a girl eating food in an airplane

United Airlines is expanding its selection of special meals available on its flights in both economy class and business class.

Special Meals On United Airlines

United currently offers special meals on most flights over 2,000 miles that have meal service. If meal service is on your flight, you can request a special meal before and after booking. Not all special meal options are available for international longhaul flights. The current four options include:

Vegan
Gluten Friendly
Kosher
Asian Vegetarian

(Standard vegetarian options are available on all flights that have meal service, without request.)

A memo reviewed by Live and Let’s Fly explains that United is expanding its meal service selection on December 1, 2025:

Starting December 1, our special meal (SPML) selections will expand from five to 14 categories, including new allergy-free options.

The complete list of special meals available for pre-order on United includes:

AVML – Asian Vegetarian Meal
- A vegetarian entrée inspired by Indian cuisine, prepared without meat, poultry, fish or eggs.
CHML – Child Meal
- A kid-friendly meal that is mild in flavor, easy to eat, and features familiar favorites paired with healthy sides and a sweet treat. Suitable for children ages 2-12.
DBML – Balanced Diet Meal
- A meal designed to support healthy blood sugar levels, featuring lean proteins, whole grains and fresh vegetables while excluding foods high in sugars.
GFML – Gluten Friendly Meal / Gluten Intolerant Meal
- A balanced meal prepared without wheat, barley, rye or gluten-containing ingredients. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that these meals are 100% gluten-free.
HNML – Hindu Non-Vegetarian Meal
- A balanced meal prepared with respect to Hindu dietary preferences and influenced by Indian cuisine. Dishes feature tender meat, poultry or fish, paired with aromatic spices and wholesome side dishes.
KSML – Kosher Meal
- A certified meal prepared and packaged by kosher caterers, in accordance with Jewish dietary laws and under the supervision of a rabbi.
LCML – Low Calorie Meal
- A thoughtfully balanced meal designed for customers seeking lighter, health-conscious dining. Prepared with lean proteins, fresh vegetables and whole grains, this option limits fats, sugars and sodium while maintaining full flavor and satisfaction.
LSML – Low Sodium Meal
- A low-sodium meal designed for customers who are controlling their sodium intake. Prepared using ingredients that avoid high-sodium content and typically featuring plain proteins and vegetables with no salt-added seasonings.
MOML – Muslim Meal
- Prepared in accordance with Islamic dietary laws, featuring halal-certified proteins paired with fresh vegetables and grains. Foods may not contain any pork, gelatine or alcoholic beverages.
NLML – Lactose Intolerant Meal
- A carefully prepared meal designed without milk or lactose-containing ingredients (yogurt, cheese, butter, ice-cream) for customers following a lactose-intolerant diet.
VGML – Vegan Meal
- A plant-based meal prepared without meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs or animal products, suitable for a vegan diet.
VJML – Vegetarian Jain Meal
- A vegetarian meal crafted in accordance with Jain dietary principles. This dish is made without onions, garlic, root vegetables or animal products.
VLML – Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal
- A balanced vegetarian meal prepared without meat, poultry or fish but may include dairy products and eggs.
VOML – East Asian Vegetarian Meal
- An Asian-inspired vegetarian meal prepared without meat, poultry or fish. Dishes may feature rice or noodles paired with fresh vegetables, tofu and aromatic seasonings.

Special meals must be ordered at least 24 hours before departure on united.com, the United app, or via United Reservations.

CONCLUSION

This is an impressive expansion of special meals and I hope to try some of them in my travels. In particular, the low-calorie option (lean proteins, fresh vegetables, and whole grains) sounds promising.

image: United Airlines