How To Eat Healthy At The Airport (Slideshow)
The best way to make sure that you are eating healthy is to bring your own snacks to munch on. Unfortunately, you can't bring any liquid-like items through security, so yogurt is out. Try bringing protein-rich snacks, like unsalted nuts, and fiber-filled foods, like apples.
Drink Plenty of Water
This is a must all the time, but it's especially important when traveling. It's very easy to get dehydrated when you're running around at the airport, but remembering to drink water has lots of travel benefits. For example, it will give you a feeling of satiety that will prevent overeating, it will fight feelings of fatigue, and it will keep your immune system up.
Pretzels Instead of Chips
It may be tempting to grab those potato chips, but go with pretzels instead! They are still a crunchy, slightly salty snack, but with much less fat. Try pairing your pretzels with some hummus for a protein-packed, low-calorie snack that will keep you full longer than a bag of chips.
Oatmeal Instead of Breakfast Sandwiches
If you're traveling in the morning, you're going to be looking for breakfast. Of course there will be plenty of bagels and egg sandwiches, but these are generally filled with fat and don't keep you very full for long. It's better to get instant oatmeal, which can be found at most coffee shops in the airport. Oatmeal is filled with fiber will keep you full and happy, especially if you add some nuts or dried fruit.
Choose Whole Fruit as Your Side
If you're getting a salad or a sandwich, skip the bread or French fries and choose a piece of fruit as your side. Eating an apple or an orange will fill your body with immunity-boosting nutrients, not to mention you'll cut any extra calories that will come from heavy sides.
Get Dressing on the Side
This is a simple tip that will keep the calories down in your salad. This way, you can make sure that you're only getting as much dressing as you need, instead of having an absolutely drenched salad. Also steer clear of the heavy dressing like ranch and blue cheese, and instead go with oil or vinegar-based ones.
Eat Small and Eat Often
Eating a huge meal all at once won't help you much in the long run. Eating small meals in regular intervals will help maintain your blood sugar and keep you satiated. It will also keep your energy up as you travel. A good rule of thumb is not to go longer than 4 hours without eating something.
Avoid “Salad” Sandwiches
Chicken salad, tuna salad, and egg salad are all packed with mayonnaise. Standard mayo is high in calories, high in sodium, and high in fat. Overall, it's not a good option for airport cuisine. Instead of salad sandwiches, go with something packed with extra vegetables and lean proteins, like turkey or chicken breast, and use a light smear of mustard instead of mayonnaise.
Don’t Get Drunk
Drinking at the airport can be fun, especially when you're three hours early to your flight with nothing else to do. But really you'll just be consuming a lot of empty calories. Plus, getting drunk will dehydrate you, and because of that, you'll get some pretty nasty headaches. You definitely don't want to deal with that on your flight.
Are You Really Hungry?
This is the question you need to ask yourself over and over while you're at the airport. While you're there, you'll probably be bored or stressed and eating will just be something to do, but if you're not really hungry, then don't eat. Instead, make sure you have some activities with you to keep boredom at bay while waiting for your plane. Bring a pack of cards if you're traveling with a friend, or a good book if traveling on your own.