The Reason You Should Never Eat From An Airport Salad Bar

We've all heard horror stories about airport food. Everyone and their mothers seem to hate it, and somehow, all the reasons sound valid. Insipidity and unpalatableness seem to be the hallmark of airport food, which makes the unpleasantries of long-distance travel seem worse. 

Good food would make traveling so much better, but airports usually don't have a wealth of high-end or fresh, nutritious options. We are all powerless as we drag ourselves inside airport restaurants in hopes of finding anything passable. No, we didn't have the time to even think of packing an airport snack.

Too often, the best thing to eat at the airport is home-packed food, but since many of us are pressed for time when traveling, going for healthy options like fruits and leafy greens at the airport might seem like a safe choice. Sure, the airport salad options might be a little too dry or bland, but what could really go wrong? As it turns out, a lot.

Don't get us wrong, fruits and leafy greens are the healthier food choice. That said, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leafy greens can be loaded with harmful germs that cannot be removed by washing. Airports aren't exactly known for their fresh fruits and salads, either. You don't want to risk falling sick while you travel, so it's best to stay away from raw food altogether. You shouldn't buy salty food, either. 

Health suggests that some of the safer foods to buy at the airport include nuts, dark chocolate, and oatmeal. Protein bars with low sugar are also a good, safe option.

Getting good food at an airport is the dream, but if you're wondering why the food usually leaves something to be desired regardless of location, there's a reason. According to City Monitor, the lack of storage space and specialty kitchen equipment limits the menu. But a lack of proper equipment doesn't mean the food has to be bad. Another theory is that airport restaurants don't really have much competition and there's always a captive audience, so it's not important to wow the customers.  

Since we already know airport food isn't great, maybe packing food from home should be higher on our priority list, especially when traveling to or from one of the worst airports for food.