Three flight attendants have revealed the meals they would never eat and the drinks passengers should absolutely avoid on board a plane.
When it comes to in-flight dining, no one knows better than airline flight attendants what food is best to eat or not. The Huffington Post spoke with three flight attendants who prepare meal trays on a daily basis. While all food goes through a thorough regulatory process before being served on an airplane, the advice of these crew members is worth hearing…
While bottled water is safe to drink, tap water, on the other hand, is not recommended on board an aircraft due to its quality. And by extension, tea and coffee served on board are also contraindicated, as are the ice cubes in your whiskey. Indeed, according to an American airline flight attendant named Whytney and interviewed by the Huffington Post, “it all depends on how often the pipes are cleaned (…) The problem is not so much with the United States but, in other countries, similar regulations are not in place”.
Other crew members still interviewed by the Huffington Post warn against eating steaks and tenderloins. “The ovens aren’t that big and there’s only a limited amount of food that can fit in them,” said Denis, a Delta Air Lines flight attendant. Which means the meat is usually undercooked and difficult to eat. Another food to avoid, said another flight attendant named King, are cheese platters “because they’re not too fresh.” “They’re made of cheese, of course, but they’re essentially shelf-stable products.”
Finally, our stewardess Whytney advises against consuming any salty foods such as pasta, soups or sandwiches with meat and certain Indian dishes, as food that is too processed and too high in sodium can lead to headaches , constipation or fatigue related to dehydration. But then what can we eat without risking anything? Vanessa Rissetto, registered dietitian, advises “coconut water to help with hydration” and “whole foods like vegetables and fruits, or lean proteins.”
“Alcohol negatively affects your body at high altitudes,” warns Whytney bluntly. On board, you can be tempted to relax, once the stress of take-off has passed, with a good beer or a glass of wine or champagne for the lucky ones. However, drinking alcohol “can produce dizziness or hypoxia” on board the plane, warns Dr. Clare Morrison at the Huffington Post, due to “the barometric pressure in the cabin of an airplane” which “is below normal”! In other words, the low level of oxygen absorbed into your body tissues, caused by the reduced pressure, will cause greater intoxication in the air than on the ground after consuming the same amount of alcohol.
“The worst are champagne and whiskey-soda type associations. Bubbles are the problem”, explains doctor Maryse Dupré to Madame Figaro. “They are created with carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide dilates the blood vessels, which makes the intestines absorb alcohol faster and, therefore, intoxication reaches its climax more quickly than on the ground”. We admit it, with all these recommendations, it will not be easy to enjoy your meal tray in mid-flight!
