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WASHINGTON, D.C., December 5, 2004: Looking for a veggie sandwich at the airport? It’s getting easier to find, according to an annual survey by a group that promotes vegan diets, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Vegans are strict vegetarians who avoid not just meat but also fish, poultry, dairy and eggs. Nutritionists from the nonprofit organization surveyed restaurants in 12 of the busiest U.S. airports and found that three-fourths of them offered more vegan entrees than a year ago. The Physicians Committee speculates that restaurants may be offering a wider variety of food in response to the cutbacks in meals on flights, which has forced more travelers to buy food before boarding. The survey found that a low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free vegetarian entree was offered in at least half the restaurants at 10 of the 12 airports visited.



Miami’s airport was at the top of the list, up from fifth place last year, with 85 percent of its restaurants offering vegan choices. The black beans and rice at La Carreta Cuban Cuisine, Casa Bacardi’s veggie sandwich and the vegetable roll at Sushi to Go were singled out for praise. Detroit came in a close second with a score of 83 percent, thanks to options like vegetarian stir-fry and almond rice salad at the Mediterranean Grill, tabouli wraps at the Original Airport Cafe, and veggie fajitas at Diego’s Mexican Village. The Physicians Committee attributed Detroit’s high score to “Heart Smart,” a nutrition program from the local Henry Ford Hospital. The airport invited the hospital to advise restaurants on how to make menus healthier about a year ago. Denver came in third, with selections such as the portabello mushroom sandwich at Lefty’s Colorado Trails Bar and Grill and the vegetable tacos at Cantina Grille. O’Hare Airport in Chicago came in fourth, thanks in part to its Eat A Leaf Salad Creations and roasted vegetable panini sandwiches at Starbucks. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport was fifth on the list, followed by airports in Atlanta, Newark, Dallas/Fort Worth, Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Airports in Phoenix and Las Vegas came in last by offering vegan entrees in fewer than half of their restaurants.

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