The Best (And Worst) Foods to Eat Before You Fly, According to a Dietitian
Key takeaways:
Air travel can be stressful for your body. Conditions in the airplane cabin can cause bloating, nausea, and dehydration.
Making changes to your diet in the days before your trip can help prevent these symptoms. Drinking plenty of water and focusing on certain foods can help. For example, low-fiber carbohydrates and foods rich in potassium and magnesium can minimize discomfort when you fly.
It’s also a good idea to avoid alcohol, sodium, fried foods, and carbonated drinks before and during travel.
Table of contents
The days leading up to a trip are often busy with last-minute preparations. So, what you eat and drink during that time is usually an afterthought. But if you want to feel your best while traveling, your food and beverage choices should be a key part of your pre-travel planning checklist.
Diet needs vary from person to person. But read on to learn about some of the best foods to eat — and avoid — before your next flight.
How does flying affect your body?
Air travel can affect your body in many ways — particularly your digestive system. Understanding and preparing for these effects can help reduce discomfort during flights.
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Cabin Pressure
Airplanes fly at high altitudes where the oxygen concentration is lower. So, their cabins are pressurized. This cabin pressure, called barometric pressure, is comparable to what you’d experience at the peak of a 5,000- to 8,000-foot mountain. According to the Aerospace Medical Association (AMA), this increased pressure can cause gases in your body cavities to expand by up to 25%. When gases in your abdomen expand, it can lead to discomfort and bloating.
Low Humidity and Reduced Oxygen Levels
The low humidity and reduced oxygen levels in the airplane cabins can lead to dehydration. This is often worse on longer flights. This can be worsened by items commonly served in-flight, like salty foods and alcohol.
Dehydration can also worsen gastrointestinal (GI) issues. When you’re dehydrated, your body retains fluids. This can cause constipation, bloating, and slow digestion — all of which lead to gas.
Jet Lag
Jet lag occurs when you travel across time zones, especially when traveling east. It disrupts your body’s internal clock, which often causes sleep problems and daytime tiredness. But jet lag can also disrupt other body processes both during and after your flight, leading to:
Indigestion
Bloating
Diarrhea
Nausea
Appetite changes
Motion Sickness
The movements of the plane, combined with constant changes in altitude and pressure, can cause motion sickness. Even slight dehydration can increase feelings of nausea and dizziness associated with motion sickness.
Tips for staying healthy when traveling: A few simple steps before you leave can help keep you happy and healthy, so you can fully enjoy your vacation.
Quick ways to rehydrate your body: Water is usually a great choice. But sports beverages and hydrating fruits can also be effective options.
Science-backed ways to beat jet lag: Jet lag isn’t anyone’s favorite part of travel. But taking these steps before, during, and after your trip can help your biological clock adjust faster.
Travel Stress
Air travel can be stressful. It often involves racing to catch your flight, trying to find a spot for your carry-on, feeling anxiety about flying, or all of the above! This stress can disrupt the brain-gut interactions, and contribute to GI issues like stomach pain, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and nausea.
What is the best food to eat before flying?
Some discomfort during air travel may be unavoidable. This is especially true for those with digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But paying attention to the food and drinks you consume may help decrease the side effects mentioned above.
Here are some of the best foods to eat before — or during — a flight.
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Fruit
Fruit is a great pre-flight food because it provides essential hydration, vitamins, and minerals. It also contains carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed by your body for energy. Some excellent options include:
Oranges: Hydrating and high in vitamin C, oranges can support your immune system. This may help protect against germs in the cabin.
Bananas: Easy to digest and packed with potassium, bananas help regulate blood pressure and hydration levels. They can also help prevent muscle cramps caused by prolonged sitting.
Melons: Fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are hydrating and easy to digest.
Since oranges and bananas are so portable, toss some into your personal bag to enjoy during the flight.
Smoothies
A smoothie before flying can boost energy and hydration. But you can’t take one through security and nutritious options may be hard to find at the airport. Consider making one at home to sip on the way to the airport.
Try blending a banana with:
A handful of spinach or dandelion greens
Pineapple
Unsweetened coconut water for hydration
Fresh ginger for its anti-nausea properties
Low-fiber carbs
High-fiber diets are excellent for everyday nutrition. But in simulated in-flight conditions, consuming high-fiber foods caused more stomach issues than low-fiber foods.
The day of your flight isn’t a good time to up your fiber intake. On flight day, stick with low-fiber, easily digestible carbs like:
Low-sodium whole-grain crackers or bread
Ripe bananas
Unsweetened applesauce pouches
Unsweetened fruit spreads
Unsweetened dried fruits
While fresh and dried fruits do contain fiber, eating them in small amounts is fine. Having one banana (2 g to 3 g of fiber depending on ripeness) or ¼ cup of raisins (2 g of fiber) won’t likely cause in-flight digestive issues for most people.
Lean proteins
Pair low-fiber carbs with lean proteins that are easy to digest, such as:
Eggs
Turkey or chicken
Single-ingredient nut or seed butter
Tree nuts or seeds
Tofu
This combination of nutrients can give you energy, keep you full, and be gentle on your digestive system. Ideas include:
Wheat bread paired with fruit spread and sunflower seed butter
Dried fruit with low-sodium wheat crackers and home-sliced turkey
Nuts (unsalted or low-salt) or homemade trail mix paired with a banana
A well-balanced protein bar is another convenient option to keep in your personal bag. Choose one made with whole foods (like nuts and seeds), minimal added sugar, and no artificial sweeteners.
