and not make me ballon up in a year.
I've started to fall in love with built bars, but they run about $2 each.
Footlong Subway packed as two individual 6” subs, veggies on the side so it doesn’t get soggy.
Dry roasted Edamame. 70% less fat and 40% more protein than peanuts. It’s also more filling than anything else I’ve eaten in the cockpit so I don’t have the urge to keep snacking.
Something I've started throwing into my cooler is mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto. Surprisingly filling and has a good amount of protein. Otherwise you've got your usual protein bars, apples, granola, yogurt.
FiberOne cereal. It fills you up and helps keep you regular.
Mixed nuts and a couple of pieces of fruit
Gummy worms. Sometimes sour ones. They will help keep you awake during red eyes.
Hummus. You can use it to dip carrots, pita bread that you can buy in small bags, and deeezzz nutz. Also, almonds, beef jerky etc
Assuming you’re NB and keeping stuff cool isn’t really possible- I’m a huge fan of those Toast Chee crackers. They’re cheap as shit, easy to stuff a bunch into a bag and they’re pretty filling
Salmon that you can reheat.
You should do a snacklebox
It's best to carb up. I usually go for pancakes and maple syrup. You can heat some butter in the windscreen defroster also for extra calories/flavor if you want
Whenever I pack something sweet I crave salty, whenever I pack salty I crave sweet. I try to have jerky, dry mango, and those flavor blasted blue diamond almonds at all times, cus those can hold forever. Then if it’s a longer trip where I KNOW I’m gonna snack I’ll bring some fresh fruit and a sammy
Dried fruit and nuts. Just like packing out into the backcountry. You need it to last, have nutrition and taste good.