Scope out healthy choices
At big airports, you’ll find all kinds of kiosks, restaurants counters and shops, some offering foods that are tasty, portable and waist-friendly. You can’t go wrong with a garden salad served with grilled chicken or a made-to-order sandwich containing lean deli meat, vegetables and mustard instead of mayo. Other light and filling options: broth-based soups, chopped veggies with hummus, fresh whole fruit or fruit salad, and Greek yogurt.
Plan ahead and bring your own
Zip baggies and a small insulated tote are all you need to pack healthy on-the-go meals and snacks. Stick with foods that are neat and easy to portion, such as whole grain crackers and low-fat string cheese, nuts, fresh or dried fruit, energy bars, dark chocolate, and high-fiber cereal.
Drink plenty of water
Flying and rushing around can leave you dehydrated, and it’s easy to misread thirst for hunger. Head off a snack attack by grabbing a bottle or two of water from an airport shop.
Check your airline’s onboard menu
Major airlines such as Virgin America, Alaska, America, United and Delta, post their onboard snack and mini-meal offering on their website. This makes it easier for you to plan ahead – especially if you are traveling for business when packing a light meal or snack may not be possible.
Keep it light
You already know that jumbo burgers, loaded pizza slices and oversized pretzels are diet killers. Also watch out for sneaky ingredients that can take something you think is light and pump it full of calories. Case in point: an ounce of tuna fish packed in water has only 35 calories, but add mayonnaise at 100 calories per-tablespoon and the average overstuffed tuna sandwich ends up a whopping 500 calories or more! Smoothies are another example. They seem healthy, but some commercial smoothies are weighed down with full-fat yogurt, sugar, peanut butter, fruit-flavored syrups. For a light, creamy and filling alternative have a cup of Greek Yogurt with cup of berries.
For advice on healthy eating, drinking and weight loss, check out my new book The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber!
Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and author of the Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber as well as the bestselling F-Factor Diet. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com.
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