Doctors roast airport menus: McCarran said to offer mostly junk food

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 | 11 a.m.

Food survey

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine ranked the nation's 10 busiest airports by the percentage of restaurants that offer at least one low-fat,high-fiber, cholesterol-free entree. The airports and the percentage of restaurants:

An association of medical professionals isn't impressed with the food choices available to passengers at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said a survey of restaurants serving the nation's busiest airports shows that more than half the restaurants at McCarran don't offer a healthy food option -- a problem found at several other big airports nationwide.

"Unfortunately, less than 60 percent of the airport restaurants we surveyed offer healthy, vegetarian meals," Brie Turner-McGrievy, PCRM dietician, said.

"(Los Angeles International Airport), for example, is home to no fewer than four McDonald's and four Burger Kings, and Las Vegas is overrun with barbecue joints and sausage stands," she said.

PCRM, founded in 1985, is a Washington-based nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition and higher standards in research.

Its "Airport Food Ratings 2001: Availability of Healthy Food Choices" surveyed the nation's 10 busiest airports and determined what percentage of their restaurants offered at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free entree.

The organization ranked the airports on the percentage of restaurants offering a healthy entree. The top airport in the survey: San Francisco International Airport, where 24 out of 25 restaurants, 96 percent, had a healthy alternative. McCarran, the nation's seventh-busiest airport, ranked eighth, with 13 out of 29, or 45 percent, offering a healthy choice.

Although Turner-McGrievy criticized the high number of sausage and barbecue eateries at the airport, a summary of the PCRM report also noted that McCarran is one of two of the top 10 airports that has a fitness center available to passengers.

"With a score of only 45 percent, you may feel guilty about the way you eat in Sin City," a survey summary about Las Vegas says. "Surrounded by Vienna sausage stands, Harlon's Barbecue, Burger Kings and Pizza Huts, it may seem like a real gamble to find a healthy choice, but there are a few sure bets.

"Order a veggie burger at Cheer's, a vegetable sandwich from Prickly Pear Bar and Grille, or a bean burrito from Don Alejandro's Texan Grill or Taco Bell Express. Take it with you on the plane and make your seatmates jealous when all they get are peanuts," the summary says.

"Las Vegas has an added bonus, too, because it has a gym inside the airport where travelers can get the blood flowing before they head off to the slots."

Candace Brooks, manager of Harlon's Barbecue, said she has no idea why PCRM singled out her restaurant.

"We have a lot of healthy items, more than anybody at this airport," Brooks said. "We have turkey breasts that are 98 percent fat free, whole chickens that we smoke and fresh vegetables every day. Today we have fresh mashed potatoes, collard greens, steamed rice and ochre.

"And these types of things are available every day," she said. "A lot of people know us for our vegetables."

"You'd think we were overrun with sausage stands by reading this," Hilarie Grey, a spokeswoman for McCarran, said. "But if you read the whole summary, it actually points out some of the good things about the airport."

Grey said several food outlets at the airport offer salads, turkey burgers and turkey sausages.

"We have a pretty good variety of healthy food available," Grey said.

She added that airport officials survey passengers to determine what kinds of food outlets they want.

The 24 Hour Fitness Center that operates at McCarran is available to club members and that non-members can pay a day rate and use the facility, she said. Only McCarran and O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, the nation's second-busiest airport, offer fitness centers for passengers among the 10 busiest.