These Are The Airport Snacks Seasoned Travelers Reach For When There's No Time For A Meal

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Most seasoned travelers have dealt with flight delays or short connection times that forced them to sprint across the airport to their gate, which can not only leave your feet aching, but your belly growling. To find out which airport snacks will save your stomach when you don't have time for a meal, we asked the ultimate frequent flyer: a former flight attendant. Tasting Table interviewed Lia Ocampo, retired flight attendant and author of "Life, Love, and Lessons in the Sky: A Flight Attendant's Inspiring Journey," about the definitive do's and don'ts for airport snacking.

To avoid the sorry state of surviving on free U.S. airline snacks, Ocampo recommended packing or buying "foods high in protein and fiber that keep you feeling full for hours." For high-fiber picks, she suggested fresh fruits like apple slices or grapes. Oranges also make a great in-flight snack because they're hydrating, easy to carry, and contain 3 grams of fiber in a medium-sized fruit. Ocampo added energy bites, cheese sticks, cookies, muffins, and breads to her snack list, as well. Consider whole-grain baked goods, which naturally have more fiber, or go for protein- and fiber-fortified products.

At airport stores, giant displays of candy are a tempting sight, but filling your empty stomach with sugar can make you even more exhausted. There is one exception, however, Ocampo says. "Dark chocolate can give sweet-tooth treats without crashing your energy," she said. Full of nutrients and healthy fats with less sugar than other candies, high-cacao dark chocolate is one of the best treats to hold you over until you land.

Alongside her list of the best airport snacks, Lia Ocampo told us exactly what to avoid snacking on in lieu of a travel meal — both for your benefit and that of fellow passengers. "I don't recommend bringing foods that cause gas, like beans and broccoli, and those with strong odors like hard-boiled eggs and tuna," she said. The air pressure inside an aircraft can have negative effects on your digestion, making gas-inducing snacks on an empty stomach an extra-bad idea. Other foods that may irritate your stomach include soda, caffeine, and fatty or spicy foods. Even if you normally do okay with these, consuming them instead of a meal could make for an uncomfortable flight, so consider snacks that are gentler on the stomach.

While it's obvious why strong-smelling foods are inconsiderate to eat in a crowded plane, you might also rethink snacks that create waste or may trigger food allergies in other passengers. Flight attendants wish you'd avoid bringing unshelled sunflower seeds on flights, as cracking them open creates noise and scatters shell fragments everywhere. The same can be said for other unshelled nuts and seeds. More smelly, messy, bad snacks to bring on a long flight include bananas, fried fast food, and tiny, crumbly crackers like Goldfish. Stick to Ocampo's top suggestions, and you'll have no shortage of snacks that are tasty, satiating, nutritious, and won't be a nuisance to flight attendants and other guests.