Travel expert reveals the worst time to eat during a flight – and what happens if you do

Regardless of the duration of your flight, there are a few things you should stick to for a good plane journey. While most people worry about sleeping on a plane or not packing the right things in their carry-on bag, it turns out when you eat on a flight can cause a negative effect on you and your upcoming vacation.

To find out more, I spoke to travel expert and co-director of Cheap Deals Away Dawn Morwood. According to Morwood, there are specific times during your flight when eating can cause serious digestive discomfort and even worsen your jet lag.

Below, Morwood outlines the worst times to eat during a flight, and plane eating tips that can help you avoid disrupting your holiday.

The worst times to eat during a flight

Travellers and holiday go-ers may not realise how much flying can affect their digestive system. Morwood explained to me that it's because the “body is already dealing with pressure changes, potential turbulence, and the stress of travel, so eating at the wrong time adds another layer of discomfort that can impact your entire trip.”

So, what are the worst times to eat during a flight?

1. During take-off or within the first 30 minutes of a flight

As the plane takes off and before it properly settles into the cruising altitude is the worst possible time that you could start eating. This is due to your digestive system facing a number of challenges, including cabin pressure changes and potential turbulence. Morwood explains that during this time, your gut hasn’t adapted to the altitude yet, and the “pressure changes affect how your digestive organs function, making it much harder for your body to process food properly.”

2. Immediately after boarding

If your plane is waiting on the runway, you might be tempted to have a little snack. But this isn’t helpful for your body as it’s “likely still in stress mode from navigating airport chaos,” says Morwood. She goes on to say that with your body and nervous system on high alert, it “diverts energy away from digestion. Eating during this window often leads to cramps, nausea, or that uncomfortable feeling of food just sitting in your stomach.”

3. Late into a red-eye flight

If you’re a red-eye or late-night flying, you should be sticking to your normally nightly routine as much as possible. Regardless of time changes, your internal body clock will naturally wind down for sleep when midnight hits, which also results in your digestive system and processes slowing down. If you eat “during your biological nighttime, this throws your circadian rhythm completely off balance,” explains Morwood. “Not only does food sit heavy in your stomach, but you're making jet lag worse by confusing your body's natural timings.”

4. Right before landing

Similarly to when the plane takes off, you should avoid eating before and during landing. This is due to pressure changes as the plane descends, which can make you feel sick, uncomfortable and cause stress to your digestive system. “The cramped conditions and rushed feeling as passengers prepare to disembark only adds to digestive stress, often leaving you feeling queasy just when you want to feel your best,” states Morwood.

3 tips for eating after a flight

If you avoid the above eating times, you should be setting yourself up for success when you land. But if you really want to prevent any holiday disruptions with feelings of jetlag or sickness, then Morwood recommends keeping these three tips in mind for eating after a flight.

1. Wait 30 minutes to an hour after reaching cruising altitude

Once your flight reaches the cruising altitude it’ll be at for most of the flight, turbulence should subside or settle, and your body should be able to adapt to the new pressure and environment. Once that’s happened, your digestive system can function better and “this is your sweet spot for eating,” says Morwood. This is typically when flight attendants will come around with a snack or meal so take what they gave you or indulge in your pre-packed plane picnic!

2. Sync your meals with your destination’s time zone

Many travellers try to sync their sleep schedule to their destination’s time zone – so why not do the same with eating? This trick helps your internal body clock start to adjust during your flight and reset before you land which makes the transition to a new time zone much smoother.

3. Eat two hours before arrival on long-haul flights

Eating on a long haul flight can be difficult, as your destination’s time zone is often wildly different from the country you flew from. By eating two hours before your arrival on a long-haul flight, this “gives your digestive system plenty of opportunity to process food before you face the physical stress of landing and deplaning,” says Morwood. This timing will also help you avoid feeling uncomfortable, bloated and stressed when you land and have to navigate through an airport to your accommodation.