a variation on choosing your meal
the earlier post about choosing from a menu when booking over the web made me think.
Why not have large glass door chillers at checkin, with all the hot meal choices, and you put your sticker with your seat number it on the tray you want, which is then loaded onto the plane to be heated and served!?
That way far less waste, as once the flight has departed all the leftovers can be wheeled to the next gate, etc and replenished during the day. No wastage due to no-shows etc.
I saw this at Chicago where there was a deli for the entire airbridge, you showed your boarding card and then made your own deli bag to carry onboard. Works for cold food,so extend it for hot food.
ta-da!