Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Healthy Travel Food

Whether you're planning a trip by plane, train, or automobile, you'll most likely face the challenge of feeding yourself during what can be a very long day.

If you need to get to the airport two hours before takeoff and are flying internationally or cross-country, you could be looking at a 12-hour travel day. And increasingly, air travelers must fend for themselves, as many airlines are cutting back on the traditional in-flight meals or offering "buy on board" meals instead.

Travelers basically have two food options: BYOG (bring your own grub), or buy meals or snacks on the way -- on board, at the airport or station, or on the road. If you prefer to buy en route, you'll be happy to hear that many of the busiest U.S. airports have more restaurants offering healthy entrees than before, according to a report from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

PCRM, a doctors' group that advocates a plant-based diet, defined a "healthy entre" as one that is low in fat, high in fiber, and cholesterol-free. Of the 14 busiest airports in the U.S., the three airports offering the highest percentage of eateries offering at least one healthy vegetarian entre in 2005 were in:

1. Chicago O'Hare (with 92%)
2. Detroit (with 89%)
3. San Francisco (with 88%)

The lowest-ranking airports were:

12. Minneapolis-St. Paul (with 68%)
13. Houston (with 46%)
14. Las Vegas (with 42%)

"Two good bets -- available at many airports -- are a veggie burger and a bean burrito, found at most fast-food style restaurants," says PCRM staff dietitian Trulie Ankerberg-Nobis, MS, RD.

Whether you choose to buy something along the way or pack your own food, you'll find more healthy options below.