I just came back from Japan and I traveled with one of the most reputable airlines in the world due to their high standard for client service and for safety reasons as well.
At the first glance the meal sets offered on the airplanes look great, but they are designed and cooked to appeal to everyone and unfortunately that implies a lot of refined carbohydrates, few kinds of sweet desserts and sugary drinks. The overcooked vegetables taste like nothing or close to sugar candies thanks to the sweet sauces they float in.
Certainly the food served on the airplanes is not my choice food. Nowadays I carry my own food when I air travel. That is because I pay attention how the food I eat makes me feel and the food I bring from home makes me feel better.
But there are occasions when I do enjoy the food offered by the airline companies and this time was one of these occasions.
I am sharing with you what were the ingredients that I could identify in the food that was served, a source of nutrients and pleasure at the time and inspiration for future meals to me and maybe you.
This is what I ate in a single meal in the air – countless little tasty bits, in a generous and colorful assortment. I call it the Japanese way and it became the way I generally eat too, after 12 years lived in Japan. I can tell you that it works wonders for one’s well being.
Main Dish – Chicken Rice
Rice cooked in meat broth
Chicken
Salmon
Eggs
Snow peas
Burdock root
Raw Salad
Romaine salad
Seaweed
Lotus radish
Carrots
Sesame seeds
Nori – seaweed
Japanese Salad (Ohitashi, Nimono)
Komatsuna (a veggie similar to spinach)
Tofu
Pumpkin
Koniyaku
Shiitake Mushroom
Shrimps
Mayonnaise Salad
Salmon – smoked
Almond
Potato
Mayonnaise
Carrots
Fruit Salad
Kiwi
Apple
Orange
Plum
White radish – daikon
Green melon
Honey
Lemon juice
Miso Soup
Green tea
The Spices used to enhance the taste:
Soy sauce
Lemon juice
Honey
Salt
Sugar (very little, I could barely tell)
Teriyaki sauce (few drops only)
Rice vinegar
…
No wonder the Japanese people are the longest lived nation in the world.
I really appreciated that they served:
– such variety of food – I could identify more than 30 different ingredients. Many years ago, one senior Japanese lady told me that this is the magic number of food ingredients they look to eat during a day.
– the ingredients from the most dense in nutrients food categories – dairy, eggs, meat, fish – were well represented
– most of the fruits and the vegetables were served raw or cold. That ensured they remained tasty, enjoyable to eat
– the presence of a soup (miso)
– fortunately the flight attendant forgot to give me the dessert (ice cream) and my little 5 years old one shared his dessert with me, reducing his sugar portion to a half. 🙂
Now I see that the meals on the airplanes can be enjoyable and healthier. I will send my feed-back to them. That has the potential to make my, your, everybody’s experience better.
In restaurants, airplanes, at home, I hope you will give your feed-back, too. Especially if the food you ate made you feel good or not so good. It is worth to pay attention to it and speak.
Your opinion is valuable.
Your words matter.
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