Carefree - March 25, 2005
Carefree by Joyce McCombs

Carry On Airline Snacks

This week’s survey is called “Can I ask you a Wacky Question?” I freely admit I pestered some perfectly nice people into revealing food secrets that I am now shamelessly turning into a column (thanks, guys!) This week the victims were my very tolerant co-workers at City Hall, Pat White, Dave Zimmerman and Letha Burcham. The question of the week was: “Do you take any snacks with you when you travel by air and if so, what works best and why?”

This topic has been on my mind lately, since it seems like either the Carefree spouse or your CG are spending a lot of time lurking around Fairbanks Airport Gate 3. While I’m all for pumping up those frequent flier miles, the process of getting from here to there to wherever can sometimes be more of an adventure than we planned. For instance, Steve recently attended a Fire Safety class in Anchorage, and I just got back from an incredible trip to Barrow for the State Library Conference. Even though both trips were short, direct flights, each one had mechanical problems that caused significant delays. Steve ended up spending two hours on the tarmac before the plane was ordered back to the terminal and everyone deplaned for another two-hour wait inside. On my return trip from Barrow, mechanical problems in Anchorage caused the flight to be delayed more than six hours. My intrepid co-worker, Nancy King, and I camped out at the Barrow airport and were grateful we had comfortable seats, access to a restroom and our own snacks to see us through that long evening.

Spending six hours in Barrow staring at a vending machine loaded with sugar, fat and salt made me glad we had saved some of our hotel and travel snacks for this last leg of our journey. And it made me think of the old Scout motto “Be Prepared!” because as we all know, in Alaska, anything can happen and it usually does. 
 
I started thinking about extreme flying situations and came up with these basic four scenarios. In the first one, the plane breaks as soon as the baggage and everyone is loaded on board. No one is sure how long it will take to fix, therefore nobody is allowed off. After a couple hours, they offloaded passengers and baggage, but you can’t leave the terminal, since everyone has already gone through security. If you need to eat, either for medical, social or sanity reasons and there’s no snack bar or it’s closed, what then?

Next, it’s not only Alaskan air that can get rough, but we often have more than our share. Even though you only have a 2-hour flight, you could quite possibly have 2 1/2 hrs of turbulence. Under these conditions, the flight crew is not allowed to serve meals. I remember one rocky flight from the Aleutian’s to Anchorage where a lovely wool hat was pressed into service as an emergency an airsick bag. Not fun at all, but then again nobody really missed the inflight meal, either.

Third, there’s always the chance that you won’t like the food that is served. I know you’re a grownup and should be able to just grin and bear it, but why should you have to? You’re on vacation! Or a business trip! Or heading home! You should have some fun, at least when you’re eating. You already know I am fanatic about avoiding spinach, broccoli, green peppers or raw onions, and Steve can’t abide cheese in any way, shape or form. But don’t even think about asking ahead for a special meal, they just don’t exist on short flights, and sometimes not on long ones either.

Finally, there could be an electrical problem with the galley and your meal, as meager as it is, remains frozen solid. This happened on the way up to Barrow. As we boarded in Fairbanks, we were hit with a 95-degree blast of air and gasping passengers. The flight attendants were all leaning out the door to catch a breath of cool Fairbanks air. We were told later that the ovens wouldn’t work in flight and they had to crank them up high while the plane was on the ground for twenty short minutes. Still, our ham and cheese sandwiches were barely lukewarm when served and the coffeepot never did work right. Thank goodness the duct tape on the ceiling held up or I would have been really worried.

For all of these reasons, and more, (dietary, religious, health) it just makes sense to travel with some lightweight, non perishable, tasty snacks that will get you to your destination well hydrated and reasonably nourished.

I asked City Secretary Letha Burcham for her ideas first and she answered so quickly I knew she had it down to science. She packs a small apple, an orange that’s been peeled and sectioned and placed in a zip top bag, and a package of peanut butter crackers. Plain jerky is also good, and she often tosses in hard candy for a little treat during long flights. Her husband Mike has thinks that power bars and other kinds of granola bars are a must. Letha avoids juice and caffeine and sticks to drinking water from her own bottle. I sure agree with that, especially if it’s half frozen so it stays cold for most of the day.

