creating carrie

I’m originally from Houston, and my family still lives there. I fly to Houston several times a year, and since Continental has its hub in Houston, it is the airline I usually take to there. I have a been a vegetarian for almost a decade. When I first gave up meat, Continental served great food to people who have non-mainstream diets. I remember Amy’s burritos and other organic foods. Yes, they were all frozen, but they were higher quality frozen. Then they decided to do away with these meals to save money. But instead of altering all of the meals to at least match an ovo-lacto, kosher* diet, they serve the same food they did before to everyone. No choices except on cross-country or international flights. My fellow alternate dieters and I have to purchase other food or just wait until we get somewhere (like home) with food waiting for us. I can’t tell you how much more this irks me even more now that I also have to pay to check my bag.

So here is my call to Continental: Please serve food that a wider population will eat. (Or give us a discount on your other fees.) And so you don’t have to actually do any initial research on meals that would be appropriate (and delicious) for everyone, here is an off-the-top-of-my-head list:

• Bean burritos/tacos
• Cheese pizza (I have seen this on a few flights, but not in a couple of years)
• Nachos
• Falafel/Sabbich sandwich
• Grilled veggie sandwich
• Cheese sandwich
• PB&J

I bet any other vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly omnivores could name others. These things are cheap and good. Total crowd pleasers. So Continental, change your meal policies; cover more of your clients; go veg!

*I’ve noticed that vegetarian food tends to be kosher (or at least pareve), but I am by no means fluent in this diet. If anyone wants to educate/correct me, leave a comment!