Almost 95% of 95 restaurants at Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) offer at least one low-fat, cholesterol-free vegetarian entré©e, making it the healthiest of the 15 busiest airports in the United States, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) tied for second at 93%, with Los Angeles International (LAX) and Newark Liberty International (EWR) tying for third place at 89%.
PCRM nutritionists found that 82% of restaurants surveyed at the 15 airports had at least one healthy offering, up from 57% in 2001, when the organization began doing the survey.
Susan Levin, a registered dietician with PCRM, says airports are paying attention to the survey and the national trends toward people desiring healthy food alternatives.
“The overall trend is that airports are offering healthier foods,” she says.
Some outlets, such as grab-and-go kiosks that offer pre-packaged foods, aren’t as apt to have healthy options because they are pre-made, Levin says, adding that sit-down restaurants can often tailor foods by removing cheeses and sauces that are high in fat.
The percentage of restaurants offering such items, especially in those airports that have been surveyed since the beginning, has increased. And ORD, for example, used its top placement in the survey a couple of years ago as an advertising tool.
“That tells me they are paying attention,” Levin says.
