8 Diet Pitfalls At Airports

The flight gets delayed longer and longer as you sit watching the hours while away. You're frustrated, bored, and most of all, hungry, so it's natural to throw your health-conscious diet out the window and go stand in line seeking comfort in cinnamon and sugar. Refusing temptation at the airport is no small task, what with sweet scents wafting from gate to gate and snacks that are disguised as healthy (with protein boosters and fruits) but packed with unexpected calories.

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There are the in-your-face grease-packed pitfalls, like family-sized bags of Doritos; McDonalds' cheeseburgers; and Dairy Queen frozen, blended shakes. But that little coffee cake at Starbucks or fruity cocktail at the airport bar seem much more innocent. So walk firmly past the dollar menus as well as the carb-packed bagels, and instead reward your restraint with a small cup of frozen yogurt — you're still satisfying your sweet tooth, but not totally ruining your day's diet. You'll thank us later.

Avoiding obvious fast-food temptations is one thing, but you've got to pay even closer attention to fat-filled snacks like smoothies masquerading as healthy treats. Filled with fruits, energy boosters, and soy protein, it's hard to see smoothies as unhealthy, but they're not as friendly as they seem, with sugary ingredients added in that rack up the calorie count. Fresh juices like orange and pomegranate are better for you and still satisfy that fresh, fruity craving. The same dangers can be found with trail mix. Although this mixture of granola and fruit seems ideal, after three hours of wait time, you might find yourself with an empty bag and more than 700 unnecessary calories.

Eating healthy in an airport isn't easy, but is the back of an airplane really the place you want to feel sick and sluggish from all that extra sugar? Take a few extra minutes to peruse the options around you, and don't forget to check the nutrition facts. Just because it looks healthy, doesn't mean it actually is.