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Virgin America Has the Healthiest Airplane Food

By:
Kerry Close
2 min read
Virgin America came out on top in a recently-released ranking of airline food. - Jeff Greenberg—UIG via Getty Images
Virgin America came out on top in a recently-released ranking of airline food. Jeff Greenberg—UIG via Getty Images

If you're looking to have a snack while you're in the air, you might want to book your next flight with Virgin America.

The California-based airline ranked number one when it comes to having the healthiest airline food. Trailing Virgin America are Delta and Air Canada, which tied for second place, with Alaska Airlines and JetBlue in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Charles Platkin, the director of the NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College, developed the rankings using 10 criteria, including calorie levels of meals, nutrients in the snacks, improvement of healthy offerings and cost. Results showed that the average food item served on an airplane had 392 calories, down from 400 calories in 2015.

Specifically, the food items on Virgin America have an average of 337 calories; Delta's food typically has around 527 calories, though individual snacks like nuts and pretzels average at about 153 calories; and Air Canada's food has about 337 calories.

Platkin advises flyers to avoid small snacks like nuts, which are high in calories and might not leave you full.

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