What food can you bring on an airplane?

[Rubystars]

When I get to my goal weight I'm planning on taking a vacation, but I've never been on a plane before. So can you put powders like PB2 in your luggage or are they prohibited? What foods are allowed? I was thinking of packing some low calorie foods so I don't have to buy a lot of food at my destination and I wasn't sure what to pack or what would be allowed or whether I should put it in the carry on or the checked luggage.

[ToriD1012]

You can take food and beverages on a plane, you just have to watch the size of the liquids or soft foods. They would have to be in a 3 oz container or smaller. That is, if they're brought from home, this just gets you past the security check points. After you clear security, there are drink machines and snack bars where you can get drinks/etc. to take on the plane. I wouldn't suggest checking a lot of food, you never know what's going on with your baggage after it's out of your sight and you don't want to go over your baggage weight and get stuck with an extra fee. I'd carry on some healthy snacks like nuts, the little babybel cheeses, etc. I got a couple of bottles of water from a machine and threw them in my purse with my snacks the last time I flew and didn't have any problems. You just want to check with the TSA guidelines before you plan anything. All you'd have to do is a quick google search. Also remember that checked luggage fees are outrageous, so if you can get away with a smaller carryon, other than a purse or laptop bag (kept in seat with you), it saves a lot of money. Check the dimensions on the TSA website and then see if your second largest suitcase fits the criteria. You'd be surprised how big of a suitcase the overhead compartment will hold.

Hope this helps a little!!

[frenchhen3]

Last time I flew I packed my own lunch, a grilled chicken sandwich on wheat with lettuce tomato and cheese, pretzels, and about 8 or 9 plums and almonds. I ended up sharing plums with a lot of folks around me who kept eyeing my yummy lunch and made a few friends.

[kal223]

What a great goal and plan to reward yourself!!

For me, part of the fun of traveling is trying foods that are local to the area I'm visiting. That can be challenging while you're being weight-conscious, but it is possible. Most vacation destinations have restaurants with menus online, so you can plan your meals. Splurging can be about calories AND cash, so it really helps to plan when and what to eat out and what to keep consistent. But buying and taking food ahead of time isn't really a cost savings over buying food at your destination - especially if you're paying to check a bag. And, most places will have your standard groceries and health food shops, so that you can pick up any kind of meal replacement you use once you get there.

I never check bags, just too uptight I guess, when I travel. A carryon and a good sized duffle/bag work well for me if my trips are in the range of 5 days.

It does make sense to take a meal and snacks with you for the travel portion of your trip, though you do need to make sure you meet TSA guidelines. Also, I *always* take a stainless steel water bottle with me - if you take it empty you can go through security without a problem. Then I buy a couple of gallons of water at a convenience store or whatever's near my hotel and keep them in the in-room fridge (or just get ice, if there's no fridge in the room). That way I'm sure to drink a lot of water, but not spend a ton of money on bottled water (not to mention all the plastic waste).

[Rubystars]

A lot of the foods I eat aren't bought in a store, they're bought from Amazon. That's why I was asking about what I could bring. I didn't know if there were special rules about powders.

I think I'll just buy stuff at a grocery store when I'm there though, hopefully things I don't have to cook. I only plan to eat out once a day so I don't get too many pounds put on me on the trip. Maybe I'll just eat canned vegetables or low calorie soups the rest of the time or fruit like bananas that don't have to be refrigerated.

Eating low calorie local foods is not an option because when I go I want to eat the real version of things, not some low cal/tasteless version. I want the experience to be authentic.

With that said that means the rest of the time except for that once a day thing I need to eat fewer calories to compensate so that if I gain weight on my trip it will only be a few pounds that I can lose again by going back to my normal lifestyle when I get home.

I've done really well at this during the holiday season. I would eat the high fat/high calorie Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner but then right afterward the small weight gain came back off due to returning to the lifestyle change.