Battle of the airline snacks

by Jacki Donaldson (Subscribe to Jacki Donaldson's posts)
Nov 28th 2007 12:30PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

I remember when meals were standard on flights. Now, it seems mini-snacks are all travelers get to sink their teeth into -- after the September 11 attacks, airlines began cutting costs by cutting meals.

So what's up with these snacks? Do they fit the bill for healthy fare? Let's see.

Airline food is getting healthier, but there's still room for improvement, says Charles Stuart Platkin, a nutritional expert who has analyzed nine U.S. airlines' snacks for coach passengers.

United Airlines, the USA's No. 2 carrier, serves the most nutritious food, reports Platkin, who gives this food the highest "health score," 4½ stars on a 5-star scale. United's "vegetarian-friendly" Smartpack snack box -- this one will cost you $5 -- wins the praises of Platkin with its granola, organic peach applesauce, and cheddar cheese. It's chock full of 810 calories, though, so it would be wise to share your snack box with a friend.

Platkin, whose dietdetective.com website provides all sorts of health information, assigns each airline a score based on the variety of food, nutritional value, calorie count, and the airlines' willingness to provide nutritional information.

Continental -- Platkin ranked it second -- rates highly because it serves a bag of carrots and turkey and ham sandwiches with light mayo. Southwest and Northwest have the lowest scores. The snacks found on these planes just don't contain much nutritional value.

When it comes down to it, customers must realize airlines are not health food stores, says Platkin. "But they have a captive audience and a responsibility to have a variety of foods that are healthy."

For more details on the offerings of Platkin's nine picks, click here. If you don't like what you see, plan to carry your own healthy food on board next time you fly the friendly skies.

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