I’m an air steward and these are the foods and drinks I would NEVER eat on a flight

Airplane food is notoriously questionable, and many people have an opinion about their in-flight meals.

On a short layover, it may be feasible to avoid the inflight meals, but on a long-haul flight, you’ll probably have to embrace the ready-to-eat foods.

While some airlines offer poorer food than others, few can be considered Michelin star quality.

Now flight attendants have revealed which meals they should never eat and which drinks passengers should absolutely avoid.

Food and drink to avoid on planes according to flight attendants

• Alcohol
• Water (that is not bottled)
• Ice
• Tea and coffee
• Cheese boards
• Steak
• soup
• Pasta

The first thing to watch out for is the most basic of all: warning crew members about drinking water during the flight.

And, much to the chagrin of brew-loving Brits, this also includes tea and coffee,

A flight attendant named Whytney, who works for a major US airline, said, “It all comes down to how often the pipes are clean.

“Most flight attendants don’t drink tap water, coffee or tea.”

Whytney told the Huffington Postthe problem is not so much in the US, but in other countries that do not have similar regulations.

A 2019 study that ranked major and regional airlines in the U.S. by water quality found that Alaska Airlines and Allegiant Air offered the safest water, and JetBlue and Spirit Air ranked last.

Passengers could opt for bottled water to stay safe and avoid dehydration by skipping the salty snacks.

Other crew members suggested not eating steaks and fillets because of the way they are prepared.

A Delta Air Lines flight attendant, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “If you’re very picky about how your steak should be cooked, don’t eat it.”

While passengers probably wouldn’t expect a gourmet steak thousands of feet up in the air, the employee confirmed, “The ovens are so big and they only fit so much food.”

Which means the meat is usually overcooked and hard to eat.

Early on vacation? The low level of oxygen in your blood can make you appear more drunk in the air than you are on the ground

Unfortunately, according to some flight attendants, you shouldn’t even have alcohol to drown your sorrows about the bad airplane food.

Whytney said alcohol negatively affects your body during the flight because of the high altitude.

Dr. Clare Morrison, a medical professional at MedExpress, told HuffPost UK: “The air pressure in the cabin of an aircraft is lower than normal.”

She refers to a condition known as hypoxia, which refers to low oxygen levels in body tissues.

This happens during flights, she explains, because reduced pressure means the body has a harder time taking in oxygen.

“The lower level of oxygen in your blood means you appear more drunk in the air than on the ground after drinking the same amount of alcohol.”

And if you have a penchant for a Whiskey on the rocks, you should also remember that your ice cream is probably made from the same tap water that flight attendants would avoid.

Another food to avoid, King said, is cheese plates.

“Stay away from cheese platters, they aren’t too fresh,” she advised. ‘They are made of cheese, of course, but they are essentially non-perishable products.’

Bad news for cheese lovers: Flight attendants say mid-flight cheese boards are made from processed products

Passengers should also skip salty foods, according to Whytney, these include pasta and soups, sandwiches with meat in them and some Indian meals.

Vanessa Rissetto, a registered dietitian, said: “Due to pressure shifts, some people retain fluids during a flight.”

So anything that’s overly processed and has too much sodium can lead to dehydration-related headaches, constipation, or fatigue.

Vanessa advised, “Try some electrolyte tablets or coconut water to help with hydration and try whole foods like fruits and vegetables, or lean protein to feel your best.”

While all foods go through an extensive regulatory process before being served on an aircraft, the advice of regular crew members is worth noting.