eng3

I know that most/all of the food UA prepares is not healthy but it is still good to know the nutritional information so one can accurately quantify how bad it is. Even just from looking at ingredients or relying on your muted taste buds at altitude, there's no way to know if something has has 100mg of sodium or 1000mg of sodium or 5g of saturated fat or 20g of saturated fat. I use to think I could taste the difference, but from looking at nutrition labels, I was surprised to see the wide difference between two items that taste very similar even with something as simple as salad dressing. If I was a once a year flyer, I wouldn't care but it starts to add up for a frequent traveler. I also don't want to just stop eating what is offered, I am paying for it. You can still be healthy without completely cutting out all unhealthy food.

sdix

I'd hate to think about the nutritional value of what's served on board. We'll probably never know the values of their plated food but if you are getting their packaged stuff then you can use the myfitnesspal app to scan the barcode to see if it's in their database (if you are on wifi)

SFOdelayed

JC5280

Many years ago, I worked in corporate at United and knew some folks that managed the customer response teams. They had all of the categories of complaints and when it came to food on board, the team members in that group said they never ate any of the food on the flights. Between the illnesses that were reported in, to knowing the nutritional value of the catering items, it just wasn't worth it to them. When I probed a little further, I learned that anything that is boarded on a plane has to withstand many hours of varying temperatures, and still needs to be served. For that reason, food is prepared with a ton of preservatives and sodium. Like, off the charts sodium. Ovens are actually more like microwaves on planes, so the food comes cooked, it is typically just warmed from there. What you eat today was likely cooked yesterday or many hours ago.

Its a vast difference from a restaurant. And thats why airlines spend a ton on bringing in chefs and culinary experts. Its not to bring exquisite variety or sophistication to airline meals. Anyone can make a rubbery chicken, salty fish, or short rib. They use these experts to find creative ways to make the food last longer. Recatering a plane is a cost in financial dollars and time. Where it can be avoided, its an operational savings. So the food is designed to mimic familiar flavors, but it is no where near the food you had in the airport. Ever wonder why you see so many complaints about the food not changing much? There is a limited menu that can execute on the needs of multiple flights. Ever wonder why you see short ribs on every menu? They are super easy to maintain for hours. Plus, they are the "chicken nuggets" of any restaurant menu. Restaurants use this strategy too. There is always someone that will order them. Its comfort food, it can be plated quickly, and for the folks that gravitate towards meat, its the easiest to serve at a low overhead (short rib is a low grade cut of beef).

Personally, when I was traveling every week, I had a routine doctor's visit once. My sodium was off the charts. I have never added salt to any dish. First thing he asked was how often I was eating out. Restaurants LOAD their food with sodium to make it more appealing and make it save longer in prep. It was 4-5 nights on the road each week for me at that time. And the occasional airline meal when I didnt have time to eat anywhere on the go. When I slowed my travel and started making healthier choices, the sodium came back down to normal levels.

I am fascinated by how travelers seem to ditch all nutritional standards when food is free or offered as a perk. Look at airline and hotel lounge food. People scarf that stuff up like there is no tomorrow. I remember when there was tons of excitement about salami in the United Clubs. Plates were loaded with it. Claims of full sandwiches being made with cheese cubes, salami and rolls. Think of the sodium and fat count in just one of those.

Moral of the story? You do NOT want to know what is in that food.

cricketer

I have a simple approach now, which is important to me because I have a dangerous sweet tooth (i.e. must. eat. dessert.). I eat the salad (dressing-free), vegetables, and fruit first in any meal. Then I eat the rest depending on my hunger levels, skipping the bread, rice, noodles etc. I also tend to skip or at most nibble at the arrival meals. The exception to this rule is the spicy chicken on UA (that bowl is pretty much licked clean, noodles included), This, plus no longer being silly at hotel breakfasts, is probably adding a few years back to my life expectancy. Beyond that I'm counting on advances in medical science!

It's hard work though. Inside I'm still that kid that is so excited at the thought of an airline meal. Flying has yet to lose its lustre for me.

findark

But almost identical to buffets and catering (which unsurprisingly suffer from most of the same problems as airplane food) modulo the fact that your palate is different in the air and they do try to account for that.

Dublin_rfk

I live by. "If you have to ask, you don't want to know."

eng3

I basically go by the opposite strategy.
I budget X calories, Y grams of saturated fat, Z mg of sodium (etc....) per day.
I'll eat something "healthy" and/or "unhealthy" but either way, I want to have the information so I can stay within my budget.

As for strategies for food to be stored longer, cheaper, etc, I only wish they did this more. I've always complained that they should not try to serve some strange exotic dish that can never taste good reheated and stick to things that they know will work. Short Rib, Ice cream, taste the same after being frozen. Lobster Mac+cheese, Sushi, Dumplings do not.

Dublin_rfk

Being a lazy adventurist omnivore. I rarely keep track of calories, fats (saturated and not) sodium, dyes, allergies (other’s not mine) or serving size. I’ll eat just about anything that doesn’t try to eat me first. With the exception of the lovely durian. I’m 0 for 3 in keeping it down.