The Manaia Lounge Christchurch – what’s this lounge I hear some of you ask? I asked this question myself when I booked to fly out of Christchurch on Emirates and was wondering which lounge options they had. The Manaia Lounge Christchurch is the only lounge in the international terminal (other than an Air New Lounge) and so is used by Qantas, Emirates, Fiji Airways and Jetstar, along with Priority Pass and Lounge Key. So an important lounge considering that most airlines flying internationally use it.
It was fairly busy when I visited as a couple of Qantas flights were leaving just before my flight – so it got a little squeezy. But the food continued to flow with the dishes replaced regularly. As many of you know I love a lounge that serves up snacks of vegetables (below) – but don’t worry if you are looking for something more substantial or sweeter there were a range of foods on offer. Let’s explore the food in the Manaia Lounge Christchurch.
What’s healthy?
- I love it when I see a garden salad in an airport lounge buffet. While some people think they might be boring, I see possibilities. Garden salads are a great way of boosting your vegetable intake as it usually is a good side dish and goes with practically anything. I will have a plate of garden salad no matter what I am eating.
- It is also good to see a cheese board offering both hard and soft cheeses. Now some people might be surprised to hear this. But cheese is a nutritious food, high in protein and vitamins and minerals. Adding some cheese to a high fibre cracker can be a healthy snack. Just watch out for portion sizes – be mindful when eating cheese so as to not overeat.
- Vegetarian chilli was served with the option to make it into nachos (sour cream, cheese and corn chips were on offer too). And while nachos can end up being quite high in calories, the chilli itself can be a good dish to help boost your fibre and plant fibre intake.
- Vegetable sticks and antipasto were available which is good for people wanting just a small snack before a flight.
- Peanuts were served as bar snacks – a nice little nutritious bundle. Peanuts are a source of monounsaturated fats (the healthy fats) and folate and niacin. The small serving dishes are a perfect size for a small snack of peanuts.
Not so great. Caution.
- Pies and sausage rolls – usually high in calories without being nutritious. Try not to eat these often and if you would like to have these before your flight then choose just one.
- Cheesy pasta – one of the cheesiest pastas I have ever tasted! Seemed like there was nothing else in this dish other than pasta and cheese. Now some of you may be thinking cheesy pasta is delicious so what’s wrong with it. Cheesy pasta can be high in calories and fat (and this one was fairly greasy), and so if you just eat a large plate of it then it isn’t such a great choice. But if you like it then have a spoonful to enjoy the flavour and add some salad or other vegetables to your dish.
- There was a vegetable lasagne available too which was also cheesy with pasta but had a range of vegetables added too including pumpkin, corn, spinach and capsicum. The vegetables not only added a nice flavour but also more nutrients – a great bonus!
- Sometimes people are surprised when I put sandwiches in the caution section. Now I have nothing against sandwiches – sandwiches can be a great option. But it all depends on the filling and the type of bread. Unfortunately here the sandwiches were mainly made from white bread and did not have much filling in them. There was an egg and lettuce variety (but barely any lettuce) and a ham, cheese and lettuce variety.
- Lollies, chocolate slices and the very kiwi chocolates – chocolate fish. Lots of sweet treats on offer in this lounge so try and stay mindful about portions sizes. One suggestion is use the small plates set out for the nuts to help keep portion sizes small.
- If you make nachos with the vegetarian chilli then go easy on the corn chips and sour cream.
Last word from travel food and nutrition review for Manaia Lounge Christchurch
I was pleasantly surprised considering I don’t hold the bar very high for third party lounges. But the Manaia Lounge Christchurch was a solid offering – nothing fancy, but a small selection of both hot and cold foods. Thinking about it – Christchurch is a fairly small international airport and this lounge is a decent lounge for its size.
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NOTE: All pictures of the Manaia Lounge Christchurch are my own and I review a lounge from the foods and menu I see during my visit. There may be different options available at other times.
If you are flying out of Auckland you might be interested in my review of the Air New Zealand Koru Lounge.
