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
Matt, thanks for this update The expanded meal list is great, but the low-calorie option is the one I’m really excited about. Eating healthy while traveling is tough, and most in-flight meals tend to be heavy or overly salty. Having a dedicated LCML built around lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains is such a smart move by United. It finally feels like they’re recognizing that some of us want lighter, cleaner options in the air.
I’m especially curious to see what the low-calorie meal will look like in Polaris. If they execute it well, it could be one of the best special-meal choices in business class. I’ll definitely be pre-ordering it on my next long-haul and report back.
Please let me know!
Matt, you have some of the biggest cucks in the world on here and be honest, you don’t give a F about “healthy eating” while traveling, nor should you.
One can take care of themself and eat “healthy” most of the time and eat normal food while traveling. What a miserable life this guy must have never enjoying a meal without being concerned with how many calories are in it. Hopefully this guy isn’t a parent because you know his kid is getting bullied at school if he acts like this clown.
Yea I’m tough on people but come on, ordering a low calorie meal is as cuck as you can be without watching the actual act.
Maybe they can add a MAGA special meal. A hot dog with a white bread bun, a ramekin of crisco to slather on top, and a side of pork rinds.
Would that satisfy your sophisticated palate?
Don’t forget the sixpack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
I spent half a decade on a 300,000 BIS travel diet. Even today, I’m 100-150K. If you don’t think that adds up, you’re pretty bad at math
What does the word “cuck” even mean? I’m a millennial, and I’m not sure if this word is from an older or a younger generation… I just know I’ve never heard it or used it lol
I’ve never heard the word cuck either
Dear Dave Edwards,
I really don’t understand the need to have such a rude and un-constructive response. What was the point, and more to the point, why do you even care?
As tempting as the internet seems to make it to be, people don’t necessarily have to air EVERY negative thought or dissenting opinion, especially when no value is being added at all. I’m sure you wouldn’t like to be addressed as a “cuck” (it’s no wonder Ryan doesn’t understand since it’s an inappropriate use of the word to begin with) or have someone think you’ve been “pussified”.
You want to have things your way (which, by the way, you still have that luxury), and yet your argument doesn’t allow the same for others because these options shouldn’t exist. Hardly fair if you ask me. On top of that, what do others’ choices have to do with you anyway? Let it be, man. You may find life more enjoyable and interesting, rather than be so frustrated over such small potatoes. Just breathe and let go a bit…
This site is meant to be informational, not political.
Season’s Greetings!
Dave Edwards has been banned for his hateful, racist, overly personal, unconstructive remarks.
Matthew, I’m with you. As all I fly is 3 r/ts per year for pleasure, I just consider these as “cheat days.” But, here’s the simple fact: the worst use of a cheat day is having food with less-than-healthy numbers thst doesn’t bring pleasure. So, splurging (in a healthiness sense) on airline food isn’t a good choice. In short, I’d rather have an Ok healthier airline meal than an OK not-so-heathy (or even quite unhealthy) regular meal. And, it’s not unheard of for me to order and then skip a meal that does look that good when I know I will have time to grab a guilty pleasure at the connecting airport (like Whataburger at DFW or IAH).
FAs around the world hate special meals only slightly more than the other passengers that have to watch “special” people getting their meals before they do.
You would think that settling the FA contract would be immensely more important to improved customer service than adding a bunch of special meals.
Mediation takes time, with the assumption that you knew that but maybe not.
it has been over 4 years for UA FAs.
There are multiple labor groups at UA that are waiting for new contracts.
If it genuinely takes that long, then unionized airline employees are wasting their time and losing money chasing unonization.
But it doesn’t have to take that long – other airlines have settled w/ their labor groups much faster than UA.
and most of DL’s workforce is non-union and they have had multiple pay raises since covid – on top of industry-leading profit sharing.
none of which changes that FAs hate special meals and, as noted, don’t really add any different food but just repackage what they already serve and make the FAs do more work to distribute meals outside of the usual meal service so passengers can feel special.
Dave Edwards has a point above.
