Even though correct nutrition info is easily accessed nowadays by nearly anybody with an internet connection or library card, the 21st century remains to be stuck with one of the many issues of the previous one: poor eating habits. A single source or any kind of nutrition misinformation cannot be pinned as the only reason for this nationwide dietary problem. Nor can it be mentioned that a lack of interest or effort on the part of health-conscious Americans is to blame. Truth be told, there are more health-conscious individuals in America now than ever before. The problem of poor eating habits is not a strategic, idealistic, or tactical one it’s a logistical dilemma. Americans of all ages live such busy, fast-paced lifestyles, that eating nutritious meals is seen as something of a luxury to be enjoyed on special occasions or when one rarely has a few hours to prepare an entire meal. Seldom is this healthy eating challenge more pressing, however, than for the typical business traveler[i]. The second biggest source for unhealthy food in the life of a typical business traveler begins at the airport. Most of these terminals are only capable of offer fast foods or snack foods that are loaded with carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, and calories. Yet if the airport or train station is the second largest source of unhealthy eating, then what is the first? Without doubt, it is on the airplane itself. In the past, the criticism levied against airline food was its sheer tastelessness and lack of variety. Yet as the general consciousness of nutrition and lack of nutrition in some food sources has grown over the past decade, a related distress has grown over the nutritionally flawed food that almost all business travelers are subjected to while en route. Indeed, based on a study by the American weight-loss program organization Nutricise[ii], the average meal served by airlines in all service classes tops 1000 calories. This equates to more than half of the daily caloric requirement of an average person, and yet it’s only found in a single meal. Yet this problem goes beyond calorie counting. An estimated 45% of the approximately 1000 calories noted in airline meals are contributed by fat, which is about 15% more than the allowable level since the contribution of fat to the daily caloric level should only be set at a maximum of 30% based on most experts[iii]. In response to this challenge, some airways are offering more consuming options for business travelers, including vegetarian and vegan meals that are sometimes (though not all the time) lower in saturated fat, calories, and sodium. Unfortunately, in a 2003 study performed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), only 1 out of the 10 airlines they surveyed had available wholesome eating options. To their credit, 3 out of the 10 airways surveyed actually had some healthy eating options to offer, although you would need to coordinate and plan ahead – which is something that is not usually possible for busy business travelers. And the last 6 of the 10 airlines surveyed have been largely criticized for offering only a token or even not offering at all, any vegetarian in-flight eating options (that are low in fat, sodium, and calories). On top of this, business travelers are confronted with yet another eating problem that those not in the air aren’t forced to address. Whereas most individuals on the ground can physically leave a restaurant or intentionally select to buy food that conforms to a wholesome eating regimen, those in the air are sometimes forced to accept what they’re given. Business travelers usually lack the time as they are continuously moving everywhere to go from meetings to airports, or vice versa. Therefore, the choice to eat the high-fat, high-calorie, high-sodium, and altogether unbalanced airline meal is often better than the alternative of not eating at all. While some consciousness is creeping into the world of business traveler nutrition, thanks partly to the work of the PCRM and others, this awareness isn’t spreading rapidly enough. In the U.S. alone, business travel adds to over 200 million individual-trips per year[v], which implies that many unhealthy meals are awaiting most of these business travelers who actually need more nutritious food. The attempts to reply to this immense business traveler need which includes revised menus by some airlines, have been halfhearted at best. There have also been a number of nutritional supplement choices, usually in fluid or bar form, that have proposed to help fill this business traveler’s nutritional gap. Sadly, like many of the modified airline menus, the majority of these supplements are still unable to supply the high-protein, low-calorie, low-carbohydrate nutrition that travelers need. Furthermore, the handful of products that have in some sense met these protein, calorie, and carbohydrate requirements are normally devoid of important nutrients. There have been, nevertheless, a number of products which might be nutritionally smart and are generating a lot of good comments from travelers at the same time, when it comes to its nutritional content and for its durable and portable containers that are great for traveling as they can take enormous amounts of punishment from the bag handlers. Furthermore, since these products are liquid, they can be ingested easily without having to be diluted, blended, or taken with large quantities of water or other fluids. Taken as either a supplement or a meal on its own, these intelligent and scientifically validated dietary products which provide a complete spectrum of important nutritional vitamins, help business travelers keep healthy in ways that fit into their busy, time-conscious lives.
About Protica
Founded in 2001, Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of Capsulized Foods®. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey {liquid protein|protein liquid|protein supplements|protein shots|protein bullets|protein drinks} for {bariatric|weight loss surgery|bariatric surgery|dialysis|renal care|diabetic|cancer|immunodeficiency} patients.
You can learn more about Protica at www.protica.com
Copyright – Protica Research – http://www.protica.com/terms.htm
↑ Back to Top