Your Airport Food Survival Guide

Whether it’s for business or pleasure, traveling always feels like work. Consider these blood pressure-elevating stats: There were more than 4 million domestic flights in America last year. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, about a quarter of them were delayed; 92,200 were cancelled outright; and 10,694 flights in progress were diverted to different airports. Talk about a headache.

Unfortunately, that headache can translate into trouble for your waistline. Researchers from the Netherlands found that anxiety can cause you to overeat when you’re not hungry. All things considered, it’s no wonder that the allure of the airport terminal food trap is so strong.

Of course, the occasional indulgent comfort food isn’t anything to worry about. But for frequent fliers, grabbing a bite each and every time you have to make a connection is a quick way to add 10, 20, or even 30 pounds of extra baggage to your frame over the course of a year. A better strategy? Look over this airport survival guide from the authors of the best-selling weight-loss series Eat This Not That.

Worst Airport Breakfast Pastry
Dunkin’ Donuts Blueberry Muffin
510 calories
16 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
490 mg sodium
51 g sugars

This might surprise you, but you’re better off ordering almost any doughnut on the Dunkin’ Donuts menu than you are ordering any of the muffins. That’s because muffins are little more than cupcakes in disguise. Nutritionally speaking, most doughnuts stack up better: They often contain less sugar, fewer carbohydrates and about half the calories. Not only is the Sugar Raised Donut one of the lowest calorie food items available at Dunkin’, it’s also one of the lowest in sugar content, as well.

Eat This Instead!
Dunkin’ Donuts Sugar Raised Donut
190 calories
9 g fat (4 g saturated)
4 g sugars

Bonus tip: To stay strong and fit for years, learn the cutting-edge secrets for getting your best body at 40-plus!

Worst Airport Sandwich
Quizno’s Classic Club with Bacon (regular)
920 calories
54 g fat (15 g saturated, 0 g trans)
2,340 mg sodium

The bacon alone isn’t what gives this sub 600 more calories than its Subway equivalent. A good chunk of the blame lies with the gobs of fatty mayo and slices of high-calorie cheddar, as well. If you’re hankering for a sandwich between flights, hit up the airport Subway, instead. Subway’s six-inch club packs in 26 grams of belly-filling protein, thanks to the lean meat triumvirate of turkey, roast beef and ham on a bed of veggies.