I’m sitting in Singapore Airport (one of my favorites) writing this while I wait for my connection to London. I’m on my way to Europe for a mixture of writing, reviewing and leisure.

I thought I’d write some brief travel tips as I go - my travel habits are largely unconscious now, so it’s not always easy to remember them from the comfort of an armchair! Once this series of tips is written, they will be consolidated into a single article. For now, look for piecemeal updates over the next little while.

At last, to the topic at hand - meal options on flights. This is a relatively new ‘travel hack’ for me, but as someone who likes to eat healthy and/or very good food, I’ve long been dissatisfied with the fare offered up on the vast majority of flights. If I’m going to eat food that’s not particularly nutritious, it had better taste great! As we all know, plane food isn’t famous on either count.

I’ve recently started requesting special meals on all of my flights that allow it, either through my travel agent or via the website, as in the case of this flight with Singapore Airlines. Their website had approximately 15 different meal types on offer. I selected ‘low fat, low cholesterol’, and in the leg we’ve just flown, I had a surprisingly tasty chicken breast with sauteed mushrooms, and a low-fat omelette for breakfast. I couldn’t help but feel just a little self-satisfied when I glanced at my neighbor’s greasy sausages! Definitely a great way to improve the flying experience just a little bit more - sitting down for hours without significant exercise doesn’t have to be compounded by eating unappetizing and unhealthy food.

Another benefit, of course, is that you’ll generally receive your food earlier than everyone else. Remember that your seat number is used to match you with your special meal request, so let the crew know if you’re going to move around the cabin.

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