Our City Finance Officer, Dave Zimmerman, says he takes cheese and cracker or peanut butter cracker packs, and says nuts are tasty and a good source of protein, as long as they aren’t too salty. He likes Granola bars, especially the kind with dried cranberries, and he always has lots of bottled water handy in his carry on. He will indulge in a little ginger ale when the beverage cart comes through the cabin. (Did you know ginger ale often quiets a tummy that’s rumbling from airsickness?) Both Dave and Letha advise packing any daily medications in your carry on bags just in case you and your luggage part company – excellent advice that I keep reading in travel magazines. Dave also likes to carry some chewing gum and either cough drops or some kind of lozenge to combat the dry throat that comes from all that endlessly recirculating air in the plane cabin. Finally, Dave advises walking around as much as possible before a long flight. He also wishes that airlines offered fresh fruit on flights and I totally agree with that! I think folks would be willing to pay for it, too, especially since they fork over five bucks for a cocktail without batting an eye.

City Clerk Pat White says she only takes water since she likes to “travel light”. She smiled when she told me she doesn’t even like to put something in the overhead bin and only takes what will fit easily under the seat in front of her. When pressed for choices, she did admit that she keeps peanuts in her car and often has an apple close by. She insists she never goes anywhere but Anchorage once in awhile, and seems to have faith that if a snack emergency arises, something will work out! The fact that Pat didn’t say she traveled with emergency chocolate just amazed me. Probably it’s so much a part of her she doesn’t even think of it as an “extra” any more!
What do I like in my carry on bag? Well, the number one thing is a bottle or two of Clearwater’s finest well water. I am lost without cheese and really like those very small, prewrapped hunks of Tillamook, or regular string cheese. Wheat Thins or pretzels go everywhere with us, and we’ve become terribly fond of the Delta Meat Terriyaki Sticks, too. Unsalted pecans and walnuts and plain beef jerky are also good and full of protein that seems to stick with us longer than some snacks. An apple, granola bars and a piece or two of hard candy to prevent dry throats usually rounds out the menu.

These things don’t take up much room, make much trash or need refrigeration. They don’t get smashed in transit and they aren’t offensive to fellow passengers, either. (I am not sure I’m ready to forgive the man who decided to have a home made hard-boiled egg and onion sandwich on a very crowded flight when I was eight months into hatching our son, but I suppose I will someday.)
If you’re traveling with kids, snacks take on huge importance, both for their entertainment value and to keep those little appetites in check so the vending machines and expensive snack bar food don’t seem so alluring. Dry cereal is a classic travel snack, though I’d stick to the unsweetened, sturdier kinds like Cheerios. Sticky fingers on the airplane tend to make flight attendants short tempered. Small boxes of raisins are not only a nutritious and sweet treat, but also just plain fun, and almost everyone likes them. Those prepacked Baby carrot and dip combos are easy to toss in, and so are small packages of premade tuna salad and crackers. Stick with juice boxes over bottles, since they come with their own straw and are flat and easier to pack. I saw a lot of kids noshing on Poptarts the last two times I flew, and they are in vending machines now, also. I’m not sure they’re my choice for a completely nutritious snack, but if it’s a once in a while thing, maybe the kids can handle the sugar.
I try to keep a couple of packs of those disposable moist towelettes in my purse and a small container of hand sanitizer, too. And I’ve been grateful on more than one occasion to have sandwich size zip lock bags stashed in either the carry on or the bottom of my purse. These things take up hardly any room, but they can sure make life on the road a little easier.

When you do get to your final destination and feel like a snack, you can do pretty well out of your suitcase also. For instance, every night in Barrow we were tortured by the smell of hot fresh popcorn because some smart person had packed some microwave bags for her evening snack. These days many hotels have microwaves in the rooms or the lobby for guests to use. I’ve seen people make cup of noodles, instant soups, cocoa, tea and even macaroni and cheese for their kids instead of dragging them out to a restaurant or paying for room service after a long day of traveling. Be sure to pack some plastic spoons and napkins, and small packets of sweetner or creamer, salt and pepper if needed. Those tuna salad and cracker combos make a fine late night snack and are flat and sturdy to pack, and rest easy on the traveling tummy, too. Grapes travel well if you pack them in a clean yogurt container that you can toss after you finish. Individual applesauce, pudding or fruit cups are fine but I’ll feel better if you seal the whole works in a large zip lock bag before you toss it in your suitcase.

And finally, I usually pack one of those yellow plastic squeezey lemons when I travel so I can combat the chlorinated taste of hotel water if bottled water isn’t available. I guess you can take the girl out of the Clearwater, but you can’t take the Clearwater out of the girl – I am terribly fond of our delicious water and it’s the first thing I want whenever we get back home from our travels.

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003