What do they feed us on a plane?

I think almost everyone who has flown at least once is interested in the question: how is food prepared on a plane? Let's immediately dispel a myth: food on a plane is not cooked; it's loaded at the airport either ready-made or as semi-finished products that only need to be heated. Although there are exceptions, on the kitchens of some Cathay Pacific aircraft, you can have an omelet made, but this is only for business class passengers. Food in economy and business classes differs mainly in the choice of dishes and portion size. Additionally, first and business class passengers are served food on porcelain dishes, not in plastic containers. Now let's return to preparation... Food is prepared at an in-flight catering factory by catering companies at the airport. As a rule, the in-flight menu is updated twice a year. Taking into account the airlines' wishes, a special department develops the menu and dish design. Many carriers allow their passengers to choose their meals in advance. This can be done no later than 24-48 hours before departure (the exact time depends on the airline) by calling the agent's support service or on the airline's website. In total, there are more than 70 varieties of special meals, but the most common are the following: Dietary Meals

• Diabetic Meal  fried foods, high-fructose products, sugar, fatty foods are excluded
• Low Lactose Meal excludes milk, dairy products — yogurt, cheese, butter, ice cream, sorbet, etc.
• Low Fat and Cholesterol Meal excludes fried foods, egg yolk, offal, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, caviar; includes lean meat, fresh fruits, vegetables, vegetable oil, low-fat dairy products
• Gluten-Free Meal excludes food from wheat, rye, barley, oats, dairy products — food without vegetable protein
• Low Calorie Meal approximately 1200 calories, excludes fried foods, uses lean meat, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables
• Low Salt Meal food preparation is done without salt, highly salted products are excluded

Meals Designed for Religious Beliefs

• Vegetarian (Fasting) Meal  includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, mushrooms and excludes meat, fish, and dairy products
• Muslim Meal  pork, gelatin, alcohol are prohibited
• Hindu Non-Vegetarian Meal  food does not contain beef, veal, pork; may contain lamb, poultry, fish, milk — spicy and hot food
• Kosher Meal  food prepared in accordance with kosher food preparation rules

Vegetarian Dishes

• Strict Vegetarian Meal  strict vegetarian diet, animal products, milk, and eggs are excluded from the diet
• Hindu Vegetarian /Asian Vegetarian Meal  food without meat and fish with limited use of dairy products
• Fruit Platter Meal  fresh fruits (diet composition depends on flight duration)

Children's Meals

• • Child Meal (for children aged 2 and above) soft, easily chewable food, products are easily identifiable, includes milk, fruits, crackers, cheese, and juice
  • Baby Meal  for children under 2 years old

Do pilots eat the same? No, the diet for pilots must comply with aviation safety rules. As a rule, it practically does not differ from business class passenger meals, but pilot food should not contain bones, mushrooms, or legumes, as well as juices that cause fermentation. P.S. It's no secret that the most popular juice on a plane is tomato juice. Even if you never drink it on the ground, at an altitude of several thousand kilometers, it will seem tastier to you. This is explained by the peculiarities of taste receptor function; scientists recently proved that due to pressure differences, the taste of food is dulled, and in-flight meals feel bland and tasteless. That's why salty tomato juice seems so delicious to us :)