The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine came out with a list today of the airports with the healthiest food. Here are the results from the 23 busiest airports in the U.S. according to this article from The Detroit Free Press:
1. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
2. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
3. Los Angeles International Airport
4. Reagan National Airport
5. Newark Liberty International Airport
6. LaGuardia Airport (tie)
6. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (tie) (Home Airport #1)
7. Denver International Airport
8. San Francisco International Airport
9. Dulles International Airport
10. Boston Logan International Airport
11. John F. Kennedy International Airport (tie)
11. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (tie)
11. Philadelphia International Airport (tie)
12. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Home Airport #2)
13. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
14. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
15. Miami International Airport (tie)
15. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (tie)
16. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
17. Orlando International Airport
18. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
19. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Not only are the numbers nonsensical because so many of them resulted in a tie but also who really cares about eating healthy at the airport? If you are trying to maintain a healthy style of living, chances are you can connect at ATL airport, stop by the Popeye’s Chicken (which I think has closed since the last time I went there), and still adhere to your chicken and broccoli regiment when you get home without any long term health effects.
Are these numbers relevant to road warriors? Probably not since they are too busy eating unlimited carrots and pretzels in the disappointing lounges found all across the country.
How about vacation goers? Certainly not! When it’s vacation time, it’s time to put the diet on hold and overindulge on junk. Personally, I wait until I arrive on my idyllic beach before completely surrendering to temptation but I understand anyone that no longer cares to wait.
The real issue shouldn’t be which airport has the healthiest food but which airport has the healthiest, most affordable food. It already costs too much money for a Double Whopper meal from Burger King at the airport let alone anything healthy and delectable. I don’t even give Paradise Bakery a second glance at Phoenix Sky Harbor as I already know that a healthy Caesar Salad probably breaks the bank at over $10 coupled with a small Diet whatever.
So thanks for this useless study that won’t change my routing nor my opinion of terrible LAX airport even if it ranks 3rd on the health meter index. I’m more impressed with the free airport shuttle that allows me to walk to the In-N-Out conveniently located steps away.
Yours truly,
