If you have seen the code HFML while looking through the special meal options available for an upcoming flight, you may be wondering what it means and whether it is suitable for your dietary needs.
HFML is an airline special meal code used for a High Fibre Meal. It may be offered by some airlines to passengers who prefer or require a diet containing more fibre than a standard airline meal.
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In this guide, I explain what the HFML meal code means, the types of food you might receive, who may consider requesting one and what you should know before ordering a High Fibre Meal for your flight.
HFML Airline Meal Quick Wins
- HFML stands for High Fibre Meal.
- It is designed to provide foods that are naturally higher in dietary fibre.
- Meals may include whole grains, vegetables, fruit, pulses and other fibre-rich foods.
- An HFML is not automatically vegetarian or vegan.
- It is not an allergy-specific meal and should not be assumed to be free from particular allergens.
- Not every airline offers HFML as a special meal option.
- Special meals usually need to be requested in advance of your flight.
What Does HFML Mean in Aviation?
HFML stands for High Fibre Meal It is one of the special meal codes that may be used within the airline industry to identify meals prepared for passengers with particular dietary requirements or preferences.
The exact ingredients and composition of an HFML can vary considerably between airlines, catering companies, departure airports and destinations.
What Is an HFML Airline Meal?
An HFML is a High Fibre Meal intended to contain a greater proportion of fibre-rich foods than you might typically find in a standard airline meal. Depending on the airline and caterer, this could mean a meal containing wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, brown rice, vegetables, beans, lentils, fruit or other foods that naturally provide dietary fibre.
The meal you receive will depend on the catering available for your particular flight, so ordering an HFML does not guarantee a specific dish.
What Foods Might Be Included in an HFML?
A High Fibre Meal may contain foods such as:
- Wholegrain or wholemeal bread
- Brown rice
- Wholegrain pasta
- Oats or high-fibre cereals
- Beans and pulses
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Vegetables
- Fresh or dried fruit
- Nuts and seeds, where appropriate
- Fibre-rich side dishes and salads
The exact meal will vary, and some of these foods may not be included on every flight.
What Foods May Be Limited in a High Fibre Meal?
An HFML may contain fewer highly refined, low-fibre foods, with wholegrain or fibre-rich alternatives used where possible. For example, a caterer may choose brown rice instead of white rice or wholemeal bread instead of white bread.
However, airline catering standards differ, and passengers should not assume that every component of an HFML will be high in fibre simply because the meal has been ordered under this code.
Is a HFML Meal Vegetarian?
Not necessarily. A High Fibre Meal may contain meat, fish, dairy products or eggs unless the airline specifically states otherwise.
If you follow a vegetarian diet, you may find that a vegetarian meal code such as VGML, VLML or AVML is more appropriate, depending on your individual diet and the options offered by your airline.
If you require both a vegetarian and high-fibre diet, contact the airline before travelling to discuss which available meal option is the best match.
Is a HFML Special Meal Vegan?
You should not assume that an HFML is vegan. Although many naturally high-fibre foods are plant-based, the overall meal may still contain animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, milk or other dairy ingredients.
Passengers following a vegan diet will generally want to look for the VGML meal code, which is commonly used for a Vegan Meal or Vegetarian Vegan Meal.
Is a HFML Special Meal Gluten-Free?
No. A High Fibre Meal is not automatically gluten-free. In fact, an HFML may contain wholegrain wheat products, wholemeal bread, pasta or other foods containing gluten.
If you require a gluten-free meal, look for the GFML meal code where available and check directly with the airline about its allergen procedures.
Is a HFML Meal Suitable for Food Allergies?
A HFML meal is not an allergy-specific meal code. A High Fibre Meal could contain common allergens including wheat, gluten, milk, eggs, nuts, sesame or soya.
If you have a food allergy, you should contact the airline directly before travelling rather than relying solely on the HFML designation. Airline kitchens and catering facilities may also handle multiple allergens, so cross-contact may be possible.
Always follow the medical advice you have been given for managing your allergy while travelling.
If you are travelling with an allergy, I have some guides which may help you plan your travel: travelling with allergies, what are Equal Eats cards, free allergy translation cards, flying with an EpiPen and flying with medical luggage.
Who Might Request a HFML Meal?
Passengers may choose a High Fibre Meal because they generally follow a fibre-rich diet or have been advised to increase their fibre intake. However, HFML availability is relatively limited compared with some of the more commonly offered special meals.
If you follow a specific diet for medical reasons, it is worth checking whether the HFML offered by your airline actually meets your requirements before relying on it during your journey.
How Do I Order a HFML Airline Meal?
If your airline offers the HFML special meal, you can usually request it through the Manage Booking section of the airline’s website or app. Depending on the airline, you may also be able to request a special meal by contacting customer services or your travel agent.
