Junk food at airports? You have better options
Carolyn O’Neil is a registered dietitian and author of “The Slim Down South Cookbook.” Email her at carolyn@carolynoneil.com.
Add hunger to the holiday air travel stress and you’re really in for some turbulence. Happily there’s a renaissance in healthy offerings at airport eateries.
I’ve been impressed with kiosks selling really good salads and sandwiches packaged to fly, sit-down restaurants with freshly prepared foods and concourse newsstands with a nice selection of healthy snacks (even crudite of vegetables in the cooler with the bottled water.)
Over the past year, more locally owned restaurants have opened in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. That includes Ecco with fresh pastas, cured meats and cheeses on Concourse F; Varasano’s Pizzeria with salads and plenty of veggie toppings for pies on Concourse A; and Lotta Frutta with beautiful fresh fruit cups on Concourse B.
Made-to-order menu options are multiplying, too, so you can design your own salad or sandwich. Fresh 2 Order on Concourse B and Corner Bakery on Concourse T allow flexibility for fliers looking for customized salads and sandwiches with whole-grain breads, leaner proteins and lots of veggies.
Navigate nutritiously
- Ask for OJ in the air. The nutrients in orange juice help boost your immune system to give you a fighting chance to ward off cold and flu germs. Mix juice with sparkling water for a lower-calorie thirst quencher.
- Snack smart. Bag your own "sky trail mix" of nuts, dried fruit and granola. Heart-healthy fats and filling fiber will help you refuel and can be much lower in sodium than the airlines' salty snack mixes. Sodium plus sitting at high altitudes can lead to unwanted puffiness and ankle swelling.
- Concourse cuisine. A salad is fine, but make sure it contains protein, such as chicken, turkey, ham, eggs or cheese, to keep blood sugar on an even keel. Stress can drive blood sugar levels down way below normal.
Food on the fly
Airport security rules prohibit liquids and “gel type substances” in carry-on luggage if over 3.4 ounces. I like to travel with a container of Greek yogurt, but it usually ends up in the Transportation Security Administration trash. Recently, a kind and informed TSA agent told me that if I froze the container at home, it would be allowed through the screening process. Solid foods such as sandwiches, hard cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit and vegetables are allowed as long as they are wrapped.
Seasonal travelers should take note that the TSA website alerts passengers that holiday gift baskets containing jams, jellies, mustards, salsas or salad dressings will be confiscated. But good news for holiday baked goods! TSA rules state, “You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening.” (Especially if it looks like a really good dessert.)
