7 Things You Should Never Eat or Drink on a Plane, According to Experts

Flying soon? You might want to think twice about what you eat or drink at 35,000 feet.

While in-flight meals and snacks are often a necessity, not everything served onboard is ideal for your health — or your comfort. From questionable water quality to bloating-inducing foods, experts agree that some items are better left untouched until after you land. 

Before your next trip, check out these seven things to omit from your plan when boarding a plane.

Kale (and other hard-to-digest leafy greens)

While speaking to Travel + Leisure, Josephine Remo, a former flight attendant who flew for seven years, suggested avoiding hard-to-digest raw leafy greens, including kale.

“On a plane, [the change in] air pressure can mess with your stomach. This especially applies if you travel several times a week, where you can start to feel a big difference,” she explained. “For this reason, I always avoid eating foods that make my stomach bloated and expand even more. 

Broccoli 

While generally considered a nutrition powerhouse, broccoli made Remo’s list of bloat-inducing foods that could cause discomfort while on a flight. For this reason, it’s best to skip this particular veggie until you’ve reached your destination.

Beans

Beans are a fantastic source of fiber — which means they can also cause bloating. Remo suggested avoiding beans in all forms to avoid digestion-related discomfort while you’re in the air.

Tap Water or Ice

Sue Fogwell, who was a flight attendant for 22 years, spoke to Travel + Leisure for the same story and said that she never drank beverages that came from the plane’s water supply like tea or coffee. She also always requests her drinks without ice for the same reason. This is because studies have shown that tap water on airplanes can contain dangerous bacteria like E. coli.

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“If you see a pitcher of water on the beverage cart in economy class, skip it — it’s from the water tank. Ask for a can of seltzer water or ginger ale,” she said.

Alcohol

According to Harvard Health Publishing, it’s best to avoid alcohol while flying — especially if you have any pre-existing cardiovascular conditions and also plan to sleep. This is because studies show that alcohol may reduce your body’s ability to adjust to changing oxygen levels inside a plane.

“Drinking [while] sleeping on a plane puts a big strain on your body, especially your cardiovascular system,” Dr. Matthew Mosquera, medical director of the Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction Inpatient Program at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, told the outlet. “And there’s even more strain if you have heart or lung disease. It places you at a higher risk for a heart attack or stroke.”

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Alcohol also dehydrates the body — which is further exacerbated by flying — meaning it’s also a good idea to avoid the wine and cocktails if you want to arrive at your destination feeling as refreshed as possible, per Harvard Health Publishing.

Caffeine

As with alcohol, caffeine causes dehydration — meaning it’s not the best choice for air travel if you want to land feeling like your best self. If you know you’ll need an energy boost, consider waiting until you land to hit the coffee line.

Red Meat

Red meat — which includes meat from cows, pork, lamb and processed meats like pepperoni and bacon — travels through our digestive tracts more slowly than chicken. This means it sits in the intestinal tract longer, giving it more time to ferment and create gas, per CNN.

Because of this, it can be wise to avoid red meat while on long flights, as well as a day or so before a flight, if you know it gives you trouble.