What are diabetic meals like on British Airways flights like and are they any good?

[Leadinglights]

If it's anything like normal Airline food, absolutely disgusting.🙂

My other half went on an Emirates flight and said how marvellous the meals were, but when we booked Emirates as a late booking we were allocated Vegan meals and they were truly awful.

 

[louisew]

I flew with Iberia and booked a diabetic meal. Tried to cancel as I heard they were terrible and reading the spec, described as low sugar, low fat. So on the way out, I received a dish of white rice???? with a slab of white fish and a couple of bits of roasted pepper. Dire. On the way back, one of the light meals included a gluten free roll, similar to a cannonball. Luckily I took a couple of packs of long life low carb bread (carbzone, 5 thin slices of rye like bread in vacuum pack) with which i made up sandwiches with butter and cheese)

 

[helli]

If it's anything like normal Airline food, absolutely disgusting.🙂

I have found that the quality of airline food has improved. Or maybe my choice has improved.
I usually enjoy the majority of my Asian vegetarian meal. It is not the reason I fly but it is definitely not "disgusting".

 

[PhoebeC]

Yeah the TUI meals all really good. I don’t think it’s true that much anymore actually.

If you get any food provided it is normally good quality. Mushy / soft food never seems good on a plane but that’s to do with the pressure impacting your senses and food needs to be crunchy / crispy for most people’s senses to enjoy it. That’s why nuts / crisps are good.

 

[harbottle]

I have found that the quality of airline food has improved. Or maybe my choice has improved.
I usually enjoy the majority of my Asian vegetarian meal. It is not the reason I fly but it is definitely not "disgusting".

I haven't had one for years. Probably over 20. It was absolutely vile back then. The smell used to make want to throw up.

 

[Maz2]

All the airlines I have been on (mostly short haul to be fair) have given high carb meals which I just send back. I normally have something to eat in the airport which I can then choose. They all have salads.

The only time I have ever been given any decent food on a flight was on a long haul from Florida with Virgin Airlines. That was first class though and I certainly cannot do that every time I go anywhere!! It was the first flight after two years of being grounded following the Covid crisis.

 

[Maz2]

If it's anything like normal Airline food, absolutely disgusting.🙂

Couldn't agree more.

 

[helli]

I haven't had one for years. Probably over 20. It was absolutely vile back then. The smell used to make want to throw up.

Like many things, airline catering has changed significantly over the last 20 years and it is probably not a good idea to judge today's experience on what it was back then.
Last year I travelled to Dubai for work a few times and the food was pretty good although it was interesting being "racially profiled" with my meal. As mentioned above, I order an Asian vegetarian meal but do not look ethnically Asian. So when my meal was delivered, it was offered to the Indian family sitting near me and then taken away even though it had my seat number on it. Being a special meal, when it was returned, it was still earlier than most people's meals and tasted good.

 

[Maz2]

I don't find airline food appetising even in the modern day but that is just me. Personally I prefer to choose something in the airport which suits me and give the airline the food back. Everyone has to decide for themselves I suppose. My hubby eats what he is given but he does not have blood sugar issues.

 

[Lizajane10]

I have type 2 and are flying with BA on a long haul flight in a few weeks time, are the diabetic meals any good and is it worth ordering them ? Or just getting the normal meal on the flight instead?

I recently flew with Jet2 and went for the veggie cooked breakfast on the way there and beef stew on the return. They both had small amounts of potato (which I ate) and a bread roll (which I didn’t) but were otherwise low carb. I don’t know what they might serve for a diabetic meal! If you avoid pasta and bread-based dishes I would have thought you’d be ok with the standard menu.

 

[Leadinglights]

The British Airways website has a detailed description of all the type of meals they offer for dietary requirements, not the actual content of the meals but maybe enough to be able to choose a suitable category of meal.
My experience of in flight meals is they are generally quite small anyway.

 

[JonathanGi]

My biggest difficulty is undoing all the containers and keeping it all to myself. Quite often I coat myself in the food and then share it (inadvertently) with several rows around me.

 

[Maz2]

I recently flew with Jet2 and went for the veggie cooked breakfast on the way there and beef stew on the return. They both had small amounts of potato (which I ate) and a bread roll (which I didn’t) but were otherwise low carb. I don’t know what they might serve for a diabetic meal! If you avoid pasta and bread-based dishes I would have thought you’d be ok with the standard menu.

All they gave me on Jet2 were sandwiches on white bread. It was a few years ago though. Needless to say I sent it back. I asked for alternatives but they said there weren't any.

 

[Lizajane10]

All they gave me on Jet2 were sandwiches on white bread. It was a few years ago though. Needless to say I sent it back. I asked for alternatives but they said there weren't any.

I pre-booked. Options on the day seemed to be mainly toast/sandwich-based!

 

[Maz2]

I pre-booked. Options on the day seemed to be mainly toast/sandwich-based!

That is what I found. Hubby said they are limited on airlines what they can do. They weren't in First Class. We had a three course meal if we wanted. I had salmon beautifully cooked. Only did that once though returning from US in 2022 after the Covid crisis. Certainly could not afford that every time I fly anywhere