Once upon a time, people who had to fly home for the holidays looked forward to being served a meal en route. The food the airlines supplied was surprisingly good, and passengers didn’t have to pay extra for the privilege.
Of course, those days are long gone except for the few who fly first class. Most air passengers feel lucky to get a packet of pretzels without paying.
Can You Get a Healthy Meal on US Airlines?
A new assessment of food choices on US airlines highlights which choices are healthful and which are suboptimal. The evaluation was conducted by DietDetective.com and the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center. Snacks generally have little nutritional value. They are frequently high in sodium and often feature refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar. In addition, they often provide more calories than a full well-balanced meal in the air. Despite the paucity of real meals, there are a few good options.
This year, Alaska Airlines and Air Canada had the healthiest food offerings. Delta and JetBlue came in tied for second place. Air Canada got kudos for its Wild Rice Superfood Salad, its Grilled Chicken Summer Salad and its Bento box sushi California roll. On most flights, you can get carrot and celery sticks as a snack–a whole lot better than potato chips or cheese and crackers.
If you fly Alaska Airlines, you can preorder your meal. The Mediterranean Tapas snack box rates high, although it would be better if you shared it (545 calories). For lunch or dinner, consider a Fall Harvest Salad: Roasted butternut squash, quinoa, turkey, feta, spinach, Tuscan kale, pecans and dried cranberries, with maple rosemary vinaigrette.
What About Water?
Galley water may also pose a problem. Airlines vary when it comes to water quality. The investigators suggest avoiding coffee and tea. If you want water, go for bottled water when you are flying.
In general, on most flights you’ll have better luck getting a healthful meal at the airport. Bon voyage!
