Airport Food Continues Upward Trend Toward Better Health, Doctors' Survey Shows
Healthy Vegetarian Options Now Widely Available; Orlando Flies High in First Place; Houston Is Most Improved
WASHINGTON—Holiday travelers can now look forward to healthier airport food, according to a new report by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). A survey of 13 of the busiest U.S. airports shows that the quality of airport food is rising, continuing an upward trend. Eighty-eight percent of all the restaurants surveyed offer at least one vegetarian entrée that is low in fat, high in fiber, and cholesterol-free, representing a 13-percentage-point increase from 2005. Eleven of the 12 airports from last year’s report improved their score.
Orlando International Airport landed in first place, moving up from eighth place in last year's report. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport won the honor of “most improved,” with a score of 76 percent, compared with just 46 percent in 2005. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport came in last place for the third year in a row, despite making a 27-point improvement over last year.
“Travelers looking for healthy food should choose vegetarian options, which are naturally low in fat and high in fiber,” says Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., a PCRM dietitian. “Even in the lowest ranking airports, it’s easy to find a bean burrito or a veggie sandwich.”
PCRM dietitians gave each restaurant a point if its menu included at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free vegetarian entrée. The final percentage score was derived by dividing the airport’s number of restaurants serving health-conscious fare by its total number of restaurants.
Airport |
Score |
1. Orlando International Airport |
97% |
2. (tie) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport |
96% |
2. (tie) San Francisco International Airport |
96% |
3. Newark Liberty International Airport |
95% |
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport |
94% |
5. Chicago O’Hare International Airport |
91% |
6. Denver International Airport |
89% |
7. Philadelphia International Airport |
86% |
8. (tie) Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport |
84% |
8. (tie) Los Angeles International Airport |
84% |
9. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
83% |
10. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport |
76% |
11. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport |
69% |
For a copy of the full report or an interview with a PCRM dietitian, please contact Jeanne S. McVey at 202-686-2210, ext. 316, or jeannem@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.
Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.,
Ste. 400, Washington, DC 20016
Phone: 202-686-2210 | E-mail: pcrm@pcrm.org |
