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Healthy means different things to different people and this includes you, your passengers and your flight crew. When you have been tasked with providing healthier meals on board, what are you planning? Some foods have what is called a health “halo”. They are also referred to as a diet food faker. To define either term we can see that it's a seemingly diet-friendly food that's simply NOT. Granola, restaurant salads, smoothies, dried fruit . . . all surprisingly dangerous for calorie counters. These food examples have the illusion of being healthy, and are, in many instances, so for sake of clarity, I am going to refer to healthy as low calorie, lower fat, high fiber. Let me identify some of those halo foods that for this case aren’t healthy. Most Granola usually is high fiber, but definitely is not low sugar and therefore is high calorie. A single portion can have over 500 calories, and that is before we add the yogurt and fruit for a parfait. It becomes even more dangerous to the low calorie diet since many eat it as if they would a bowl of cereal or will sit and snack on it by the handful. Being in food service, I can say that I make my salads for the taste and the flavor profiles, and unless specifically designed for calories, they are not low calorie. I have seen some ingredient labels with salads exceeding 1000 calories - almost half the daily suggested caloric intake. Dressing are made for flavors, the creamy texture of cream dressing add fats and calories . . . not to mention the candied nuts, dried fruits added to the top. Smoothies . . . what can I say? Fruits pureed mixed with yogurt are very high in calorie. When we think of fruit, we think healthy - right? That is a single serving, but a smoothie may have 6-8 servings once pureed. As much as I adore dried fruits and enjoy them for everything from appetizer to dessert to snack, they should not be eaten en mass because they are fruits. You have been asked to change your catering requests to meet your passengers’ recent wish to order more healthy foods for their flight. And the one big catch is that they still have the same preference list, asking for the same foods as in the past; but now they must be “healthy”. Seems like an impossible challenge, doesn’t it? Not really, it is all in the ordering and your precise communication skills with your catering source, and having determined what their vision of healthy is. Cocktails & snacks Since we all like to have a little adult beverage at the end of a day, how do you manage to maintain this request for healthy low calorie? Beer and light colored wines have the fewest calories. To stay healthy avoid the cocktails that look and sound like dessert. If your passengers preference is a dessert cocktail, have your catering source provide sugar free syrups or frozen yogurt over ice cream. If your passenger prefers a mixed drink, vodka, rum and tequila are the best choices. Change the high calorie mixer to a squeeze of fruit juice, a lemon or lime or even low or zero calorie mixers. Club soda vs. tonic. Tonic has calories and club soda- seltzer water- doesn’t. Fruit - whether fresh, canned (in juice), or frozen (without added sweeteners), is good to keep on board for making blended beverages and garnishing mixed drinks and is healthy! And with cocktails come snacks and food. Your healthy option here is to skip the fatty, the snack crusted in crumbs and carbs. Add edamame or guacamole or salsa with crudité and avoid the chips and breads; grilled chicken skewers rather than chicken tenders or steamed shrimp with mayonnaise free sauces and dips rather than tempura fried shrimp. This is where I suggest you ask questions of your catering source. Ask for preparation details on each item your passengers enjoy. Just because it is not listed on their menu, doesn’t mean that they can’t take the same food and vary the cooking method to make a food healthier.
DON'T be afraid to request more info on and modifications to menu items . . . just ask nicely. Your discussions with the catering source should include all courses and all foods and beverages served on board. Request the sauces and dressings on the side (and they might offer a light alternative). A tremendous calorie intake can be avoided by simply dipping the fork in the dressing/ sauce ramekin and then into the complimentary food. You will get the flavor and not all the calories. Instead of a starchy side dish, ask for extra veggies. (Confirm those veggies aren't cooked in butter or oil) Rice noodles avoid gluten and fit with many new trends so if pasta is requested, try a rice pasta. Sandwiches When requesting sandwiches for your healthy eating sandwich. Do not be fooled by healthy sounding sandwiches. Request that rolls and buns have the bread in the center be removed. Ask for spreads and sauces on the side, decrease the amount of cheese and increase the amount of raw vegetables and lettuces. Grilled vegetables may be coated in oils, seasoned in a way that increases the calorie count. Many kitchens dust a seared piece of fish with sugar to create those beautiful sear marks with a caramelization of sugar rather than a super hot pan . . . all added calories. Remember to ask questions. Just because a sandwich has wrap in its name does not mean that it has fewer calories than a meat laden sandwich on deli bread. Dessert And dessert. How can we make that healthy and still offer dessert? First slow down the dessert course. Offer an interlude of coffee or hot tea before serving the desserts. You will be surprised how this will change the cravings for a sweet. Fresh fruit or berries served in a tuile shell or a lace cookie basket topped with a small dollop of heavy whipped cream flavored with a bit of liquor rather than sugar fits the request. Small