Holiday travel tends to mean packed airports, lots of hassles, frayed nerves, and often a lack of healthy food to eat — with about 38 million Americans taking to skies for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, according to airline statistics.

“Traveling has always been incredibly stressful, and whether you’re in the airport or on a plane, your choices are very limited. You want to give yourself the best opportunity to eat well, but you’re already at a disadvantage, and I think our worst times come when we try to wing it,” says Charles Platkin, a professor of nutrition and distinguished lecturer at the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College.

But it doesn’t have to be so. In fact, some airlines and airports provide healthy meal options, Platkin notes.

For the past 14 years, he has conducted a national survey to identify the airlines with the best – and the worst – food.  But he’s not the only one trying to help air travelers eat better; a physician’s group also conducts an annual survey of food offered at airports to try and provide guidance as travelers rush to catch their flights.

For his survey, Platkin looked at the nutritional content that airlines provide their economy class passengers, and found that Virgin America “is still the clear leader” when it comes to serving healthy meals. JetBlue and Delta Air Lines tied for second place.

Platkin awarded Virgin America 4 ½ stars out of 5 for the airline’s meals and gave JetBlue and Delta four stars each. But that’s for meals, not onboard snacks.

“All the airlines could do better with their snack choices – there is no clear leader,” he said.

Earning “Shame on You” awards among the 12 airlines surveyed were Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Hawaii Airlines — all of which garnered just 1.5 stars or less. Frontier Airlines came in last, earning only one star.

But if you think you can always compensate for airline food buy purchasing healthy food at the airport, think again. Although airport food is getting healthier, it’s uneven, according to a new survey by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which ranked 30 of the nation’s busiest airports this year for its annual airport food review.

The organization, which touts plant-based eating as the healthiest choice, says that the number of airports offering at least one high-fiber, plant-based vegan meal option, is up 25 percent over the past 14 years.

According to the survey, Los Angeles International Airport ranked first, with 90 percent of its eateries offering such an option. Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport placed last, with 56 percent, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport was second to last, with 57 percent.

Several of the nation’s busiest airports earned above-average grades, including Denver International Airport (80 percent), New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (76 percent), Boston’s Logan International Airport (75 percent), and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (62 percent).

If you’re traveling this week, here some dining tips from Platkin to keep in mind — whether you’re in an airport or in the air:

• Before you head to the airport, eat a satisfying meal, even if you have to stop at a restaurant along the way.
• Plan ahead. Look up restaurants that are at the airport in advance. Many airports post their food vendors online. If you’re already en route, it’s not too late. Use the Google app on your smartphone. You can do a lot of research before you get to the airport (providing you’re not driving) or when you first arrive.
• Be realistic about the time you’ll spend traveling. A two-hour flight can easily turn into four, five or even six hours, given all the delays that often occur around the holidays. Plan your food intake accordingly.
• Buy a bottle of water after the security checkpoint to take onboard. It will keep you feeling fuller and combat dehydration, which can cause or exacerbate hunger, jet lag, and fatigue.
• Pack single-serving packages of cereal, whole-wheat crackers, or other low-calorie snacks to take aboard a flight.
• Take along fruits such as apples and oranges that can withstand some rough treatment. Grapes or almost any other fruit can be carried in a plastic container.
• Although energy bars tend to be high in calories and fat, they are generally better than a slice of pizza or a candy bar at the airport.
• Make sandwiches ahead of time and pre-cut them into portion-controlled sections so you can pull them out at different times during the trip. Chicken, turkey, cold cuts, and cheese (on 100 percent whole-wheat bread) are all great options.
• Bring peel-and-eat tuna and salmon cups to eat at the airport, or aboard the flight, for a quick protein boost.
• Nuts are a good source of protein, and help fend off hunger. Portion them ahead of time into one-ounce bags (about 160 calories each).
• Dried fruit and vegetable snacks also good choices.  Eat dried fruit in moderation: it's high in calories.  All Natural Fruit Roll-Ups have no added sugar.
• Beef jerky is a good choice for people who prefer to eat low-carb and are not concerned about sodium.