Healthy new in-flight menu will keep you as light as a feather

Eating rice can help nervous flyers feel less stressed, says an Oxford professor.

A new in-flight meal that boosts the immune system, calms the nerves, settles the stomach and even fights jet lag is being tested by airline Monarch.

The new menu was created by Charles Spence, who has helped chef Heston Blumenthal create many of his gastronomic masterpieces.

It includes immunity-boosting echinacea and liquorice ice cream, relaxing green tea and lavender cakes, bloat-busting herbal tea and energising, umami-rich snack bars.

The ingredients were specially selected to enhance happiness, relaxation and wellbeing.

About 30 minutes into the flight, travellers are served a specially created blend of herbal tea containing chamomile, fennel seed and kelp, accompanied by a crunchy, seaweed biscuit, delivering sweet yet salty umami tastes.

Spence said: "Reduced air pressure, dry cabin air and engine noise all inhibit taste perception, but umami is the only one of the basic tastes that manages to cut through these barriers, which is why so many passengers order a tomato juice or a Bloody Mary when on board."