Qantas launches new menu designed to tackle the worst thing about flying

THEY say “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” — but when it comes to long-haul flights, that’s BS. But there is some good news.

ASK any traveller and they’ll agree: the worst thing about long-haul flights is the inevitable jet lag.

Getting to your destination only to find that you’re awake half the night and tired and groggy across the days at the start of your holiday is the pits.

And it’s the exact problem Qantas is working to solve with its new 787 Dreamliner menu, launching this month in conjunction with the first non-stop flight from Perth to London.

To tackle the issue, the airline teamed up with clinical sleep experts and nutritionists from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre — and they’re pretty sure they’ve cracked it.

So what are these magic ingredients?

Trendy items, including probiotic shots and kombucha drinks (for digestion) have made their way onto the menu, plus bespoke teas (relaxation), a hot chocolate bedtime drink (sleep-inducing) and plenty of grains and leafy green vegetables across all the dishes (for hydration).

Tuna poke salad. (AAP Image/ Supplied by Qantas)

The airline chefs have also put a new spin on some classic dishes, including a marinated beef, citrus, cumin and zucchini salad (served in Economy and Premium Economy), poached egg, kale, quinoa, grilled haloumi, and green tahini dressing (Business), roast chicken with red rice, Mediterranean vegetables, soy beans and thyme jus (Premium Economy and Economy) and smoked salmon with soba and raw zucchini noodles (Business).

The poached eggs dish. (AAP Image/ Supplied by Qantas)

“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,” Professor Stephen Simpson said.

It’s a far cry from the culinary delights on offer when celebrity chef Neil Perry first came on-board as Qantas’ Creative Director of Food and Beverages in 1997.

As he described to news.com.au, the airline food back then was “terrible, generic and stodgy — and the quality of the produce wasn’t good.”

Now, he explained, it’s all about meticulously planned, scientifically-chosen dishes across all cabins.

“We’ve designed new menu options using delicious ingredients that have added benefits of hydration, aiding sleep and reducing jet lag,” Perry said.

For the traditionalists stepping on-board the new Dreamliner, never fear — your old favourites aren’t going anywhere.

“There are dishes we can’t take off the menu — like chilli salt squid and the steak sandwich, and the club sandwich, they’re staying,” Perry said.

However, there are plenty of new features, all designed to help ease your transition between time zones. Here are some of the highlights:

• A bespoke herbal tea, which encourages relaxation developed especially for Qantas by Dilmah, made from lemon verbena chamomile and lemongrass
• Lighter meal options such as tuna poke salad bowl
• Dishes that feature ingredients that promote hydration such as green leafy vegetables, cucumber, strawberries and celery
• Organic kombucha by Remedy: a live cultured, sparkling drink full of natural probiotics that assist with digestion
• 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

The next step in the rollout of the new menu will be trials conducted on the Perth to London route, where certain flyers will be given wearable technology and apps to help collect data on sleeping and activity patterns, and mental state and eating patterns before, during and after the whopping 17-hour flight.

Qantas’ new 787 Dreamliner will take off from March 24.