Healthy poke bowls and a herbal tea designed especially for Qantas, are among the new dining choices on Qantas’ new 787 Dreamliner Perth to London menus to increase hydration and help reduce jetlag.
The airline’s Creative Director of Food, Beverage & Service Neil Perry said the new menus combined research from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre with inhouse experience of the Qantas and Rockpool teams to create dishes that encourage sleep at optimal times during the flight.
“Working with clinical sleep specialists, nutritionists and metabolic scientists, we’ve designed new menu options using delicious ingredients that have added benefits of hydration, aiding sleep and reducing jetlag,” said Mr Perry.
“The menu we are trialling on the Perth to London route will continue to offer a selection of customer favourites but it has some special ingredient additions and exclusions.”
Academic Director of the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, Professor Stephen Simpson, said the next step in the research will involve trials with a group of Frequent Flyers using wearable technology and apps to collect data on sleeping and activity patterns, mental state, eating patterns and hydration before, during and after their long haul flight.
“Qantas’ new menu incorporates the latest scientific knowledge on nutrition and hydration and our scientists are excited by this opportunity to discover how the wide variety of influences work together during long haul flights,” said Professor Simpson.
The new menus will debut on Qantas’ 787 Dreamliner services from Perth to London on 24 March.
Highlights of the new inflight menu across various cabins include:
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Probiotic infused Botanica cold pressed juice shots
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A bespoke herbal tea, which encourages relaxation developed especially for Qantas by Dilmah, made from lemon verbena chamomile and lemongrass
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Dishes which feature ingredients that promote hydration such as green leafy vegetables, cucumber, strawberries and celery
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Tailoring specific ingredients (such as chilli) to particular times of the day
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Lighter meal options (e.g. tuna poke salad bowl)
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A hot chocolate bedtime drink with the combination of warm milk and chocolate containing the sleep inducing amino acid Tryptophan to help prompt the body’s sleep cycle
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Organic kombucha by Remedy: a live cultured, sparkling drink full of natural probiotics that assist with digestion.
Appropriate food on long haul flights are quite helpful in adjusting to new time zones and getting ones body cope with the effects of long-haul flights.
