When I know I have a day to spend in and out of airports, experience has taught me that I need to plan ahead. So last week when I left my home at 4:30 AM to catch a 7:20 flight to celebrate my Mom's eightieth birthday in Kentucky, I really believed the yogurt granola and side of trail mix that I brought from home would hold me until I landed at CVG.
I should have known better.
To begin with there is no easy way to get from Los Angeles to Kentucky. This usually means a layover in Atlanta, which is where my problems all started. My connecting flight was delayed so, I thought I would grab a light snack to hold me over until dinner. This would have been easy if I wanted a Big Mac, french fries and McFlurry. But I didn't. I wanted something to eat that was fresh, unprocessed and plant-based. Everywhere I turned, all I saw were people sipping Starbuck's Frappucinos and indulging in caramel corn.
Finally, I gave up looking in hopes that once I boarded my Delta flight, there would be something to satisfy my cravings. No such luck. Pringles and salty pretzels were my only choices. Despite the growing rumblings in my stomach, I once again declined.
When I arrived at my mother's, I was already to go out and enjoy a delicious dinner. Instead, I met another roadblock. My mother along with my three brothers, who were also there for her celebration had spent the day on a paddleboat cruise. After a big buffet lunch, they wanted nothing more than to stay home and order pizza and sit on her deck, which is exactly what we did.
Not ready to give in to the pizza, I did manage to scavenge some hummus, carrots and surprisingly, a perfectly ripe avocado from the back of my mother's refrigerator. But I do confess that later that night, I found myself holding a large glass of pinot noir in one hand and a forkful of grocery store chocolate cake in the other. It wasn't until the next day when I coerced them all into going out for a healthy brunch, that my quest for plant based food was satiated. Which I might add, was enjoyed by all!
I learned later that out of the 24 busiest airports in the United States, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International ranks #23 on the healthful eating guide for U.S. airports provided by the nonprofit Physicians Committee. That's after spending five years in last place, an honor now owned by Minneapolis - St. Paul. I will try to remember not to have layovers there. I also learned that LAX now ranks #1 on this list with 90 percent of its restaurants offering plant-based options, like The Original Farmers Market LA in Terminal 5. This confirmed what went through my mind as I was flying back to LA, dreaming of my go-to entree at Cafe Gratitude, I Am Fortified - Sautéed vegetables, quinoa, and basil hempseed pesto. I am lucky to live in California and its plant-based bubble.
So it seems that no matter how much I desire and how hard I try to have a perfectly organic life, there are some days I just can't win.
But as exhausting and frustrating as my search for a package of carrot sticks was, days like this also reignite my passion for my work and my mission to create positive change and make it easier and more accessible for people to find healthy, organic, and plant-based options wherever they are - not just when they are in a safe haven like California.
Airports and airlines are not alone in lagging behind the appetite consumers have for more readily accessible and healthful choices wherever they go. But they will very well be my next stop. So, be forewarned Delta Airlines and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, I'm coming soon to talk to you. 