19 August 2013

Boo: Going Gluten-Free on United Airlines

If I could recommend one thing...it would be to just say no, if you can, to United Airline's Gluten-Free option.

In general, I get that airline food isn't always the best. I have never really minded it too much -- to me it always meant I was going somewhere fun! And often times, I would request a special meal, usually the lacto-ovo, figuring I was more likely to get something semi-healthy.

So, as I headed to Ireland, I decided to request a gluten-free meal, knowing the I wouldn't likely adhere very well to my doc's advice while in Dublin. This was an unfortunate decision. Clearly someone at United as decided that gluten-free must be bland, rubbery, and overall gross.

The lunch option showed up at my seat, and I was excited to dig in as I was very hungry. I was greeted with a limp, iceburg lettuce salad with a lemon -- no tomato, no salad dressing. Then a chicken breast as an entree, which was dry, rather rubbery, and without any seasoning. There was also some bland rice, and some steamed broccoli, which was surprisingly good. Thankfully, there was another lemon with the entree, to give it a little moisture. For dessert? A cup of apple sauce. I ate...I guess the only nice thing I could say is that it was around 300 calories, leaving room for some liquid calories!

The breakfast was even more disappointing. A rice cake, one, wrapped in an obscene amount of saran wrap, and yet another cup of applesauce. 

I get that food is a nice to have on these flights, but after seeing this, I wish they would have had those nicer options that we could buy. I'm lucky I have the option to eat a standard meal on my flight home!

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