Ah, it is that time of the year again! Christmas has passed, but New Year is not here yet. No such thing as snow where I am now- but I still am feeling festive.
On our last trip from Jakarta to Tokyo, we made the journey with Cathay Airlines. The plan was to fly from the Soekarno Hatta airport to Hong Kong International Airport (CGK-HKG), transit for a few hours, then continue the voyage to Japan. This was in late November 2025, so read on if you are traveling while worrying about high cholesterol! 🧳
Jakarta to Hong Kong (CGK-HKG)
On my last check up, my LDL (a.k.a. bad cholesterol) was a bit on the higher side. Though their food is not my favorite, I thought why not try the healthier option at Cathay? They might surprise me (spoiler alert: they did.. in a way).
If you do not know about it yet, you can pick specialty meal options before any flight. Halal, kosher, low calorie, low cholesterol, vegetarian, vegan… you name it, airlines usually got it!
To be safe, choose your specialty meal at least 24 hours before your scheduled flight. You would not know what the menu is in advance, but the upside is that you’ll usually get your meal set earlier than other passengers.
At the start of the flight, the flight attendant dropped by and confirmed my name & meal choice. Keep in mind that they do this based on your seat number– be careful if you want to switch seats!
Once the plane takes off, they serve snacks to everyone. There was no special snack for special meal passengers though; it was a bag of peanuts for all passengers. After the drink service, it was then time for the meal.
Low Cholesterol Meal
Ta-dah! I did get my meal first, before the regular meal service started. I appreciate the flight attendants’ help- they do check with you.
The content of the meal, however.. let’s just lower our expectations a little. Cathay describes their low-cholesterol meal as “meal served with lean meats, low fat dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables and high fibre wholegrain bread, cereals, accompanied with unsweetened fruit juices.”
On my flight from Jakarta to Hong Kong, the main dish was baked fish, steamed potatoes, and steamed vegetables (corn and green beans). On the side, I had an orange jelly and a fruit cup.
I have to say that the most okay-tasting part is the fruit cup. The dragonfruit was sweet, the watermelon juicy, and the cantaloupe was.. a cantaloupe. The orange jelly surprised me as it was quite sweet. It tasted like Minute Maid or Nutrisari in its gelatinized form.
The main, however, was very bland. The baked fish was a little rubbery and a tiny bit odorous, but the rest were just fine. They do make sure that everything was low fat, I can tell you that! 😉 All in all, very dry mouthfeel.
Curious about the regular meal on the same flight? I got you!
Regular Meal
This is the regular meal distributed to passengers in the CGK-HKG flight. The meal consists of:
- Braised beef with tomatoes
- White rice
- Bok choy
- Bean & tuna salad
- Fruit cup (dragon fruit, watermelon, cantaloupe)
- Bread roll
- Butter
The rice was well cooked, but the bok choy was mushy. To be honest, it is hard to have good vegetable texture on an airplane- they have to reheat the meals with a microwave. The braised beef itself had an ok flavor.
Taste-wise, it was definitely better than the low-cholesterol meal on my tray. It was not the best plane meal I have ever tried, though. I’d have to honor ANA for that award!
Hong Kong to Tokyo (HKG-NRT)
This leg of our journey was a shorter one, and we are only served one snack. I was not expecting much after the previous connecting flight.. and I’d advise you to do the same if you choose the same meal option.
I think the taste is pretty straightforward this time. The snack / small meal consists of a fruit cup, vegetable sticks, and a lemon salad.
Since this was a redeye, I really would rather get some sleep. I could not bring myself to finish this one; raw veggies at 4 am is not my idea of fun, I’m afraid.
Conclusion
I found the low cholesterol / low-fat meal option to be lacking in taste, texture, and consideration. The protein was dry and overcooked, while other components were ok though lacking in flavor. Raw veggies at the early hours of the morning was also another thing I cannot stomach.
If you have high cholesterol or other medical conditions that require a strict low-fat diet, I honestly suggest packing your favorite food and snacks from home. Have a good vacation!