Improve any airline meal with these chefs' carryon-sized tips

Top chefs spill the beans on what food they take on planes. Photo / 123RF

If you're lacking appetite when the dining cart rolls round, all is not lost.

Chefs have revealed their 'secret sauce' to instantly make any airline meal more palatable.

These are the carry-on-sized fixes you'll find in the luggage of top taste makers and that you can take on your next trip abroad.

Chef Nina Compton of New Orleans' Bywater American Bistro recently shared her that she never flies without.

She always carries a "little container of flaked salt and a miniature bottle of hot sauce" she told the Washington Post, as a way to liven up notoriously bland tray meals.

The secret is in the seasoning, she said, adding that it can help wake up dulled senses in a pressurised cabin.

She's hardly the only chef who likes her travel food spicy.

Secret sauce: Salt and spice are the tips of these travelling chefs. Photo / Getty Images

Bryan Voltaggio of Thatcher & Rye says his carry-on includes an emergency repair kit to revive airline meals.

"I usually carry a small spice kit with me, which includes tiny jars of Urfa biber chi lies, merquén ( smoked chillies), za'atar, MSG and truffle salt," he said.

Making sure you're well hydrated is another tip to reviving your tastebuds. Another chef and baker Paola Velz says she always carries electrolytes and Liquid IV Hydration powder to add to her bottled water.

"It's basically an energy drink," she says. "It helps me stay hydrated and feeling good."

It pays to avoid coffee, where possible and - as difficult as it may seem - refraining from the drinks trolley is another tip to keep your liquids in line. Alcohol is extremely dehydrating, particularly in a dry pressurised air cabin.

What is the secret to eating well on a plane? These chefs have answers. Photo / 123RF

Travel snacks that hit the spot

When reheated meals won't do, or if you're flying on a budget carrier, so chefs suggest taking your own meals to go.

Sandwiches are a homely touch, but Voltaggio swears by them. Gluten-free breads are great for long flights, he says.

The super dense loaves are filling and versatile - especially when paired with rich, buttery spreads. Avocado, nut butter and mayonnaise can liven up any sarnie. Sunflower margarine and cream cheese is a combination he swears by.

"It sounds odd, but trust me," he says.

Velez has a weakness for salty snacks. However she says kettle chips or plantain crisps are a top dip for getting travel-wearied tastebuds to perk up.

Beef jerky can help satisfy carnivorous urges and add a bit of texture to otherwise bland plane proteins.

"I love chewy texture, and it has a little more fat to it, so it's not dry," says Velez.