Airlines offer array of eating options

By Thurston Hatcher
CNN

(CNN) -- In the passenger gripe department, frustration with airline food ranks right up there with late flights and lost luggage.

But while some fliers simply scarf down what the flight attendants set before them, empowered passengers know that with a little advance planning, they can choose from any number of dining options in the air.

Whether you're a vegetarian, a diabetic or simply a low-fat fanatic, airlines can usually cater to your dietary needs.

Continental Airlines offers 16 types of special meals, which account for about 3 percent, or more than a million, of the meals it serves each year, spokesman Rahsaan Johnson says.

SPECIAL MEALS Travelers will find many or all of these meal options on most major airlines: • Diabetic (No sugars, syrups, chocolate or fatty food) • Gluten-free (No bread, pasta, wheat or other grains) • Low-purine (Restricts some seafood, animal parts) • Non-lactose (No cheese or many other dairy products) • Low fat (No butter, cream, fried foods) • Low sodium (No salt, MSG, baking soda, canned meats, cheese) • Lacto-ovo (No meat, seafood) • Vegan (No meat, seafood, dairy products) • Kosher (No pork, shellfish, cured meats) • Muslim (No pork, sausage, alcohol, animal fat) • Hindu (No meat or dairy products)  VIDEO Headline News Road Warrior Kat Carney reports on the alternatives to standard airline fare Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ADVISER ARCHIVE Get tips on dozens of travel topics from the scrollbox below Click for more travel advice Airfare bargains Airfare strategies Airlines - auto check-in ATMs overseas Baggage restrictions Booking online Car rental Car rental insur. Cruise bargains Cruise planning Currency conversion Dangerous destinations Duty-free shopping Electric converters E-ticketing Fear of flying Flight delays/cancellations Flying standby Frequent flier tips Gift of travel Health insurance Holiday trips Hotel charges How to complain Jet lag Kids- business travel with Kids flying alone Kids - packing for Language study abroad Late check-in Looking good on-the-go Lost i.d. Lost luggage Lost luggage shop Luggage trends Non-refund. tickets Packing light Packing tips Passports Pet travel - air Pets - hotels Photos - camera film Photos - sunsets Photos - tips from a pro Safety - personal Sleep in coach Solo travel Souvenirs - transporting Strike advice Tipping Trip insurance Vaccinations

"We know our customer base is diverse, and our special meal options really reflect that diversity," he says.

U.S. Airways served about 500,000 special meals last year, out of approximately 20 million, spokesman David Castelveter says. Like Continental, its most popular choice was vegetarian.

"We do have a wide array of meals we offer in our special meals category. You have diabetic meals, low-sodium, low-fat, low-cholesterol," he says. And the list goes on.

Catering to religious, medical needs

American Airlines' offerings include gluten-free, lactose-free and peanut-free options. United will serve you a high-fiber dinner or even one that's low in purine, a compound that can trigger gout in some susceptible people.

Many airlines also serve meals for specific religious diets, including pork-free kosher and Muslim meals and meat-free Hindu repasts. They even offer several types of vegetarian meals, including lacto-ovo, which allows eggs and milk, or the stricter-than-some vegan option. (A vegan is a vegetarian who eats no animal products.)

Keith Ayoob, a New York-based nutrition expert and spokesman for the American Dietetic Association, says passengers should seriously consider the special meals option.

"It eliminates some of the unknowns, and that's sort of nice to have a little higher comfort level when you're traveling," he says. Best of all, it doesn't cost any more.

The key to obtaining a special meal is giving the airline plenty of advance notice. Some require 24-hour notice, but you may be able to push that if you're lucky.

You can request a special meal when you buy your ticket -- by phone or sometimes online -- or by contacting the airline later.

Although airlines are pretty reliable about making sure you get what you've requested, remember that if your flight gets canceled, so does that special meal. Those who have specific needs should always prepare for the possibility, Ayoob says.

"It's always a good idea to bring a backup snack," he says, "because for those people it is a medical necessity."