Snacks on planes

[WelshMoth]

Will I be able to buy little snacks for DD's on a a Virgin flight to Orlando? Can I make sandwiches and take them on board? I have a DD with a ferocious appetite and hollow legs.

Sorry if this is a bit dim - we haven't flown in years.

you can take sandwiches and snacks through airport security with you. i would take your own snacks (although you can buy on board) as it will be cheaper and you can get more for your money. things like fruit winders are good because they take a while to eat

Yep. It’s liquids that’s the issue so just make sure no yogurts, fruit smoothies etc

And you can take empty bottles through security and refill them with water other side to save buying them

And you can take empty bottles through security and refill them with water other side to save buying them

they will also refill them on the plane for you

My DC’s stock up on Pret in the departure lounge as they don’t like inflight meals. Depending where you’re flying from there’s loads of places to get flight snacks after security.
I’ve taken good through security (hot cross buns and a fruit cake!) and it was fine, but I would check. I would be very sad if I’d made some delicious sandwiches and they got confiscated!

She’ll get a meal and a snack on the plane. But you can bring stuff with you but if fruit she needs to eat it all or leave it on plane you can’t take it into the US.

Fab advice - thanks all!
Didn't realise that re water - that was a particular concern as DD(11) and I are a bit prone to constipation. I'll make sure we each have a large bottle each with us.

Why the hell I admitted to that on a public forum, I do not know.

Sorry folks!

Only clicked on this as I thought it said "snakes on planes" and was like "wooaah, like that crap film?!" ... I'm extremely tired.

As you were.

@elrider 😂

I would buy and pre-pack mini snacks in your hand luggage before you leave for the airport - so mini milky ways/packs of smarties/fruit bags - whatever your thing is because at an airport it's easy to get full size stuff but if you want to keep a small child fed and entertained on a long haul you are much better off with mini-bags of stuff that is already individually portioned and for them to open.

The restrictions apply to liquids but you can buy a bottle of water or fizzy drinks once you are air side.

Small snacks of chocolate are always good to take anyway even as an adult as most airlines are very patchy in what they offer whether for sale or in business class.

I always buy sandwiches in pret and fill up my water bottle once airside, but also in my bag I usually have a tube of pringles (well have you SEEN the prices the airlines charge!), used to take nuts but bit risky now with people's allergies, oh and some minstrels/M&Ms or something like that, they don't take up much space and are way cheaper than buying at the airport.

Basically the rules are as long as it's a solid (so sandwiches, cake, sweets) you're fine - as a previous poster said no yogurts etc.

Can you take nuts/ seeds/ dried fruit? Is that allowed?

Re dried fruit etc.

Just watch what might be left over. I
flew to Florida years ago and had packed raisins for kids. We'd not eaten them all and we got pulled over by security dog as apparently they weren't allowed to be brought in to the country / state.

As far as possible go prepared, where not possible buy once airside. Plane snacks are extortionate. About 3 times home price and xxxx times what you pay if you buy multi packs. EG those small Pringles packs are over £1 in flight.

I wouldn't risk taking nuts, you don't know if anyone on board might have a severe allergy and I probably wouldn't go to Pret either after what happened.

Last time we flew virgin we got pretzels just after boarding, a meal after about 2 hours, more pretzels, afternoon tea, an ice lolly and some love hearts. Drinks were pretty plentiful too.

We ended up eating out snacks at the hotel that night

Long haul with virgin you’ll get food and drink shouldn’t need to take any. Will bring extra at the press of a button.

We take a
Full packed lunch as one child has allergies.

Anything not eaten on the plane may need to be binned before customs/ left on the plane.

This is all incredibly helpful. Thanks everyone.

You can whatever you want on board (even liquids if they are purchased after security) but any food that you don’t eat must be declared on your customs form (the blue one you get on the plane) before you land and fruits/nuts/meat products must be discarded before you get to CBP. I live in the US and we went to Canada for a few days and when we came back I got into trouble for not declaring a Twix that was in the bottom of my handbag. Ironically the Twix had been in there for a week or so and was bought in the US, not Canada, and had been carried into Canada from here but I still couldn’t bring it back. I can still remember the CBP Officer sternly telling me “declare ALL food means ALL food, not just the things you think it means”.

Last time I went back to England to visit my mum it was just before Christmas and she gave me 2 Lidl Christmas puddings to bring back home with me. I was sure they would be confiscated due to the dried fruit but I declared them and they were allowed in with a nice “merry Christmas” from the CBP Officer.

We always take pringles and the kids had sour skittles this year.

Sandwiches, risotto cakes etc, pancakes are all good travel food. Take a wide mouthed plastic jar with ice blocks because food hygiene is imperative here, empty the ice out when you get told to and ask at the nearest bar for it to be refilled. Then add your treats.

Cheese cubes, meatballs, fruit. Sandwiches often freeze well, too.

Do not take nuts. So many flights ban them (quite rightly) as there is a passenger on board with an allergy so very high chance you will not be allowed to eat them.