so, it's holiday time again - suggestions for food onboard aeroplane please!

[silverfrog]

dd1 is gf/cf.

she eats a reasonable range of foods, but lets face it, she's ASD, and not really likely to eat whatever is plonked in fron tof her on the flight (and that's if we can book her a GF meal anyway - currently not available )

we are off to Australia

so, 21 hours on a plane, with not much that dd1 will want to eat.

dd1 will not eat snadwiches (or any form of bread - not even home made) so out of luck on the easy option.

so, what do you reckon?

we take off at lunchtime, so can take that meal with us. then have tea, and breakfast, lunch and tea the next day to pack for.

I am stumped. breakfast will be ok - can pack cornflakes easy enough, and take rice milk. I can prob manage tea the first day too, in a thermos, but the others?

any ideas gratefully recieved.

Australia . You are brave!

Will she eat pepperamis? They don't need to be refrigerated. Little cakes? Erm, mini cheddars.

I am at a loss really. Do you have a little cooler bag type thing?

we have a cool bag, which we can take with extra freezer packs.

she can't have mini cheddars, and prob wouldn't touch pepperamis (think they're off limits too though)

airline is saying we should be ok for a meal, but it's getting close now (next week) and we still can't book one for her...

we are ok for snacks, I think, as she eats fruit well, but she eats a LOT, and will be really miserable and whiny if she is hungry (understandably!)

tesco do quite a good range of gf biscuits they do some like mini cheddars. What about cold gf sausages or cooked chicken. Cooked pasta in sauce? Rice cakes errmmm running out of ideas will look in the cupboard later

I'm useless. Sorry, must have skimmed the GF bit.

What about a flask with some hot stuff in it. Or would you not be allowed onboard with it?

thanks all.

she can't have most gf products, as too many preservatives and other stuff.

had forgotten about rice cakes - will get some of those. and she likes things like apple crisps too.

we wiil take a flask for the first day, prob with curry or spag bol in, security don't like it, but we have a doctors letter stating medical need which is useful (certainly was last year when she would only drink one type of juice and we had to take it on board with us!)

I just can't get my head around catering for the second day's food...

Could you maybe wash the flask out and restock at the airport from the canteen or something?

You will also need to remember the rules about taking liquids on planes - if possible you may be better taking dehydrated stuff and asking the stewardess for hot water to reconstitute (no experience of rice milk, sorry).

It might be worth talking to the airline about what you will be able to take.

I realise that this is probably the last thing you want to think about, but better now than at security and having to throw half your prepared food away!

now I am sure I have seen dried goats milk somewhere - just need to remmeber where!

we have a letter form our doctor stating that we need to take liquids on board due to medical need (was more about juice last year - dd1 would only drink 1 type, out of a 200ml carton. rules state max 100ml in any one container. we managed to get the stuff on board with surprisingly little problem - a bit of extra security checks, but whenever we explained people were very helpful.

it's the same with food in a flask - they prefer you to take "dry" foods such as sandwiches etc, but since she won't eat them, her need is for "wet" foods (spag bol etc) and so that is what we take. am prepared to taste etc - last year they recoiled in horror said I didn't need to when i told them it was fish pie in the flask

I wondered if a doctors letter would do the trick, and am really glad that it seems to.

My travel experience is all solo (business) where I find that security staff delight in being inflexible and unpredictable in equal measure, and so I was really concerned that you might end up at the sharp end of that.

we have had our share of inflexible people too, but thankfully not on something that really counts.

tbh, when faced with dd1 obvious distress (one securoty man in the States last year had to take her drink away to xray it, as it came in a foil lined carton, and she flipped totally. he was very apologetic, and I think it made the rest of our security easier, as everyone had seen that we were not just being precious!) on the whole people do try to help.

they obviously still have ot do their job, though, hence all theplanning!

I found some dried goat's milk today, so thanks for reminding me abuot that (whether dd1 will drink it is another matter, of course - will test that tomorrow!)

Have you tried your local health shop (preferably not a holland/barrett but one where the staff or owner know what they are talking about!). They should have a good selection of g/f additive-free food and snacks, and should be able to give you lots of help/advice.

Would these be any good? They do have added "stuff" though.

thanks KnickKnack, I hadn't seen those before.

Sadly, they have too much other stuff in for dd1 (too amny flavourings etc) and I think they would send ehr a bit loopy. Interesting though, like a posh Pot Noodle and well worth having for long days out for me/dh/dd2 (having dd1 along means we soemthimes eat at odd times, and not necessarily in cafes etc)

we have managed to get an "assurance" that a gf/cf meal is booked for dd1 (despite it not showing on our booking...) and that, together with what we can take along will have to do, I guess. we have got some enzymes to take along too, in the hope of managing the inevitable diet infringements.

thanks everyone