There’s really nothing worse than arriving at the airport thinking you’ll grab something to eat before your flight, only to spend a much longer time going through security and finding yourself rushing to make it to your gate in time. Airplane food is known for one thing and one thing only: it’s just no good. We’ve come to rely on airport options to satiate ourselves during our (sometimes extremely long) journeys through the sky.

Pack Your Own Plane Food

While a lot of airports have been stepping up the quality of the food options and variety, that’s not the case at every single airport and worst of all, these meals and snacks can really set you back a lot more than you’d normally pay for similar items.

Let’s be real, when was the last time you shelled out $15 for a cold turkey sandwich outside of an airport? With that in mind, we decided that we’re done with overpaying for mediocre airport food, and we’ve come up with a list of easy to pack items that travel well.

That being said, while these foods are much more nutritious and cost-efficient, bringing your own meals will require some planning and prepping ahead of time. But we promise it will all be worth it when you see the passenger seated next to you on the plane ripping back the tinfoil off a plastic square to reveal some mushy chicken and veggies.

Planning Ahead Is Key

If you’ll be in need of lunch or dinner (or both!) you can plan ahead by making a solid protein and complex carb option. We recommend making turkey burgers and roasted sweet potatoes. These are yummy and filling options that can travel well. For a side, you can slice up some bell peppers and pack baby carrots along with some hummus, but make sure to pack it in a 3 ounce container so you’ll be within the liquid limitation.

You’ll want to load up on healthy and filling snacks as well, so packing some protein bars will always come in handy. For fruit, make sure you choose options that won’t get crushed or bruise easily, so we recommend apples and grapes. Another helpful option to buy in advance is small packets of nut butters that are perfect for traveling!

Fruits That Travel Well

The most important part is to pack these items in an organized way that is easy to take out while going through security, so we recommend placing all of your tupperware in a clear Ziplock bag so that it will be immediately clear that it’s just food.

With these tips, you’ll never have to overspend for meals and snacks at the airport again. What would you bring with you?