vegan meal on air canada is water and a napkin
2 minute read
researchers suggest that good nutrition on long flights can help combat the gastrointestinal distress some travellers experience. getty
stay up to date on this topic
when travel blogger miriam porter got on a 10-hour flight from toronto to frankfurt, germany, she didn’t expect to go hungry.
she says she pre-ordered her vegan meal for the recent air canada flight, but was served only a bottled water and a napkin. porter, who goes by @thekindtraveler on tiktok, documented her experience on social media. her tiktok video showing her so-called “meals” on her flight has a language warning and more than 110 million views. she says this lack of meal service has happened before.
she also added a thank you to one of the flight attendants who, “got me fruit and dinner rolls from business class.”
porter says she usually brings her own food just in case, but was on a 24-hour delay and couldn’t prep backup supplies.
her public outrage has received 1,255 comments on tiktok from sympathizers, like maxine @chroniclesofclover: “i flew delta when i was vegan from canada to colombia. my meal was a small bun with three slices of zucchini.”
@nicnicboom888888 wrote, ” vegetarian meal with ac once was shredded carrot on white bread.”
guess we can add the food issues in the air to another reason so many people are cancelling flight travel plans these days.
airplane travel is tricky for your health
the stress of travel often starts before setting foot on a plane, with concern about being on time, the frustration of slow-moving lines and the worry about whether or not your luggage will make it to your destination, notes the cleveland clinic.
and once on the plane, you are not only exposed to germs from other passengers who might be coughing, sneezing or just breathing in close proximity to you, but there’s also a risk of dehydration.
airplane cabins have low humidity levels, with about 50 per cent of the circulating air being pulled from outside, and high-altitude air has little to no moisture. that’s why your nose, throat and skin might feel dry and itchy. you need water — and food — to stay hydrated, keep your blood sugar stable, maintain your energy (stretching in your seat and walking around can help) and support your immune system.
sponsored by:
aquaomega
advertisement
in fact, research published in the journal nutrients suggests that good nutrition on long flights can help combat the gastrointestinal distress some travellers experience.
fruits and vegetables are great choices (and usually part of airplane meals) because they contain water, especially fruits like melon, watermelon, pineapple and berries or vegetables like cucumbers, celery and bell peppers. check the rules for your destination to see if you can pack healthy food items in your carry-on.
karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.
share story
sponsored by:
canadian society for exercise physiology