Foods high in potassium
Potassium is excellent for travelers because it helps:
Maintain a healthy electrolyte balance, preventing dehydration
Support muscle function, helping to prevent cramping
Regulate blood vessel function, which may reduce the risk of blood clots from inactivity and reduced oxygen levels in flight
Some high-potassium foods include:
Bananas
Avocado
White and sweet potatoes
Spinach or other leafy greens
Bananas are an easy, potassium-rich food to enjoy before or during travel. But if you have time, a breakfast of avocado toast or an egg with sautéed spinach and home-fried potatoes is a great pre-flight meal.
Magnesium-rich foods
Like potassium, magnesium is an electrolyte that may help ease some effects of air travel. Magnesium can help counteract stress and fatigue. Good sources of magnesium include:
Pumpkin seeds
Bananas
Almonds and cashews
Dark chocolate (at least 70%)
For a travel-friendly snack high in magnesium, pack a low- or no-salt nut and seed trail mix with 70% dark chocolate chips.
What foods should you avoid before a flight?
In the day or two before air travel, try to avoid foods that are likely to cause discomfort during flight. While everyone reacts differently to certain foods, it’s usually a good idea to steer clear of the following:
Common triggers of gas and bloating: Foods like cruciferous vegetables, legumes (including peanuts), and onions often cause gas and bloating.
High-fiber meals: One might assume that a nutritious meal packed with veggies and/or grains is a nutritious pre-travel meal. But these high-fiber meals demand lots of water for digestion, so they can lead to uncomfortable gas during travel.
Carbonated drinks: These beverages contain carbon dioxide gas, which can get trapped in your stomach and cause bloating. Stick to flat water and other non-bubbly beverages during air travel.
Foods and drinks with added sugar or artificial sweeteners: Sodas, energy drinks, and fruit juices with added sugar or artificial sweeteners may be harmful to gut bacteria. Many sugars and sweeteners ferment in the lower gut, causing bloating and gas.
Foods high in sodium: Salty snacks like pretzels and chips can cause fluid retention, leading to bloating and dehydration.
Spicy dishes: Spicy foods can irritate your gut, causing stomach pain, heartburn, or diarrhea.
Fatty, fried, or greasy foods: Fast food is heavy on the stomach and hard to digest, which can lead to discomfort or nausea.
Alcohol: Many people drink in-flight cocktails, wine, or beer. But this can contribute to dehydration, upset stomach, and headaches. Your best bet is to avoid alcohol during flights (and in the 24 hours before flying), especially if you’re prone to motion sickness.
Before or during air travel isn’t the best time to test out new foods, either. Stick to your regular diet and foods that you know your stomach can handle well to ensure a smoother journey.
How can you stay hydrated on long flights?
One of the best ways to care for yourself before, during, and after a flight is to stay hydrated by drinking water. In addition to preventing dehydration, water aids digestion and helps reduce fatigue.
There isn’t a strict guideline for fluid intake during flights. But the AMA suggests drinking about 8 oz of water for every hour of flight. Unsweetened coconut water is a hydrating alternative to plain water. It’s naturally rich in electrolytes like potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
The AMA also recommends limiting tea, coffee, and other caffeinated drinks during flight. But most research suggests that drinking these beverages in moderation isn’t harmful. So, feel free to enjoy some coffee or tea before and during air travel to increase your fluid intake.
Remember that hydrating foods, like whole fruits and veggies, can also contribute to your hydration during a long flight. Fruits with high water content include melons, pears, and grapes.
What can you do to prevent stomach bloating and nausea during flights?
Here are some tips for preventing digestive discomfort during flights:
Eat a light meal before boarding. Flying on an empty stomach can worsen stomach upset.
During flight, stick to smaller meals and snacks.
Eat slowly.
Get up and move around every hour to improve circulation and reduce bloating.
Wear comfortable clothes that allow for good blood flow. Avoid tight waistbands that can press on your stomach.
Chew gum to help your ears adjust to air pressure changes.
If you suffer from in-flight motion sickness, you may find relief from:
Eating plain foods like crackers
Drinking water
Reclining your seat
Closing your eyes
Sucking on lozenges or low-sugar ginger chews made with real ginger
If you tend to get motion sick, consider taking over-the-counter medication before your flight. Try deep breathing or listening to calming music or audiobooks to help reduce stress and ease stomach upset. This can also promote better sleep on long flights.
The bottom line
Air travel can cause bloating, nausea, and dehydration. But you can take steps before and during your flight to reduce these symptoms. Plan out what you’ll eat \before and during travel so you aren’t limited to airport food courts and in-flight options. Drinking plenty of water and focusing on low-fiber carbohydrates and foods rich in electrolytes can help reduce discomfort when you fly. Try to avoid spicy foods, fried foods, and those high in sodium or fiber. By following these guidelines, you may be more comfortable during your flight — and once you reach your destination.
Why trust our experts?
References
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