Healthy Airplane Food: DietDetective.com Annual Airline Snacking and Onboard Food Survey with Health Ratings for 2007

American Airlines

(817-963-1234, www.aa.com)

Cooperation in Providing Nutritional Information: Helpful

Health Score: (**1/2) No more snack boxes. The individually packaged snacks are oversized and have mega calories. These snacks should be for a family of four, not one person. They really are a disaster, but the real meals American offers for flights over three hours aren't bad.

Best Bet: If an actual meal is not offered, go for the nut blend. The other choices don't offer much nutrition, and they're just too high in calories. For breakfast (three hours or more), go for the Breakfast Club, skip the mayo, and have only one slice of the croissant. Avoid the bagel; it's typically higher in calories. For lunch (three hours or more) there are three choices: the Italian Wrap, Turkey and Cheese Ciabatta, and the Asian Chicken Wrap. The best of the bunch is the Asian Chicken Wrap -- it has healthy almonds and chestnuts, but it also has 1.5 ounces of cream cheese, which makes it higher in calories than I would like.

Exercise Equivalents: (Amount of walking to burn off the calories) Listed individually below.

Cost: $3 per individual snacks, $5 per sandwich

• Great Nut Supply Co. Nut Blend (4 ounces, 496 calories, 129 minutes)
• Mega Bite Cookie (4 ounces, 440 calories, 114 minutes)
• Lay's Stax Potato Crisps (5.75 ounces, 900 calories, 234 minutes)
• 3 Musketeers (3.28 ounces, 400 calories, 104 minutes)