So says an annual survey ranking airlines according to how healthy their food offerings are in coach on domestic flights.
Among the dozen carriers surveyed, the average calorie count per food item dropped from 388 calories last year to 360 calories in 2013, says Charles Platkin, the survey's author and editor of DietDetective.com and professor at Hunter College and City University of New York School of Public Health.
"It's an improvement,'' Platkin said, noting that the calorie drop appears to be largely due to smaller portions. "But it's not enough to move the needle in terms of nutrition and overall health.''
Virgin America and Air Canada were tops among the carriers surveyed when it came to healthy eats. Platkin praised Virgin's "travel light'' menu, and the nutritional information passengers can easily access. The roasted pear and arugula salad with almonds, for instance, contained only 310 calories.
"We're thrilled to have been ranked as having the most healthy food offering among U.S. airlines — once again," said Virgin America spokeswoman Patricia Condon. "Our guests tell us regularly that they want lighter options, and as the only airline headquartered in California, we take a lot of pride in offering a menu that features not only the best quality ingredients, but that also offers healthy options to busy travelers on the go."
Allegiant Air meanwhile, was at the bottom. While it offered a "hummus snack pack'' of only 210 calories, its "deli snack pack,'' which included salami slices and SnackWell's creme sandwich cookies, totaled 523 calories, and would require nearly two hours of walking to burn off, Platkin says.
The large network carriers fell in the middle of the five-star rankings, with United earning 3¼ stars, American and US Airways earning three stars, and Delta drawing 2¾ stars.
"The airline! s that are doing well are getting better,'' Platkin says, "but there hasn't been much improvement with the lower tier airlines in terms of health."
The survey, based on querying the airlines and examining their menus, looks at various criteria, including calorie counts, healthy meal offerings and nutritional improvements compared with the previous year.
Not only would more nutritious options be better for passengers, Platkin says, but airlines might also find that offering more wholesome food boosts their bottom line. Currently, Platkin found, airline meals for sale range from roughly $6 to $10, while the snack boxes cost roughly $4 to $9.
"The better-for-you health category is exploding,'' he says, and airlines "haven't recognized this could be a huge profit center for them.''
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