The one thing about air travel is comfort doesn’t come easy. Be it a tiny seat, cramped foot room, or the ceaseless, low-frequency hum of the cabin pressure system, flying in a plane puts up many obstacles to relaxation. However, the biggest distress you may have on a plane can come from the foods you ingested before you found your seat. That’s why you should avoid these 10 foods before boarding an airplane. (If you’re staying at home, these are the foods you should never order for delivery.)
To compile a list of foods to be avoided before boarding an airplane, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of health and lifestyle websites. From there, we selected a range of foods to reflect different diets. After that, we consulted health experts at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for accurate scientific information.
Coffee
If you’re catching a red-eye flight, it’s understandable why you would want some kind of pick-me-up to get you through it. However, coffee is best avoided before boarding an airplane. The dry environment of a plane will already leave you feeling a bit dehydrated. Add a cup of joe to the mix, and you will feel even more parched.
Plus, coffee is a natural diuretic. This means the more coffee you drink before catching your flight, the more trips you’ll have to take to the bathroom. What’s more, planes are a great place to catch up on sleep. A cup of coffee will only keep you awake and going to the bathroom, meaning you might land feeling less rested than when you started.
Red Meat
Sure, the airport terminal is lined with establishments serving juicy beef burgers or steak. It may sound enticing, however, these foods should be avoided before boarding an airplane. Red meat is difficult for many people to digest and can cause discomfort as it works its way through your intestines.
What’s worse, the digestion of red meat can cause gas as well as other foul odors. For that reason alone, it’s best to avoid red meat before catching a flight. In the cramped, shared-air space of an airplane, it’s better to be considerate of your neighbors than treat them to a noxious display of smell.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables run the gamut from things like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower to even beans. While a healthy staple of a well-balanced diet, these vegetables and legumes are notorious for causing gas and bloating. That’s because our stomachs lack the enzymes to digest certain carbohydrates called FODMAPS found in cruciferous vegetables.
Beans, the magical fruit, have a long-running reputation for causing excessive flatulence. Broccoli and cabbage do, too, however, they also take longer to digest in the stomach which also can cause bloating. Combine this with the gas expansion that happens in your stomach when flying and you’re in for an embarrassing trip.
Garlic and Onions
Garlic and onions not only taste great, they are the perfect complement to larger meals. However, you should avoid these foods before boarding an airplane. Much like cruciferous vegetables, garlic, and onions are not easily digested, which can cause gas and bloating.
Plus, foods like garlic have a high sulfuric content. This means that they seep through your skin easily, resulting in foul body odor and stinky breath. There are even rumors that certain airlines prevent pilots from eating garlic on planes because the odor lingers in the cockpit.
High-Sodium Food
While high-sodium items are an essential part of a healthy diet, it’s best to avoid these foods before boarding an airplane. Due to the lack of humidity and the dry air, the on-board environment is known to cause dehydration. Add some salt to a dehydrated body, and well, it becomes an even more dehydrated body.
That’s why it’s best to put down the salt shaker before you journey through the skies. With the formidable changes in pressure, high-sodium food will exacerbate dehydration-related problems like constipation, headaches, and fatigue. Instead, opt for coconut water to help with staying hydrated. (Learn fascinating but little-known facts about common foods.)
Over-Processed Snacks
Heavily-processed snacks are designed to be delicious, but it’s best to avoid these foods before boarding a plane. Things like candy or potato chips should be skipped, especially if you are someone who struggles with indigestion. Often, these foods contain ingredients that upset the stomach.
The mixture of a delicate tummy and a carbo-loaded fast food meal can spell disaster for your journey. The last thing you want is something like diarrhea, much less indigestion while flying. Instead, try eating a piece of avocado toast or just a small amount of fruit. That way you’ll feel full, but not enough to send your stomach into disarray.
Carbonated Beverages
Soda pop and seltzer water may be handed out like candy by flight attendants, however, it’s best to avoid it before a flight. This is due to the gas inherent in carbonation. Flying already disrupts normal gas levels in your stomach, but when a carbonated beverage is added, it can worsen your internal digestive air pockets.
This will only make you feel more gassy and bloated than usual. Plus, too much carbonated soda can also cause heartburn. That’s why it’s best to stick to flatter drinks and keep the air bubbles in your gut at a minimum for flying altitude. Soda may be tasty, but you should avoid these foods before boarding an airplane.
Spicy Foods
You may pride yourself on your ability to eat spicy foods like a ghost pepper, however, it’s best to avoid these foods before boarding an airplane. Spicy items may taste great, and even clear out your sinuses, but they do little benefit when it comes to air travel.
Particularly for the sensitive eater, spicy foods can cause stomach indigestion, irritation, as well as bladder issues. What’s more, a spice-laden meal often causes bad breath. Out of respect for your comfort and the comfort of your neighboring passenger, opt for a more bland food to eat beforehand instead. (Discover foods that can make you sick or even kill you.)
Fried Food
While things like French fries or those fried jalapeno poppers from the airport bar sound tasty, these foods are best avoided before boarding an airplane. Not only are these items often high in sodium, but they often contain high levels of fats and oils due to how they are prepared.
This mixture of ingredients can cause heartburn. It can also lead to fluid retention, which may leave you feeling bloated or swollen. Neither of these symptoms is fun on the ground. In the air, however, they can spell disaster. That’s why it’s best to stick with healthier, less fried foods before your transatlantic flight.
Alcohol
While alcohol has become a staple of the airport lifestyle, you’re better off skipping it before you catch your flight. Flying by itself can cause dehydration due to the rapid changes in altitude and your responding breathing patterns. Add alcohol to the mix, and you’re just asking for a case of dehydration.
Alcohol may be a depressant, but it can also disturb sleep. That means if you had a drink before or during your flight, hoping to catch up on some sleep, you might just come away feeling less rested. Plus, the last thing you want for the start of your week-long holiday is a hangover. That’s why it’s best to avoid this before boarding an airplane. (These are some eating habits that will change your life.)