No more taking hunger on the fly: US airports offering more healthful fare

Nation's Restaurant News, Feb 24, 1997

CHICAGO -- Few industry professionals are so concerned with healthful eating as are registered dietitians.

But many dietitians travel a lot and do their share of eating in airports. So where do they go to find good nutrition?

Actually, just about anywhere they want, according to a survey released this month by the American Dietetic Association. A review of airports in 28 major cities revealed that healthful foods could be found at virtually all of the airports surveyed.

"We were pleased that, with a little effort, we could find a wide selection of healthful food choices," said ADA spokeswoman Cathy Kapica, Ph.d., R.D.

The ADA assigned a volunteer dietitian to each airport, including those in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco and all three New York-area airports. Once there, the dietitians answered "several pages" of questions concerning the kinds of food found in airport restaurants. Kapica noted, however, that the ADA survey did not rate the airports' quality of foodservice.

The survey was a follow-up to one conducted in 1994 by the ADA with the help of USA Today. The new survey concluded that the selection of healthful food has improved. primarily because there is more variety than there was even two years ago.

Kapica, who did not participate in the 1994 survey, said curiosity led her to volunteer her time this year. "I travel a lot, but I never really in consciously paid attention to what's being sold in airports," she noted. "I wanted to make a more thorough search of the nutritional possibilities."

What did Kapica and her colleagues find? "In an airport like O'Hare you can get just about anything you want, so long as you are willing to look around; healthful food isn't just in one place," Kapica said. "What surprised me was that even in smaller airports there was such a wide variety of foods available."

All the airports surveyed offer fresh fruit and fruit juices, and nearly all sell bagels, pretzels, salads, and low-fat or nonfat yogurt. However, on the down side, only 11 of the surveyed airports offer skim milk, and only 15 have locations that sell low-fat muffins.

"We were surprised and disappointed that skim milk was not found in all the airports we examined," Kapica added. "With air travel being a routine part of so many people's lives, we had hoped it would have been available everywhere."

Other findings in the ADA survey were:

* Nations recognized fast-food restaurants could be found at 24 airports.

* Eleven airports have salad bars, and three of those offer "make-your-own" meals. Those were a pasta bar in San Francisco, made-to-order sandwiches in Chicago and a Philadelphia restaurant where passengers can request made-to-order pasta dishes.

* There were specialty-coffee shops at 22 airports, 18 of which sold desserts that were high in fat and calories.

* A few airports, including Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Cleveland, have special play areas for children waiting for flights to take off.

Kapica said she was particularly impressed by the carts and kiosks used at Chicago's O'Hare.

"That's a very smart thing to do," she said. "If the airport is really busy the carts allow more flexibility and give passengers more choices."

Kapica offered some suggestions for passengers who are watching what they eat. "Go for a walk, and explore your options before choosing," she said. "It might prevent you from grabbing the first foods you see or smell. There are healthful choices available, but you have to look for them. You'll enjoy the walk before or after sitting on the plane, and you can also reap the benefits walking provides.

Other travel tips from the ADA are:

* Drink lots of water, even if you're not thirsty. Low humidity and recirculating air in pressurized cabins can cause dehydration and aggravate jet lag. The ADA recommends eight ounces of fluid for each hour of flight.

* Pack a "survival" kit when traveling. The it should include dried fruit, whole fruit, raw vegetables, muffins, bagels, crackers or pretzels.

* Eat breakfast. It is a good way to ingest a variety of low-fat, nutrient-dense foods and may make you less tempted to overeat later in the morning or at lunch.