So I’ve become friends with the TSA agents at Newark Liberty International Airport. I could attribute this to being kind, patient and friendly. (All true and qualities about myself I take great pride myself in) But my claim to fame at Terminal A is that I am “overnight oats girl.”
My preferred flight time usually corresponds with breakfast and I BYOB (the last B for Breakfast of course). I always make sure my container and liquid size follows all rules and regulations, but even still, my oats always get flagged. After being tested, they get returned. But I’ve clearly made a name for myself. In fact, my last trip, someone asked for the recipe.
Airport dining is not conducive for the health conscious traveler. I said it. I stand by it.
It’s been almost 5 years now that I’ve been a road warrior. I spend more time than I’d like to admit researching food options at local airports ahead of travel. I’ve even been dropped off at a different terminal because there were better food options. (Which honestly says a lot about both me and the current state of airport dining.)
But what is a “better” food option? For me, that means anything not fried, pre packaged, or sitting out for questionable amounts of time. I want protein. Freshness. And no, this isn’t the first time I’ve written about protein.
And while I’m at it, it would be great if I could grab something for a cross country flight during breakfast hours that doubles as a healthy lunch later. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Now before the comments section comes for me, I want to acknowledge a few things.
First, I know I’m probably in the minority here. Plenty of travelers are perfectly happy grabbing a breakfast sandwich, burger and fries, giant cinnamon bun, or airport beer at 8:45am without a second thought. And honestly, no judgment here. You do you!
Second, airport dining has come a LONG way. Many airports now feature chef driven concepts, local restaurants, and elevated sit down experiences. According to industry research, airports are increasingly prioritizing “premium” and “wellness focused” dining options as travelers spend more time and money in terminals than ever before. Passenger spending on airport food and beverage has also steadily increased, particularly as travelers arrive earlier and flights face more delays. (Anyway else still have PTSD from the April security checkpoint lines?!?).
Consumer demand is also shifting. Studies continue to show travelers are looking for healthier options on the road, with higher interest in fresh ingredients, protein rich meals, grab and go convenience, and transparency around ingredients. Younger travelers (and those of us over 40) especially are prioritizing wellness even while traveling. See, it’s not just me 😊
I also want to acknowledge that running an airport restaurant is HARD and has its own set of operational challenges. Operators are dealing with limited kitchen space, labor shortages, security regulations, unpredictable passenger flow, supply chain issues, and concession agreements that can make innovation difficult. Many concepts also rely heavily on packaged foods because they’re faster, safer, and easier to manage operationally in an airport environment. Fresh smoothies and custom grain bowls sound great until you realize you’re serving 400 delayed passengers at once after a weather cancellation.
I get it. I really do.
But the struggle to find a protein packed FRESH smoothie (shout out to Jamba at the Las Vegas airport and Protein Bar at Laguardia), fresh fruit (other than a bananna), or an actual balanced grab and go meal still feels unnecessarily difficult. Why are these still the exception and not the norm?
My friend and fellow thought leader Allie Haskell posted on LinkedIn not too long ago about the rise of airport vending machines and automated food experiences. Her point wasn’t just that vending is growing. It’s that travelers are increasingly prioritizing convenience, speed and predictability and these concepts are meeting that demand in a way traditional airport concessions sometimes can’t. She also shared an image of a Farmer’s Fridge veding machine. (Side note, I LOVE Farmer’s Fridge and am always happy when that’s an option.)
The grab and go model is winning because travelers want speed, predictability, and convenience. They want to know they can grab something relatively healthy in under two minutes before boarding starts. Airport wellness vending and automated retail has exploded in recent years specifically because travelers increasingly want fresh options outside traditional fast food.
But that doesn’t mean restaurants can’t compete. I think it’s the opposite. Restaurants have an opportunity to evolve their grab and go offerings because consumer expectations have clearly changed. (Shout out to Califonia Pizza Kitchen which offers grab and go salads, that’s a check right there for me.)
Also speaking of vending machines, I just happened to be in the Charleston International Airport this past Feburary the exact moment the Wow Bao vending machine was being installed. Too bad I missed being the first customer by about an hour. And was this selfie taken and texted to Geoff Alexander? Sure was!
Back to me. My gripe is not just with restaurants. It’s about the newstand shelves too.
When will Catalina Crunch, SmartSweets, fresh fruit, protein packs, and maybe even a green juice (am I asking too much?) become standard grab and go options instead of unicorn sightings between Hudson News and CIBO Express?
So what’s my point? Wellness travel is growing. High protein diets are mainstream. Consumers read labels now. People care about ingredients. And more than ever, people are trying to maintain routines while traveling instead of treating travel days like nutritional black holes.
Or maybe I’m just not traveling through the right cities. If that’s the case, please share your favorite airport for balanced food options because I would genuinely like to know… and maybe find an excuse for a quick mileage run? IYKYK.
Until then, I’ll continue traveling with my overnight oats, side containers of salad dressing, protein powder baggies that absolutely look suspicious, and the very real possibility of getting swabbed by TSA before 7am. Again.