plates are very much the rage at the moment. A sampling of miniature pastries, French macaroons and other single bite delicacies will take the edge off their sweet tooth cravings. A tidbit of buffet psychology - passengers will tend to consume less food if served on the credenza rather than within an easy reach - a great way to limit consumption of those high calorie items. Presentation The placement of food on the credenza has an effect on consumption as well. Place the food which will take up the most space on the plate, the food that that is prepared in the healthiest method at the beginning of the serving line. This way, the plate is filled with the healthiest food, and not the less healthy dishes and condiments first. Restaurants tend to place the least expensive food at the beginning of the line to fill you up on foods first. They also offer a smaller plate for their guests to fill, thus eating a smaller portion. Also, if you equate eating healthy with smaller portions, use a serving spoon that is smaller so that the passengers take smaller portions. Do not serve the sauces and dressing from bowls off the credenza but from small ramekins set at each plate (sorry I digress a bit). I do feel that healthy eating is as much about portion as it is about preparation methods. Also, why not suggest a dessert cheese course served with fruits, berries and a nice dessert wine? Avoid the bread and those calorie laden spreads with that cheese. Speaking of breads leave them off the table and place them very last on the credenza when serving on the flight, and see if they are missed. It is so much better to eat healthy proteins and vegetables to satisfy your hunger rather than breads with butters. Bread is my weakness, and when a bread basket is placed in front of me, I can’t resist the temptation. I load up on all those empty calories and love every minute of it. If your passenger insists on bread with the meal, request your catering source to provide a mini roll, or breads filled with whole grains. Another consideration to assist your passengers to eat healthy is to stock the snack basket with protein rich foods. The reason I suggest high protein is that they are satisfying. Add protein snack bars; chocolate will keep cravings at bay! Another idea is use portion control packets - assorted types of nuts, maybe even pistachios in the shell to require shelling which stretches out that portion control snack and allows their stomach sensors to catch up with the eating and let the snackers know they are full. Why not add jerky- dried beef, chicken, soy. In addition, I feel I must ask what has happened to the fruit basket on board? Fill it with fiber loaded fruits such as Fuji apples, Oranges or cuties (much easier to peel and eat), and why not some crunchy vegetables. Yes, they can be mixed for snacking on board. Sugar snap peas, Edamame in the shell, Jicama sticks. The very worst thing that a healthy dieter can do is skip a meal for the sake of weight loss. If you are not feeding your body, then the chances are, you'll end up being too hungry, which will lead to poor food choices and overeating at the next opportunity by 40%, according to a Pennsylvania University study. This same study also showed that you can reduce your total calorie consumption at a meal by eating a bowl of broth based soup- no cream based soup here. Healthy is a personal idea; it can be perceived differently by each person. Ask, inquire, read labels, and know what your passengers and flight crew consider healthy before you order catering for your next flight. Is healthy clean eating, mindful eating, sustainable eating, heart healthy, low cholesterol or some other healthy diet trend? More and more people are moving toward their idea of healthy and you do not want to get it wrong.
Let me introduce myself . . . My name is Paula Kraft and I am founder and President of Tastefully Yours Catering, an aviation specific caterer, located in Atlanta, Georgia for over 35 years.
Currently I am an active member of the NBAA Flight Attendant Committee Advisory Board and the NBAA International Flight Attendant Committee, Women in Corporate Aviation, Women in Aviation International, National Association of Catering Executives, International Flight Catering Association, the International Food Service Association and the International Caterer’s Association. I have coordinated training programs and clinics for NBAA, EBAA and BA-Meetup conference attendees for over 10 years, created mentoring programs for caterers and flight attendants to broaden their aviation culinary skills, and to assist them in adapting to the unique challenges and constraints found in catering for general aviation. I recognize the need for training and have worked closely with flight departments, flight crews, schedulers and customer service reps at the FBOs to ensure that catering specific training provides information and skills necessary to reduce risk while assisting them in their job duties that include safe food handling, catering security, accurate transmission of food orders, and safe food production, packaging and delivery. I fell into aviation catering quite by accident. I was the in-house caterer and bakery supplier for Macy’s department stores in Atlanta when catering was ordered for a Macy’s customer which was soon to change my life. After the client enjoyed the catering provided, I was summoned to the client’s corporate office to provide several of the items delivered through Macy’s to the executive dining room. Within a week, I was providing food for the flight department and my first order was for the President of a foreign country (as I was too be told soon after). So, here I am, some 35 years later, still loving every minute of every day in aviation catering.
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