FOOD TO GO: An Airport Food Court Guide
Baltimore Washinton International (BWI)
Welcome to my newest segment, the food court guide. Today I traveled from BWI. It is important to research your food options before you travel so that you can make smart and healthy decisions. I hope my guide will make it easier for you to make the right choices.
If you are flying out of terminal A or B then your options are...
Arby's personally I'm not "thinkin it". To cut calories and fat don't get cheese on anything! The super roast beed and grilled chicken cordon bleu sandwich are two of the healthiest sandwich options. If you are craving a salad go for the martha's vineyard salad with the lite ranch dressing NOT regular! STAY AWAY FROM THE MOZZARELLA STICKS WHICH CONTRAIN 56 GRAMS OF FAT PER ORDER! The worst sanwich options are the roast beef and swiss market fresh and the chicken salad with pecans sandwhichs. The sante fe salad with ranch dressing is a salad you want to stay away from. It has about 780 calories, 52 grams of fat and a ton of sodium!
Au Bon Pain. If you are going to eat here you should order the thai peanut chicken wrap, medium jamaican black bean soup or a small yogurt with granola and blueberries (but keep in mind this has alot of sugar so you should watch the rest of your sugar intake for the day. You should aviod the turkey and swiss sandwich, chicken vegtable stew and almond croissant.
Auntie Anne's. You can save about 400mg of sodium if you order your pretzel without sodium. Sodium can bloat you especially when you are traveling and may not be drinking as much as normally. The jalapeno, original without buter and blue raspberry dutch ice are the best picks at this place. The whole wheat pretzel 7 grams of fiber, but contains more sodium. The mocha dutch ice and glazin raisin pretzel are the worst choices and ALWAYS BEWARE OF YOUR DIPS! Avoid butter and cheese sauce!
California Tortilla. When ordering mexican try to avoid too many chips, sauces, refried beans, cheese and meat. Go for grilled chicken and extra salsa to add flavor. I ordered the mango burrito bowl. It contained black beans, chicken, lettuce, tomatos, rice with a sweet mango salsa. It was delicious! Try not to eat the entire portion, they tend to be large.
Charlie Chang's and Panda Express. I was happy to see that Charlie Changs offered edamame and seaweed salad, two very healthy options and some sushi (I wouldn't eat it personally, but there is nothing wrong with it!). When ordering chinese you want to stay away from fried items or things that tend to have alot of sauce. Brocolli and beef (brown sauce) tend to be good options. Go for steamed vegtables, shrimp, white meat chicken. You want to avoid kung pao anything! Orange chicken and sesame chicken. The eggplant and tofu in garlic sauce is also surprisingly unhealthy, it has a ton of fat and sodium. It's hard to get something extremely healthy at these places, so just remember, everything in moderation!
There are a few places to go get coffee. You can go to Java City, Mayogora, or Starbucks. When ordering espresso drinks ask for sugar free flavor syrup, skim milk and never never get whipped cream and you shave off tons of calories, fat and sugar! You should try to avoid all pastries, especially if they are full fat (they have have up to 30 grams of fat per muffin). Try to choose some granola, or bring a packet of instant oatmeal (they can add hot water for you if you ask nicely). Eating complex carbs will keep you full so that you won't be temped to eat the on-air snacks. Avoid the word creme in any of you drinks. Did you know that a cup of regular coffee actually has more caffiene than those espresso drinks? It also has about 50 calories per cup before adding any sugar or cream.
You can get pizza at Mamma Ilaro's Pizzeria or Villa Pizza. Look for thin crust and veggie pizza. Stay away from deep dish, Italian meats and extra cheese. Garlic or cheese bread has absolutely no health benefits and won't keep you full and satisfied for long so try to avoid the extra bread. Plain spaghetti with tomato sauce might be your best option, even though they cook it in butter.
McDonald's. The best picks here is the original quarter pounder without cheese, mayo or special sauce. Stick with ketchup and mustard only. Also go for the asian salad with grilled chicken, 6 piece mcnuggets or the egg mcmuffin. Stay away form the premium grilled chicken club, caesar salad with crispy chicken and croutons, filet o fish sandwich and the hotcakes (pancakes). Avoid the big mac sauce which adds 190 calories and 9 grams of fat per tablespoon.
If you are in the mood for a Maryland crab cake, head over to Phillips. I would rate their crabcakes a 3 out of 10, so if you are actually in Maryland, head downtown and research where to get your best bite. It does have a nice bar area with TVs. If you have a long wait, it's a great place to sit, plus it's near the bathrooms!
Quiznos. Order the small honey bourbon chicken sandwhich on wheat bread, or the black angus or tuscan turkey (without cheese) sandwiches. Avoid the honey mustard chicken sub, prime rib cheesesteak, and the turkey ranch and swiss. Try to avoid chips, cookies and mayo at this joint. Be aware of the flatbread salads. They are already premixed with fatty cheeses and bacon. Just because something is a salad, doens't mean it's healthy!
Head over to the Silver Diner if you have time to sit. They also offer many to go options. They have a tomato mozzerlla salad and hummus and pita. Go buy some carrots and eat the hummus. When eating breakfast, just remember, everything in moderation. Portions are often very large in diners. Try to have just one piece of bacon if you can't resisit, ask for eggwhites and no cheese! Try to avoid the salt shaker, we tend to dehydrate more easily when flying.
Subway. Order a 6 inch, unless you are really hungry. I get double turkey, no cheese, on wheat, with lots of veggies and vinigar. Try to avoid cheese, mayo, tuna salad, meatballs, and turkey salad. The healthiest soup at subway is the roasted chicken noodle soup, the worst is the wild rice and chicken soup.
Vino Volo Wine Bar. A great place to get a glass of wine, but limited food selection. Cheese plates have a ton of calories and fat, but sometimes it is worth it to splurge on good cheeses, so if you are really in the mood, I say go for it!
Zona Mexican Grill. Try to order only one margarita since they have alot of calories and sugar. Avoid tortilla, anything fried and keep the chips to a minimum. Go for frajitas and eat them without the tortilla! This place is also a nice place to sit and watch TV if you have some time before your flight.
If you are traveling through gates C, D or E here are your options...
Auntie Anne's Pretzels.
Bill Batemen's Bistro. I love the crab pretzel here! Not the healthiest restaurant, but good food and cool atmosphere.
The Green Turle. A local bar. Fried food, typical bar food.
Mama Ilardo's Pizza.
Manchu Wok.
Mcdonald's
Potbelly Sandwhich works. Go for the turkey on wheat without cheese. You can order all sanwichs skinny, which means no bread. It's a great option!
Quiznos Sub.
Ram's Head Tavern.
Starbucks.
Subway. This one is 24 hours!
Wendy's. Order the ultimate chicken grill sandwich with a side salad, small chili and 5 piece crispy chicken nuggets and a baked potato. Stay away from the roasted turkey and swiss frescata, chicken club sandwich, cheeseburger and fries.
Plan ahead and snack smart!
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