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Monday, December 26, 2011

Airport Eating: Just Plane Healthy

At this time of year I often find myself in airport after airport. I fly home for Thanksgiving (2 flights each way). I fly back home for Christmas (2 flights), then on to visit relatives (2 flights), then back to Boston (only 1 flight!). This year as an added bonus I'm taking a trip a few days after I get back. So as you can imagine that's a lot of mealtimes spent in airports. Sometimes even if you've planned ahead and packed healthy snacks, when you're in an airport you might need to buy a meal or two.

Often the thought of airport (or bus station, or train station) eating brings to mind fast food chains; there may be regional differences, but what it boils (or fries) down to is that it's not hard to get a burger and something fried. It doesn't help that traveling can be a stressful experience and airport providers know that people want comfort food when they're stressed out. Luckily, according to this article in USA Today, airports are slowly beginning to offer healthier choices. In fact, in the Detroit airport, they claim that every single one of their 58 restaurants has at least one low-fat vegetarian option. According to the article, a survey of 15 major U.S. airports found that 83% of restaurants have at least one vegetarian item on the menu — low in fat, high in fiber and good for your heart which is up from 57% a little more than a decade ago.

Last week I was lucky enough to find a low-fat vegetarian meal - with whole grains no less - in two different airports, Boston Logan and Chicago O'Hare. Of course just because airports are allegedly offering healthier options does not mean that they are advertising them out in the open. Sometimes it takes two important skills: sleuthing and imagination. In Boston I asked for a side of brown rice and a side of black beans - add some hot sauce and you're good to go! In Chicago I was delayed so had time to wander around until I found the Argo Tea Cafe which had not one but several whole grain bowls (I had the garden lentil salad with bulgur which was surprisingly filling).

Next time you're in an airport and grabbing food on the go, challenge yourself to see just how healthy you can make it. From Bistro Boxes at Starbucks to sushi or a burrito made with brown rice and vegetables, you might be surprised what you can find if you put your mind to it.

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