Healthy Airport Eating

I just recently flew on my first “single mom” flight with my two kids and husband left at home. Let me start by saying that my husband is my better half. He holds the family together and I was so nervous to be without him.

Moving on….

My kids ask for snack 99.9% of the day. So I initially thought that going on the flight would be another excuse to buy fast food and whatever snacks everyone wanted. We pretty much budget for that every single trip we take. I don’t know what it is but the moment I am off on my own, away from my home, I tell myself it is ok to spend money and eat like crazy.

This trip, being that I have two little ones, and I was doing my best to bring in my birthday in good health, I decided to take another route.

What to do for kids:

• Pack easily accessible fruit. (Oranges that you have to peel would not be a great idea).
• Pack Larabars or some kind of healthy cereal bar.
• Bring a water bottle. You cannot take a water bottle full of water into the gate area but you can bring a water bottle and ask a restaurant to fill it for you or find a water fountain.
• Pack gum. This is perfect for those popping ears.
• Pack books and miniature games to keep their minds off food.

What to do for yourself:

• Pack healthy foods. Simple as that. If you have something healthy to eat on hand, you are 9 times less likely to buy some junk food.
• Bring a water bottle for yourself and also fill it inside the gate.
• You may want a glass of wine on the plane, because well, if you have two kids on a plane by yourself….. You may want the bottle… so settle for a glass until you arrive to your destination.
• Remember that airport food is overpriced and not always the biggest of portions so save your money for good food when you land.

If you do want to eat at the airport, some of the unhealthiest airport foods are:

• Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll
• Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza (darn, that is literally my favorite)
• Dunkin Donuts sausage, egg & cheese croissant
• Fried foods. Pretty much all of it.

Healthy airport foods:

• Dunkin Donuts Egg White Veggie Flatbread (280 calories)
• Starbucks Hearty Blueberry Whole-Grain Oatmeal (290 calories)
• McDonalds’s Southwest Chicken Salad w/ Grilled Chicken (330 calories)
• Sabra Pretzel and Hummus Pack (380 calories)
• Chilis “lighter choice” Margarita Grilled Chicken (580 calories)

Here’s the thing…. have fun with it. If you are letting caution to the wind and just enjoy yourself and you are ok spending extra money — go for it! But, go get something worth it. Enjoy yourself. Life is too short.

However, it is also perfectly ok to be mindful of money and calories while getting away. You will have plenty of time on your vacation or to your destination to buy amazing food.