If you eat well at home, your body will only accept small amounts of the different food it has to consume when you travel.
and UA just like any other airline is not improving the quality of special meals; they are just eliminating the things that people say they cannot eat and recombining the food they otherwise serve.
airline food in all classes on all airlines is nowhere near the standard of healthy
The UA F/As will get the industry-leading contract from UA’s industry-leading CF/FCF just like the pilots did after rejecting their first tentative agreement. None of the other UA groups’s contracts are as far past the amendable date as the Delta flight dispatchers.
As for non-union airline employees that should thank their union counterparts as they would make a fraction of what they do if not for the unionists fighting for what their contracts. The Delta F/As and the rest of their non-union employees should thank the Delta pilots for their profit sharing as they are the only reason they receive it.
Um, I’m a flight attendant for UA and I don’t think FAs hate special meals….
We would prefer you order a special meal if that’s going to satisfy you, because what’s worse is when you don’t order a special meal, and then you come onboard acting like we are a full-service restaurant kitchen and can just whip you up anything you ask for on the spot. Then we have to scrounge up things from business class and offer you fruit and cheese plates, when it would have been better for you to have ordered a special meal. So I think I can speak for most of my colleagues, and say that we don’t hate special meals. We encourage you to order them if that’s what you need. Either that or bring all your own food…
And also, when our next contract passes, it is expected to include a provisions for FAs to be able to pre-order Polaris meals (including special meals), as our provided crew meals on international flights. Many FAs will take advantage of this, and we will order these special meals for ourselves as well… So no, I think you have the wrong impression. We don’t hate special meals.
Just another example of how pussified we have become as a country. I get someone not eating meat as a choice against how animals are treated but this goes way too far. Offer some celery and carrots for these people and problem solved. Actually that would solve almost every one of these fake “issues”.
We need to go back to the days where some bastard was carving a ham in the aisle and people enjoyed it while smoking a lung dart.
And I (along with Matt) look forward to the stories when these “religious” or lifestyle choices meals are screwed up and some crybaby sues the airline and caterers. Spoiler alert….they’ll live.
Rude
How many of those special meals will be baked fish, rice or boiled potatoes, peas or green beans, and fruit for dessert? I’m amazed at how many special meal categories have the same bland dish.
The meal you just described is exactly what I want. Easy to digest, no rich sauces, no creamy cheese. I want as bland, healthy, and simple as possible when I’m flying. Sign me up
Agreed!
Pretty much the same lineup most airlines have…nothing too special.
So, I’m guessing a lot of the time there will be twofers, threefers, ir more. The low calorie sounds a lot like the balanced diet. Throw in Hindu non-vegetarian and low sodium. For fli g hts originating in cities with few flights being of a length to include a meal. The fourferbmakes sense. Not a complaint—love the new plan.
But will all of these meals actually be different? Years ago AA collapsed the meal options while retaining all of the meal choices, e.g. using the same food for Asian Vegetarian and Muslim meals.
Sort of like British Airways:
LOL: Special Meals On British Airways In Business Class
I dont know the ins and outs of catering flights, but I have to imagine that UA isn’t going to have that many unique meals that can be ordered on, say, a SDF-DEN flight. I wouldn’t imagine Louisville would have that big a catering operation across all airlines. DEN-SDF might have more options, of course.
A remarkable culinary move from a seasoned airline… Bon appetit in advance to the lucky passengers!
“Good Leads The Way”… Scott Kirby & his team appear determined to raise the bar on airplane food…
Great reporting Mr Matthew Klint! Well done United very old schoolum where and when it counts classy move ! I see the ole Literate Cuckolds are spewing their diseased thoughts oh so predictable.
Flying F EWR-SEA IN Feb and only special meals to choose are the original four that you noted. I was interested in the balanced meal
Wait until 12/1, then check again.
The AI ‘stock’ photo…that’s not a UA meal in economy
Actually, that’s the official photo United used in November 2022 when they re-launched child’s meals on their planes after Covid. It’s not AI. Direct from UA. The kid’s meals are chicken fingers and fruit, so it’s a decently accurate depiction tbh
Correct. I don’t use AI images on here any longer…
Feels like a return of some prior options — I used to really like the AVML option. Glad UA is stepping it up. Thanks for the heads up.
Ya these look like the meal options from a while back, maybe 10+ years ago