Special meals normally need to be requested before departure, and airlines often have a cut-off time for adding or changing meal requests. I recommend checking your booking after requesting the meal to make sure the HFML request has been recorded correctly. It can also be useful to confirm your special meal request at check-in and, once onboard, with the cabin crew.
Do All Airlines Offer HFML Meals?
No. HFML meals are not offered by every airline. Special meal selections vary significantly between airlines and can also depend on the route, flight duration, cabin class and catering arrangements.
Some airlines may provide a High Fibre Meal under the HFML meal code, while others may not offer a dedicated high-fibre option at all.
If the HFML meal code does not appear in your airline’s special meal selection, contact the airline to ask what alternatives are available.
Can I Request More Than One Special Meal Code?
Airline booking systems generally allow you to select one special meal per passenger for each applicable meal service. This can make things more complicated if you have multiple dietary requirements. For example, you may want a meal that is both high in fibre and vegan, but you may only be able to choose either HFML or VGML.
In this situation, contact the airline directly to discuss your requirements. It may also be sensible to bring suitable snacks or food for your journey, subject to airport security and customs restrictions at your destination.
What If My HFML Is Not Available Onboard?
Even when you have ordered a special meal in advance, mistakes can happen. Catering changes, aircraft swaps and booking issues can occasionally mean that a requested special meal is unavailable.
If following a particular diet is important for medical or dietary reasons, consider bringing suitable backup food or snacks where permitted. Remember that restrictions on taking food through customs can vary by destination, particularly for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products.
HFML Meal FAQs
What does HFML mean on a flight?
HFML stands for High Fibre Meal. It is a special airline meal intended for passengers who prefer or require a diet containing more fibre-rich foods.
What is included in a HFML meal?
The contents vary by airline, but a HFML meal may include whole grains, brown rice, wholemeal bread, vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils or other fibre-rich foods.
Is the HFML meal vegetarian?
Not necessarily. A HFML special meal may contain meat or fish as well as dairy products and eggs.
Is the HFML vegan?
No. You should not assume that a High Fibre Meal is vegan. If you require a vegan meal, VGML is usually the more appropriate airline meal code.
Is a HFML special meal gluten-free?
No. High Fibre Meals may contain wholegrain wheat, bread, pasta and other sources of gluten. Passengers requiring a gluten-free meal should check whether GFML is available.
How far in advance should I order a HFML?
The deadline varies between airlines. Many carriers require special meals to be requested at least 24 to 48 hours before departure, although some require more notice. Always check the rules for your airline and flight.
HFML stands for High Fibre Meal and is an airline special meal option designed around foods that provide dietary fibre. Depending on the airline, your meal might include whole grains, vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils or other fibre-rich ingredients. However, the exact contents can vary considerably between airlines and catering providers.
It is important to remember that HFML does not automatically mean vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or allergen-free.
If you have specific dietary or medical requirements, check the airline’s description of its HFML before travelling and contact the airline if you are unsure whether the meal is suitable for you.
Resources for Travellers on a High-Fibre Diet
If you follow a high-fibre diet, planning ahead can make eating while travelling much easier. Alongside requesting an HFML High Fibre Meal where available, you may find it useful to pack suitable fibre-rich snacks, research food options at the airport and stay well hydrated during your journey. Remember that suddenly increasing your fibre intake can cause digestive discomfort for some people, so it is generally best to stick with foods that you already know work well for you while travelling.
- Take some ideas from the Mayo Clinic chart of high fibre foods
- Learn more about how to get more fibre into your diet from the NHS
Continue Learning About Airline Meal Codes
HFML is just one of the many special meal codes you might come across when booking a flight.
If you are trying to work out which meal to request, you can explore my complete guide to airline meal codes to learn what the different codes mean and how special meal requests work.
You can also read my individual guides to other airline meal codes to compare your options and find the meal that most closely matches your dietary requirements. Each one is linked out from the master airline meal code guide linked above.
Continue Planning Your Trip With an Allergy
- Start at the beginning – learn about travelling with an allergy from my main guide
- Learn about airline meal codes and what they stand for so you can be sure your meal is allergen free
- Find out what is in my babies allergy travel bag so you can save yourself the headache of packing without a list
- Explore what it means to fly with medical luggage as an allergy travellers
- Download and print some free allergy translation cards before your trip
- Find out what Equal Eats allergy translation cards are and how to use them to travel safer
- Learn why it is important to learn important phrases related to your allergy before you travel and downloaed the free accessible travel translations eBook
- Figure out what to include on a doctors travel letter for medication so you can get it right the first time
- Find out more about flying with EpiPens so you can travel with confidence
Continue Planning Your Accessible Travels Using My Guides
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