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…Traveling: Airport Healthy Food Options…

traveling

Traveling is something that a lot of people do regularly.  Car rides, truck stops, air port TSA check points, running through airports to catch your flight, getting a seat on the plane that is just not very comfortable… there are a lot of things that people have to worry about when trying to get the desired destination.

As I have traveled quite a bit over the past few years, I have found that there are some things that I have adopted to make things a little easier for me.  A few of these things are:

  • Getting a compact water bottle to travel with (get to the airport with your empty water bottle.  Once you get past TSA go to the water fountain and fill it up! It will save you the $5-$10 that you would have to spend on a water bottle at a kiosk or airport convenience store
  • Get a bag that is durable AND will fit under the seat in front of you/in the over head bin. (This is by far one of the most important! Some airports are relaxed on the size of your bag and other stick to the rules 100%.  The worst time to figure this out is when the airport is busy, you stood in the TSA line for almost an hour only to find out that you have to go back to the check in counter to check your bag that is slightly over stuffed and too big “by the regulation standards” to be taken on the plane).
  • Have plan updates texted to your cellular device (you can also have them emailed.  Phone calls are great! But if you are in the middle of trying to call a cab, hotel, family members and the airline is calling it is hard to switch the line get that call.)

You can also check out my other blog post by CLICKING HERE that goes into more details (and money saving tips) on some other traveling tips I have discovered.

I do not know about you, but I do enjoy getting to find some healthy food options when I am traveling.  I have seen over the past few years a HUGE shift in the variety of healthy food establishments that are available in different airports.  This is actually the reason I am creating this post.  To help showcase the different options that I have been able to find throughout different airports.

 

DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth)

dfw_ge2

 

Terminals: A, B, C, D, E (You can use a shuttle system within the airport to travel between terminals)

Most (if not all) airports have a kiosk or air port convenience store that will offer things such as beef jerky, nuts, protein bars/refrigerated shakes, dried fruit, trail mix, etc.  These things are all great to grab and go as you are trying to curb your appetite until you reach your final destination.  BUT these are also things you can purchase BEFORE you get to the airport and carry with you in your bag.  This will not only save you time (not having to stand in line to pay for the item), it will also save you money!

Healthy food options: Terminal A

  • Qdoba : The holy grail of making your own salad.  You can make your salad unhealthy REALLY quickly if you pile on a lot of the wrong toppings.  You can go HERE to Qdoba’s calorie calculator.  This can help you to know what the nutritional information will be of the meal you would like to put together.  Qdoba offers a variety of things (healthy and unhealthy) so you can for sure find something to please you and your traveling companions taste buds.

Healthy food options: Terminal B

  • Freshens: Is the mecca of fresh food options when it comes to airport food options.  You can CLICK HERE   to see the nutritional value of the food that is offered at the fresh food studios that can be found in this airport.  Make sure to pay attention to what you are ordering! As with any place, adding more things to your entree can quickly add calories, carbs, fats, and many other things to make the dish not as healthy.  Be sure to limit the addition of those types of extras to keep your meal healthy and nutritious.

Healthy food options: Terminal C

  • Grove Natural Snacks: This snack bar has a ton of nuts, protein trail mix, and many other healthy snack options you can grab.  (You can also find a Grove located at gate A, C, D, & E.)

Healthy food options: Terminal D

  • 360 Gourmet Burrito: This can be compared closely to Qdoba (or other taco/burrito bars).  Make your own burrito (or salad) with all of the things that you like.  Best options would be grilled chicken, veggies, and salsa.  Limit things such as sour cream and guacamole.

 

There are also places such as Red Mango, Smoothie King, and Jamba Juice located at DFW.  These places are all great options, but like with the other food choices you will want to pay attention to what you are ordering.  Some options will pack too much sugar or other macro nutrients which will quickly make the an unhealthy option.