American Airlines’
By Suzanne Tswei
food flies highest
in health test
Star-BulletinIf a healthy meal is your criterion for choosing an airline, then the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says American Airlines should be the first on your list.
American Airlines took top honors in the committee's fourth annual rating for healthy, low-fat vegetarian entrees that contain no butter, eggs or other animal products.
The top five airlines in terms of ridership each submitted two meals for judging, and the average fat content of the meals was used by the Washington, D.C.-based group to determine the winner. The availability of healthy meals to the passengers also was a factor.
A cholesterol-free orzo pasta salad plate and a lemon-rice ginger plate with an average of 6.5 percent calories from fat put American Airlines on top.
The fat in the pasta salad amounted to 6.5 percent of the calories, while the lemon-rice ginger plate had 7 percent of its calories from fat.
United Airlines, winner of all three previous ratings, took second place this year with an average of 19 percent of calories from fat. United serves a ravioli in marinara sauce with 11.8 percent of calories from fat, and a red-and-yellow bell pepper penne with 26 percent of calories from fat.
Third prize went to Continental Airlines, which serves a strictly vegetarian burrito with 38.6 percent of calories from fat, and a stuffed pepper entree with 27.6 percent of calories from fat. The average is 33 percent.
Continental's average fat content actually is higher than two other airlines who ranked lower. But healthy meals are more consistently available on its flights than with the other two, thus earning it a higher honor, a spokesman said.
Trans World Airlines came in fourth with an average of 29.8 of calories from fat, followed by Northwest Airlines with a 32 percent average.
While the committee applauded the airlines for serving healthy meals, it also noted the average fat content edged up slightly compared to last year.
Still, the airlines have made "dramatic" improvements in serving healthy food since the ratings began, committee spokesman Michael Murphy said.
Hawaiian and Aloha airlines did not participate in the survey.
