Private MD News

Airport restaurants increasingly turn to health food alternatives

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

With millions of Americans getting set travel in the next few days, many may find it difficult to get their hands on a nutritious meal while they are on the road. This is a particularly serious problem for individuals who have received high cholesterol test results. Knowing where to find a nutritious meal may be the key to celebrating a health holiday.

To help weary travelers find places to eat that won’t further jeopardize their heart health, the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine recently released its annual ranking of the heart healthiest airports.

The group ranked airports based on the number of restaurants they have that offer low-fat, low-cholesterol meals. This year, Detroit’s Wayne County Airport ranked at the top of the list, with 52 out of its 54 restaurants offering a heart healthy meal. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International and Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan National were at the bottom of the list.

“Many airport restaurants are flying high on healthy food,” said the group’s nutrition education director Susan Levin. “We’ve seen a dramatic rise in healthy food offerings over the survey’s 10 years, and that reflects a growing demand for low-fat meatless options. But there’s still plenty of room for improvement at some airports.”