Heart-healthy foods don’t exactly dominate the menu at the airport, where fast food restaurants rule and giant cinnamon buns beckon.
So what’s a health-conscious traveler stuck at the airport to eat? Almost 5 million people will fly over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2023, AAA predicts. Many will face delays and canceled flights if the weather doesn’t cooperate or airlines run into logistics troubles.
That’s when airport eateries have a captive audience for foods that are easy and tasty to eat, but also full of fat, salt and sugar. Cardiologists know the temptation all too well.
Dr. Susan Cheng, a professor of cardiology and the director of public health research in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, was at an airport recently when a cake display caught her attention.
“It was humungous slices of all these lush, rich-looking different flavored cakes,” Cheng tells TODAY.com. “It was a beautiful display, but I don’t think I really want cake for lunch.”
“Eating healthy wherever you are, no matter the circumstances, is really probably your best bet,” adds Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.
“If you’re going to be at the airport for more than 24 or 48 hours, you’re going to have to get creative.”
Knowing what they know about heart health, what do cardiologists eat when they’re stuck at the airport? Three heart doctors offered their routines
Foods cardiologists eat at the airport:
Snacks from home
The best strategy is to come prepared.
“As much as you are absolutely captive at the airport, that does not mean that you cannot bring your own food,” Freeman says.
He packs apples or oranges, which are surprisingly filling and fit in a backpack, plus portable peanut butter packets for a little extra protein. Freeman sometimes also goes to places where he can make his own salad and brings it to the airport.
Sandwich shop options
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