City of London’s airport eatery Panopolis attempts to make travel less stressful

London City Airport eatery Panopolis attempts to make travel less stressful.

stressed airport businessman iStock_000011536471Small (2)Panopolis, a London City Airport eatery, has introduced a new concept in eating for the busy, stressed business executive.   Those travelling on business can now choose from six ‘take on board’ takeaway meals, available on the airside (post-security) when ordered land side (pre-security).

This is great news for the busy business executives who want greater choice when flying, particularly from the food served during the flight (if at all!).  Although, not so great for the business travellers who need to choose wisely by selecting healthier options.

Business travel is one of the seven major sources of pressure for the busy working professional.  Being on the move significantly interrupts work and lifestyle routines as well as inevitably changing nutritional needs.  In the travelling mode, a business person may experience reduced access to healthy options and food that they are familiar with.  This means that they are less familiar with the nutritional profile and how it fits their overall daily intake. The option to take something on the flight provides flexibility and support to a busy schedule.

However, frequent business trips are also associated with higher body mass index, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and glucose.  So it’s also important to choose wisely as well as conveniently.  Panopolis offer reusable, insulated picnic bags which include breakfast, vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus.  Unfortunately, most appear to be on the high in sodium side (which is linked to hypertension), fat and calories (which contribute to the risk of being overweight), as they comprise mainly sandwiches, crisps, little if any vegetable, one fruit and a drink of water.

For a lower sodium, fat and calorie option you could choose from a number of other items available at Panopolis.  But you will still have to ask if you can use the ‘take on board’ takeaway option i.e. the picnic bag and collection on airside.

greek salad iStock_000011483494Small (2)Examples include prepared salads (seafood & egg, chicken Chasseur, and Greek salad), fruit or fruit salad, smoothies and baked potatoes (although I’m not entirely sure if this can be included in the ‘take on board’ options).  Fruit salads are quite expensive in comparison to individual fruit. The latter being more fulfilling as it has a higher fibre and satiety value.

Although water is included in the ‘take on board’ picnic pack, you could always ask to include a smoothie as well as or replacement of another item if you prefer.  Don’t forget, you can’t take 500 ml fluid through security, so the prepared ‘take on board’ option gets nicely around having to purchase water on the other side once you get through security.  This is important when flying as the air inside most planes is thinner and drier than the Sahara desert, consequently, you will expel more water than usual and require fluid replacement to keep optimally hydrated.  Dehydration is a serious air travel hazard as it makes your blood more concentrate (‘thicker’) increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis.  This is another reason why you need to watch the sodium content in your food choices as your kidneys will be working hard to get rid of the excess sodium in your body to maintain a balance in the concentration of electrolytes within.

Lastly, if you want to reduce the sodium content of the picnic bag further, ask to replace the crisps with yoghurt or even a roll to accompany the salad, avoiding the high fat and additional high sodium filling such as bacon.

Don’t forget, you can also ring Panopolis in advance on 020 7646 0423 and make enquiries about picnic bag before you even get to the airport.

© 2014 Extravitality

Kathy Lewis, R.Nutr, BCApSc, MSc, MBA,
Author: Kathy Lewis, R.Nutr, BCApSc, MSc, MBA,
Kathy Lewis, Consultancy Director, enjoys a multidisciplinary career based on a portfolio of achievement.  Kathy is a Management Consultant for Executive Travel Wellbeing and Stress, Health Promotion Specialist, Consultant Nutritionist (Registered Nutritionist and World Public Health Nutritionist) and a Chartered Marketer with over 25 years of experience.   Her specialist areas include executive stress and wellbeing (including jet-lag and travel wellness),  travel nutrition, travel policies, corporate vitality, employee engagement, marketing and internal communications. Kathy holds several relevant degrees, Masters in Applied Psychology (MSc) with distinction for her research in Executive stress and maladaptive coping behaviours looking specifically at clinical work-based stress and the impact on healthy lifestyles, Masters in Business Administration (MBA), with distinctions achieved in Management Accounts, Statistics and Project Management, completed with a research-based dissertation in the marketing of healthy options in catering establishments, and a Bachelor degree in Nutrition and Food Science.Over the last 25 years, Kathy has worked as a consultant and advised in various industries, from travel, health and food to financial services and telecommunications, on nutrition, executive wellbeing, workplace health, change management, internal communications and employee engagement. She has worked with a variety of clients across local government, NHS, educational institutes, NGO’s, national and multinational companies. As a Management Consultant (post-MBA) Kathy was required to travel to several locations each week and in 2002 began her masters in Applied Psychology (& Health Promotion) as a result of observing the stress in senior managers.  She was awarded a distinction for both her research on work-related stress and maladaptive behaviours and her course work.  Prior to this, Kathy spent many years working with catering establishments to provide healthy options, and prior to this working in diet and fitness centres, following her degree in Human Nutrition and Food Science in 1989.   Combining all areas of experience and expertise was the obvious way forward, and subsequently founded the concept of business travel vitality and wellbeing. Kathy is a former Consulting Editor for Readers Digest Association Inc (USA) and Readers’ Digest UK (Vivat), as well as the former founding Non-Executive Editor for the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Food, Drink and Agriculture group. As an author, she has written a number of publications and a variety of articles in consumer publications and professional journals, with guest media appearances on a number of radio shows, including the BBC, London and regional radio.  She enjoys public speaking on a range of topics and is a regular speaker at professional events. Kathy is also the Vice Chair of The Caroline Walker Trust, Founder of the International Forum for Health Promotion and Education, a board advisor for the Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy, the Vice-Chair/former Chair for the Financial Services Board at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, former Trustee/Non-Executive Director for the Association of MBA’s (where she chaired the Governance Committee and was a member of the HR Committee and Strategic Working Party), former Honorary Secretary for the Institute of Health Promotion and Education, a founding Council Member of the Association for Nutrition. Kathy was also a committee member for the Food, Drink and Agriculture group at the Chartered Insitute of Marketing and a current Non-Executive Director at NZ Engineering. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Association of MBAs, Institute for Travel Management, Association for Woman Travel Executives, Nutrition Society, SENSE, World Public Health Nutrition Association, Association for Nutrition (UK) and International Travel Writers Alliance.  She is a former member of the Institute Institute of Directors, Royal Society of Arts and Institute of Health Promotion and Education.

3 thoughts on “City of London’s airport eatery Panopolis attempts to make travel less stressful

  1. As a general rule, retail stores such as Boots, M&S Simply Foods and WHSmith do offer lower priced bottles of water than eateries. That said, this article was about relieving the stress when travelling by choosing healthier food options which can be collected on the other side. As you can’t pass through security with water, it might be easier to purchase your water once you get through security than purchasing it at Pret A Manger or Panopolis and just order your food to pick up on airside.

  2. Panopolis is ridiculously expensive. £2.25 for a bottle of Buxton Water and stale bread baguettes at £6. Err no thanks.
    Advice go to the pret downstairs. You can get a water normally priced in the two WHSmiths.

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