Your tips for avoiding airport food prices? Where do you eat?

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Soon we’re taking a four hour flight with our three year-old. It’s easyJet so the on-board food is crap: greasy and horrible and really don’t want to give them money. But there again airport food is also super expensive. Do you have any hacks that I’m not thinking of? I was thinking of sandwiches, but I imagine they’d just go soggy and not so fresh between leaving the house and the long way to the airport? Our flight is at 3.30 p.m. so we’re hoping to be there around 1.30 p.m.

We bring sandwiches etc, with a seal bag of ice cubes to keep cool, no way am i paying airport charges for crap.

We just get a sandwich or baguette from Pret. I also see loads of people filling up insulated water bottles for free at the water points after security. If you bring the drinks and snacks, a sandwich or baguette doesn’t break the bank.

We just get a meal deal in Boots in the departure lounge to take on board usually. Also take an empty water bottle to fill up after security

Sandwiches from home on decent bread that doesn't go soggy. Snacks. Chopped up fruit in tupperware or ziplock bags. Cubed cheese.
Cooked pasta mixed with whatever sauce, in a Tupperware.

I can't be arsed with cool packs or ice cubes, never had an issue.

Boots meal deal each. We award a prize to whoever can max out the value by picking the most expensive individual items.
And take snacks that don’t need refrigeration.

We just have a meal in the departure lounge before leaving, takes snacks, usually dried fruit, cereal bars, lollies for ears, then eat when we land. Food tastes rubbish at high altitudes anyway. Kids are usually knackered and fall asleep half way and me and DH are happy to not eat or just snack for a few hours.

Are you going to the canaries? That was exactly 4 hours away when we flew.

Sandwiches are fine. I make work sandwiches the night before, take them out of the fridge at 6am and eat at 1pm. Never had an issue. Some fruit, nuts, crisps. Just a packed lunch really. Or leftover pizza, or pasta and sauce in Tupperware (bit more of a faff though as left with dirty containers).

Have you seen people making up their own little snack boxes for kids? Sort of like a pill box but bigger! Lots of little compartments, keeps them busy for ages, can make your own lunchable type thing.

A mix of healthier bits, savoury, sweet etc. Never going to be super healthy but would work. Say crackers, babybel or little slices of cheese, sliced fruit, pretzels, chocolate buttons etc.

Agree with above though, we just bring our own water bottles and buy a sandwich at the airport.

I bring sandwiches and snacks.

Bento box

You can take full insulated drinks bottles through security now

Same here. I go for the nicest sandwich I can find, fancy yogurt and an innocent smoothie. I don’t normally buy sandwiches but don't think that's bad for a fiver.

Then usually my own water bottle to fill up and perhaps some pringles from home.

Sandwiches keep fine. For me as I’m GF and do f like GF bread, I like oat cakes, hard boiled eggs, and some kind of substantial salad with eg chickpeas.

We used to take sandwiches etc when I was little. Now I’m earning my own money I tend to just suck it up. I’m flying to Italy in a week and nothing is stopping me from getting a coffee!

Loving the suggestions, and the bento box with compartments with favourite familiar foods inside, is a winner, meal deal for you - nice enough, a third of the price of the airline food, and you can have it when you like. You can take an empty water bottle through, but depends on the airport on how much chance you have of refilling it. We used to buy stuff on the planes because the kids liked the experience of making a cup of tea, having what they offered (I was not keen on the price, but factored it in as part of the hols, knowing full well that I could have bought 3 full tubes of pringles at the supermarket for the price of a half tube on the plane) They are grown up now and go on their own flights, at their own cost, and I note, meal deals and supermarket pringles are finally acceptable. !

I have taken a charcuterie selection from home all packaged up. As long as it isnt a liquid or a gel you can take it through security no problem. So condiments and yogurts are tricky.

I think uk airports are easier in some ways as you can get a meal deal in boots or whatever they call smiths now. Or take your own as mentioned.

id definitely take some spare food bags and takeaway boxes in your luggage and make up food and snacks for the airport coming home. We’ve found they are a lot worse for choice and the offerings in the convenience stores often not great.

last year we flew with Jet2 and had an inflight meal each way as the package with seat booking, luggage and the meal was cheaper than their component parts. I’ve never seen kids so excited 😆😆

We normally get a coffee and something from Pret. I also bring dry snacks, biscuits or cake or cereal bars, and pre-cut fruit like grapes, blueberries or melon with me.

I think I would feel really sick if I was sat in my seat and someone produced a charcuterie selection 🤢. The smell from some of them can be awful.

We do this too, grab something once we are through security from Pret eat it before we get on the flight unless it’s a morning flight where we grab a pastry or something then have a coffee with it when we get on the plane. Always have our water bottles as we would spend a fortune buying bottles.

You can then bring snacks from home to eat on the plane if you want to.

I just buy something from pret.

I pay for lounge access. Not really a hack but feels like better value for money at least I’m guaranteed a seat and a glass of bubbles.

Me too! It’s part of the cost of the holiday.

I always take my own food with me. It doesn't have to be sandwiches but, without tomato or mayonnaise, they wouldn't go soggy anyway.

Usually we take mini food tubs containing snacks like grapes, tangerines, blueberries or mini biscuits - we don’t take nuts just in case we are on a nut-free flight - and some filled rolls (ham and cheese). Also take a couple of crisps each and a cereal bar or flapjack. If it’s a breakfast flight we take a croissant, pain au chocolat or brioche as a treat. I also take a packet of sweets - something like fruit pastilles - for chewing on take off and descent.

Coming home is usually trickier and we often end up buying something in the airport.