Originally Posted by EWR764

One thing to keep in mind is that most flight kitchens in the USA (and elsewhere, I'm sure) have already laid off or terminated much of their respective workforces, so they are operating at drastically reduced capacity. Plus, as was pointed out upthread, government restrictions are impacting food service operations and supply chains. So, not only is this an effort to reduce costs by UA, but it's also a function of what kitchens are able to deliver at this time, which is why (setting aside "hygiene theater") we are seeing a lot of prepackaged and shelf-stable items, if anything is served onboard at all.