Best and Worst Airlines for Food

Taste aside, fliers have a whole new reason to skip airline food. According to research by Charles Platkin, Ph.D. M.P.H., (aka, the Diet Detective), the average order will set you back 360 calories (and that's including options that are labeled as snacks).

While that's a 22-calorie improvement from last year (huzzah!), the food you get really does depend on the airline you fly. Here are the best and worst airlines for your waistline:

THE BEST

Virgin America: The average meal or snack box is 360.75 calories, while individual snacks (think: nuts, chips, and pretzels) have an average of 270.63 calories. Bonus: The airline offers a Travel Light menu.

Air Canada: Meals and snack boxes contain an average of 296.90 calories, and the individual snacks clock in at 365. While the airline did debut Twizzlers and other sugary treats this year, passengers can also choose from celery and carrots (skip the ranch dip) and hummus with pretzels. 

MORE: "How Can I Stay On Track for Weight Loss While Traveling?"

THE WORST

Frontier: There are no meals here, but a snack box has enough calories to call it a meal—or more: 613.67. 

Southwest: The airline offers only a handful of snacks, like cookies and pretzels. And while they are all pretty low-cal, the small serving size has more to do with it than anything else. 

Allegiant: The average calorie count for meals and snack boxes is a whopping 500.40 and 366.36 respectively—yikes!

For more info, you can check out the full report at dietdetective.com.

Of course, calorie counts aren't the only thing that matter when you're choosing meals or snacks—but since most airlines aren't stocking anything close to health foods, they do become a major consideration.

Our advice? Bring a snack or meal, or pick up one of these diet-friendly airport snacks  before you board the plane.

MORE: Top 28 Best Healthy Snacks 

1. Prev:Weight Loss and Race
2. Next:How Can I Stay on Track for Weight Loss While Traveling?