Food for the airplane (SEN and allergies)

[Happymchappyface]

No idea where to put this so hope parenting is ok.

I have a 10 year old who is Autistic (high masking) and has a dairy allergy (nonIgE) Like lots of autistic kids he’s fussy with food, made worse by the allergy. If I’m going to introduce something new to him I have to do it slowly which is why I’m asking now.

Next year we’re taking a 12 hour flight. Airplanes are one of his special interests so he’s super happy about this and has already told me everything about the aircraft and airline.

I made the mistake before of ordering a low lactose meal for him. It was an adult meal and he wouldn’t eat it. Annoyingly the kids meal his sister had would have been fine. So this time I’m ordering a kids meal and taking additional food in case.

Heres my question - what do I take that’s not just crisps and biscuits?

It needs to be commercially packaged, not need refrigerating or heating, will keep for the week we’re on holiday AND be something he’d eat. The only sandwich fillings he currently eats are humous and peanut butter neither of which are suitable.

There are big supermarkets where we’re going which will likely sell British brands BUT there’s a strong chance he wouldn’t eat it because it’s not ‘normal’. (Iyky)

Any ideas?

Why can’t you make him a humous or PB sandwich?

Would he eat hard boiled eggs?
Little packets of dried fruit snacks?
Try introducing him to the various dried-meat snacks that are getting more popular -Look for them in the supermarket crisps aisle.
Post-security shops at the airport both ends will have things like carrot sticks and apple slices in individual portion packets. Remember it's fine to take onto the plane things that you'll eat on the plane even if you wouldn't be allowed to "import" them to the destination country.

But if all else fails, 12 hours eating nothing but crisps and biscuits won't kill him.

Humous is fine on the way there, but I can’t keep it cold for the return flight. Taking peanuts of any kind on a plane is a no go in case of allergies. It’s such a risk to someone else.

No he wont eat eggs. Tbh I suspect he’s allergic to eggs as well as he said before that eggs ‘make him feel funny’.

dried fruit is a good one because he does love dates. I can try and vary that.

He won’t eat pre cut carrots or apples etc :( I do know I can get apples before the flight in the airport we’re going from. Thats a good shout actually. He loves pears so can get some of those in resort.

To be fair the whole holiday he’s likely to live off bread and chips too 🤦‍♀️ He got food poisoning once on holidays so that means he’s not as willing to try food on holiday like he did before.

I think for the flight my main worry is he doesn’t recognise his hunger cues. He will go from normal to hangry in 2 seconds. He also will mostly only eat on a schedule so I need food that I can present at the correct intervals that are ‘lunch’ or ‘breakfast’… you know.. it’s so hard to explain with autism and this situation.

I have a SEN young adult who I have been doing this for years - you just have to plan ahead and will need to buy when you get there for the journey back.

@Happymchappyface it’s so hard to explain with autism and this situation.

Oh believe me I know. We don't go abroad very often because I don't often feel resilient enough to bear the stress of trying to feed my autistic teenager in a unfamiliar country. During the actual travelling, the only thing they will willingly eat is salt&vinegar pringles, though they grudgingly add a few other things like dried apricots on long journeys after getting bad constipation from having eaten nothing but pringles for too long once. I can only do it by accepting that my child eating unhealthily for a few days is part of the cost of the holiday.

What does he normally eat?

You can buy travel sized packs of rice cakes / corn cakes. Slightly better than crisps if beige carbs work :-) I have an ASD DD who has similar issues. Will he eat Jam? you can buy individual packs of jam.

Protein is the bigger issue I guess. We have taken pre-cooked cold chicken nuggets / hot dogs etc. Also cooked cold new potatoes. Most of these you should be able to get locally and cook for the return journey.

Jam! Genius! He loves jam and will eat it on untoasted bread. I can easily take some bagels or something. They would also have that in the hotel for sure so worse comes to worse I can make him something there. Taking our own little ones though - perfect.

As to what he normally eats, anything beige. He loves carrots but only fresh not pre packaged. He eats sandwiches (only brown bread) pasta tomato sauce, chicken and beef. Sometimes fish fingers.

he recently decided he doesn’t like bourbon biscuits anymore what is fun…

@Happymchappyface I feel your pain as a fellow parent! You can buy jam portions in home bargains 🙂 and carrots are easy to pack whole.

I hope it all goes well for you.