Ice packs should be allowed through, as long as they are frozen when you go through security (so they're solid, not gel consistency like when they're thawed). At least they are on domestic flights, I haven't tried them internationally.
Things that have worked for us on long flights:
- Instant oatmeal packets - ask flight attendant for a cup of hot water
- Instant noodles or soup bowls - same thing
- Beef jerky or shelf-stable pepperoni sticks, if he does OK with those textures/flavors
- Cooked pasta - keeps well at room temp, and my kids would always happily eat a meal of plain pasta
- Canned chicken or tuna fish with crackers, if you don't mind irritating your seat neighbors (could also bring bread and make it into a sandwich if you want to make it feel more meal-like). Shelf-stable mayo packets from McDonalds help here too - bring a ziploc, dump the meat and mayo into the ziploc, smush them around to mix it up, then spread it out onto the bread or crackers.
- Pre-cut fruit and veggie sticks