News Release
Friday, December 12, 2003
CONTACT: Colleen Young, 202-686-2210, ext. 330; cyoung@pcrm.org
Airport Food Rated for Healthy Options
Denver Airport Tops the List; Chicago Airport Makes Biggest Improvement
Minneapolis Tailspins into Last Place
Washington, D.C.—It’s getting easier to find healthy
food at America’s major airports, according to a new report
released today by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
(PCRM). PCRM nutritionists surveyed the top 15 U.S. airports for
the availability of healthy entrées. Almost three-quarters
of the airports received a rating of 50 percent or greater –
a considerable improvement from last year’s survey. Denver
topped the list with 83 percent of its restaurants offering healthy
choices. Chicago and Detroit made the greatest strides, with both
airports improving by roughly 30 percent. San Francisco experienced
a notable drop in percentage points (from 96 percent to 82 percent),
but still managed to land in the number two spot this year.
PCRM nutritionists evaluated the restaurants in all 15 airports,
giving each restaurant a point if its menu included at least one
low-fat, high-fiber, and cholesterol-free entrée. The final
percentage score was derived by dividing the airport’s number
of healthy restaurants by the total number of restaurants.
As noted in PCRM’s report, some airlines have introduced
a “buy-on-board” menu or discontinued in-flight meal
service (see PCRM’s recent airline
food review), which means that many travelers this holiday season
will be more reliant on airport restaurants than ever before. PCRM
clinical research coordinator Brie Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D.,
has some advice for holiday travelers looking to grab a bite during
a layover or in anticipation of a foodless flight. “Travelers
looking for healthy food should choose non-dairy vegetarian options,
which will naturally be lower in fat and cholesterol and higher
in fiber,” she said. “Even in the lowest ranking airports,
it’s easy to find a bean burrito, veggie burger, or veggie
sandwich. Passengers have enough to worry about before boarding
a plane; they don’t need the added fear of skyrocketing cholesterol
levels.”.
|
PCRM’s 2003 Airport Food Ratings:
Availability of Healthy Food Choices
|
| The 15 Busiest
Airports in the U.S., from Best to Worst |
| AIRPORT |
SCORE |
| 1) Denver |
83% |
2) San Francisco |
82% |
3) Chicago |
71% |
4) Detroit |
70% |
5) Miami |
68% |
6) Houston |
64% |
7) Newark |
60% |
8) Atlanta |
59% |
9) New York |
57% |
10) Seattle-Tacoma |
51% |
11) Phoenix |
50% |
12) Los Angeles |
47% |
13) Dallas-Fort Worth |
43% |
14) Las Vegas |
38% |
15) Minneapolis-St. Paul |
34% |
To schedule an interview with a PCRM spokesperson, please contact
Colleen Young, at (202) 686-2210, ext. 330, or cyoung@pcrm.org.
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive
medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical
research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes
alternatives to animal research.
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