Airports and healthy food are not usually something you find together. Dietitian disclosure: despite my mom bringing us up to always shove a sandwich and some fruit into our carry-on bags (and my knowing that it's the best option), I always hate lugging stuff from home, and this leaves me to fend for myself once I get to the terminal.
Today on my way to San Francisco, I decided to really scope out the options and bring you my picks for healthiest foods you can get at the airport.
1.Cibo: Already in many major U.S. airports, we finally got a Cibo in Toronto, and it is the best option hands down for food on the run. Lentil and quinoa salads, vegetable salads with sliced real chicken breast, whole fresh fruit, Clif Bars and other nutrition bars, and hummus/cracker combo packs. You'll pay $12 for the privilege of buying hummus with a few crackers, a banana, and a Clif Bar, but that's the cost of not bringing stuff from home.
2.Starbucks: Pass over the fatty pastries and head for the cash registers, where you'll find reasonably sized (read: not 800 calories) packs of nuts and dried fruits, and whole fresh fruit. Sandwiches aren't your 'Starbucks' branded ones you usually find at outside Starbucks outlets, but in a pinch, choose a lean meat one and drink lots of water to counteract the salt -- which will blow you up like a balloon once you get to 35,000 feet.
3.Convenience outlets (such as Relay): There is a lot of junk (and pharmaceuticals -- condoms, anyone?) at these ubiquitous convenience stores, but you can still find nutrition bars (some are better than chocolate bars, some aren't -- read the label), and nuts, usually in huge packs (remember a serving is only ¼ cup).
4.To-Go Restaurants: Most airports have random coffee shop-type places that sell sandwiches and bagels. Skip the massive doughy breakfast bagels and the footlong meat subs (yikes, garlic and salt in the air is not a great idea. Think about the poor person sitting next to you while you have all the gas from that sub) and go for simple toast with cheese, cereal with milk, or yogurt and fruit.
If you don't have any of the above outlets in your airport, here are a few things to remember:
- Stay away from salty foods such as fast food, beef jerky, processed breakfast sandwiches, and chips -- unless you love having swollen feet and hands when you fly. Sodium intake, pressure, and dehydration from flying, as well as inactivity, are the culprits that cause all that swelling.
- Always go for the whole foods that are minimally processed -- plain nuts, whole fruits, salads, and vegetable platters -- and keep hydrated. Take a tour around wherever you are to see the options before going for the first thing you see (unless you're about to miss your plane, then all bets are off).
- Just because you're travelling doesn't mean your nutrition needs to take a vacation. And maybe you want to bring something from home?