Everyone wants to prepare for a flight to make it as comfortable as possible. The worst-case scenario for many travelers is getting ill or feeling sick at the airport or on an airplane.  Many people must spend hours there waiting on their flight between the early suggested time to show up and potential delays. It leads to the desire to have a meal during the free time, and thankfully (or not, depending on which one you try) there are many restaurants located in airports today. Airport food is unfortunately hit or miss. Some places provide great meals while others could lead to an uncomfortable flight following it.

Airplane food is another tricky thing to choose from. Many flights offer meals or snacks for passengers hungry. There have always been polarizing reactions to airplane food. Quite a few people would refuse to eat it due to disliking the quality and taste of food while others think it’s a great perk to get while flying. The biggest potential negative is eating something that makes one ill while stuck on the plane for hours.

Find out which foods are the ones you should avoid when it comes to a flying experience. These are ten foods to never eat at airports and ten foods to never eat on the plane.

19 Avoid at airport: Burgers

The food options at an airport always come with some fear that they won’t be prepared well enough. It is advised to go for poultry food choices if you are having a meal with meat at the airport. Other meats require more cooking at a higher temperature for ideal safety.

Burgers are one food item that can lead to someone getting sick if undercooked. Anything standing out negatively about your burger after ordering at the airport is worth the concern. It is the best bet to go for another meal option, because a delicious burger isn't worth the risk of an unset stomach on the flight

18 Avoid on airplane: Tuna fish

One food to avoid for both your own stomach and the comfort of those around you on an airplane is tuna fish. Some people like to bring tuna salads on the plane, and there are a few airlines that surprisingly offer it as a sandwich option.

Eating tuna on a rocky plane could cause stomach issues for someone flying. The smell in general is something that should raise the red flag before bringing it on an airplane. Anyone seated next to you will judge you for eating tuna in such a close vicinity to them. Avoid tuna at all costs on your next flight.

17 Avoid at airport: Hummus

The convenience of hummus makes it a great dish at most times. Many things can be dipped into hummus for a variety of meals. Some people even decide to eat it on its own. However, an airport may not be the right setting to have hummus as your meal of choice.

Lentils, chickpeas and various spices in hummus often lead to gas. That is not something you want weighing on you once your flight takes off. Hummus is delicious but not worth the trouble of an awkward and uncomfortable flight heading to the bathroom multiple times. Save the hummus for when you land and have your own time.

16 Avoid on airplane: Carbonated soft drinks

Drinks are sometimes more negative on your body than food when flying. Be very wary when picking drink choices to take on the plane or offered to you by the flight attendants. Carbonated soft drinks are considered among the worst options during your flight.

A major negative for drinks of this nature is the potential of heartburn or gas. Drinks also get extra fizzy on the airplane which could make them less appealing as well. The best bet is to just drink water or juice during your flight to quench your thirst. It isn’t worth the risk of an unpleasant flight.

15 Avoid at airport: Deli sandwiches

Pre-packaged sandwiches often stand out as a good food option at the local airport. Most airports from larger to smaller ones will have a small deli section located in at least one food location. Sandwiches featuring various deli meats like turkey, ham or salami will be in a bag ready to pick up and quickly eat on the walk.

The sandwiches with deli meat could be a terrible decision for your stomach at the airport since many of these sandwiches are on the shelves for far too long. You have no way of knowing how long they’ve been there and if they have been in the right temperature conditions to remain safe. Food poisoning can easily come from a deli sandwich out too long.

14 Avoid on airplane: Soup

Some airlines have the ridiculous thought to offer soup on flights. Don’t get it wrong – soup is a great food option in general, and it is nice to have a comfort food during your flight to keep you centered. Soup just isn’t the right choice for the comfort food to enjoy when 37,000 ft in the air.

Plane rides can be quite comfortable, but the potential of turbulence is always looming and impossible to predict, and in those situations, soup would be the worst possible food to have on your tray table. There’s a great chance you’ll be covered in hot broth enduring both pain and embarrassment for the rest of the day.

13 Avoid at airport: Pretzels

Pretzels stand out as a potentially ideal food at the airport. Most people want a snack that is easy to order and eat quickly. Unfortunately, many of the places to offer pretzels at various airports make them greasier than ideal for a day of flying.

Popular pretzel chain Auntie Anne’s is found in many airports all over the country with delicious food. The problem is their pretzels are often extremely salty and greasy. It can lead to stomach issues hitting right away before a long flight. A relatively healthier pretzel would be fine, but the greasy one must be avoided.

12 Avoid on airplane: Any spicy foods

The best way to plan for an airplane meal is remembering you will be stuck on that plane for x number of hours after eating this. Spicy foods are typically a horrible choice to make for your food choice when flying. Some of us adore hot food that offer a bit of spice.

The airplane is just not the place to risk any spicy foods. Everyone has a breaking point, and an airplane is by far the worst place to reach it. There are only so few drinks you can bring on a flight or request to help deal with the spicy food. You could also get stomach issues before landing.

11 Avoid at airport: Bacon

Undercooked meat can easily ruin your day at the airport. Bacon is one food option that is risky to get before flying out. There are many diners and breakfast restaurants offered at most airports. It is a difficult task for bacon enthusiasts to pass on it when looking for a breakfast option.

Bacon sadly happens to lead to a lot of food poisoning issues and other food illnesses. That’s not a good reputation for a food to eat right before sitting on an airplane for many hours. If you want to be completely safe, bacon is not something worth risking on your pre-flight meal.

10 Avoid on airplane: Garlic bread

The most obvious food on the list should be garlic bread. Not all decisions should be made based on what others think, but it should be a common courtesy to avoid eating foods that disrupt the peace of people sitting near you on flights.

Garlic bread is a food that is known for leaving a potent smell, that's for sure. The scent of the bread remains in your breath and on your hands for quite some time following the eating. Anyone sitting near to you on the plane will become your enemy once you bring out the garlic bread. Just get another bread that tastes as good without an intense scent.

9 Avoid at airport: Burritos

Burritos have become one of the most beloved foods in recent years. Chipotle dominates the restaurant industry with most of their sales coming from burritos. Everyone is trying to cash in on the burrito craze, including airports trying to expand their restaurant options for travelers.

As tasty as they may be, burritos are among the most obvious foods to avoid eating on traveling days. Bathroom time is limited when flying and burritos could make that a tricky flight. Do the smart thing and avoid the temptation of a delicious burrito. Just wait until in your destination city to indulge in the craving away from an airport.

8 Avoid on airplane: Adult beverages

Alcoholic beverages are often offered during flights. Many people love to indulge in a drink or two to relax while in the air. However, be sure you can handle it and are aware of the effects of drinking in the sky before committing.

One common thing to leave people unhappy on their flight is sitting near people who are clearly showing signs of a few too many. Unwanted conversations, loud chatter and just being difficult to deal with can ruin the flight for others. The buzz isn’t worth it if leading to impacting the experience of others. Don’t even think about drinking unless you’re 100% certain you can handle it.

7 Avoid at airport: Sushi

Sushi is a food that can be risky in many different places. Airports are certainly on the list as one of the places to be concerned about purchasing your sushi from. The potential of raw food or certain items in the sushi being in the wrong temperature too long can lead to immediate illness.

No one wants to sick before their flight or even worse, once in the air. Many airport sushi options are prepackaged which is a must-avoid for all travelers. Unless it’s a credible restaurant located in the airport itself, sushi is not a food to mess around with before flying.

6 Avoid on airplane: Chicken wings

Messy foods are a horrible choice when eating on an airplane. Chicken wings are a food item that most people absolutely adore, there are few times when wing enthusiasts will turn down the food. However, an airplane is one place you should never bring your wings.

Most wings are coated in sauce or eaten with condiments. It will turn into a messy meal requiring quite a few napkins. Even worse, a moment of intense turbulence could lead to it spilling on you or people sitting next to you. Wings are just not designed to eat on an airplane, but you can enjoy them almost anywhere else.

5 Avoid at airport: Pizza

Pizza is often described as the perfect food to be enjoyed at any time. There’s a belief that even the worst pizza is still a satisfying meal. This is not always true when it comes to purchasing a slice of pizza at an airport restaurant.

Many airport food locations will have food like pizza out for the entire day. The food remaining in the incorrect temperature for a long enough time can go bad. Pizza is an easy item to not think twice about, but it can make your stomach feel pain. Besides, the quality of pizza at an airport is likely among the lowest on the taste scale.

4 Avoid on airplane: Hard boiled eggs

You should instantly know why this is on the list if you’ve ever had hard boiled eggs or even worse been in the presence of someone else eating it. The scent of the food is already potent. Some people feel queasy just getting a whiff of it in their general presence.

The eggs also lead to gas and provide another dynamic of negative moments on an airplane. Hard-boiled eggs would top the list of the most disrespectful foods to eat in public, especially when flying. Anyone bringing hard boiled eggs on the plane will become the most hated person on the flight.

3 Avoid on airplane: Potato chips

Common courtesy is an important part of the airplane side of the list. Showing respect to the people sitting near you on the plane is very important to both your and their experience flying. Many snacks brought onto an airplane, unfortunately, happen to be loud.

Potato chips are a common snack that annoys anyone close to the person eating them if they don’t have headphones on. Some people don’t want to wear headphones while traveling. Your potato chips will just be a loud annoyance to those folks. There are more than enough snacks to choose from, so skip bringing the chips and go for a quieter option.

2 Avoid at airport: Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are among the most surprising things to avoid eating at the airport. Most would assume such healthy options would be the safest bet for a quick bite before a flight. The problem is that raw fruits and vegetables have the highest risk of carrying bacteria that can make you sick.

Airports aren’t known for putting a lot of time into quick fruit platters or salads. Cooked items are usually a safer bet than the produce you want to believe is healthy. Don’t trust the fruits or veggies at your airport and risk getting sick because of them.

1 Avoid on airplane: Yogurt

One surprising food that can become a messy problem on an airplane is yogurt. It seems like a tasty and healthy safe choice to have as a quick snack while flying. The problem is the foil-topped plastic containers that contain yogurt are not made to take in the air.

Yogurt containers often blow up like balloons in the air and splatter everywhere if opening it without hesitance. It requires a slow-opening process to avoid the issue, but the mess could still head your way to upset you and people sitting next to you. Yogurt is delicious but not worth the hassle of a humiliating moment that upsets others.

References: Mashed, Cheat Sheet, Time