Flying on a Japan Airlines (Oneworld) flight from Boston Logan International Airport Terminal meant there were not many lounge options for me to access except the British Airways Lounge Boston. This is because Boston is not a hub for any Oneworld airlines (in this case American Airlines) and so the American Airlines lounge that is at Boston was actually in a different terminal. Not that I minded too much – I am always happy to visit a British Airways Lounge and was very interested to see what foods would be available. While there was a buffet which was being changed over from breakfast foods to all-day dining when I arrived (approx. 11am) the QR code dining was not available nor was the dining room for A La Carte dining.
What’s Healthy?
- There were a range of salad ingredients available and a Caesar salad. While Casaer salads can get a bad rap for being be high in calories (mainly due to the dressing), this doesn’t necessarily mean they are not nutritious. Dressings can enhance a dish by elevating the flavour profile – making it delicious dishes that are appealing and that you are more likely to want to eat. This Caesar salad did not have bacon which means it is not a source of processed meat, therefore reducing salt content. There was a bowl of boiled eggs also on the buffet for people who enjoy egg with their Caesar salad. The bowl of mixed greens is also a great opportunity to add more folate (vitamin B9) to your meal as you can add some to the Caesar salad and let the flavour from the dressing mix onto the other green salad leaves. Interestingly this salad was labelled as a Mexican Caesar salad on the sign on the buffet and the sign mentioned it was supposed to come with pepitas. I did not see any pepitas in this salad and there was nothing really Mexican about it. This was one of a few discrepancies I noticed between the signs on the buffet and the food itself in the British Airways Lounge Boston.
- There were a range of fresh salad ingredients that could be added to the mixed green salad leaves or the Caesar salad. Kimichi was a surprise addition to the buffet which was fabulous to see. Kimchi is a fermented food which typically consists of fermented cabbage with a range of seasonings such as chilli, ginger, garlic, and salt. Kimchi may contain live bacteria and be considered to have a probiotic effect if it hasn’t been heat treated.
- Fresh fruit was available in bowls on top of the buffet.
- Jars of nuts were available on the benches above the fridges offering beverages. While nuts are very nutritious they are dangerous for people who have nut allergies, especially when flying. If you choose to eat nuts ensure you do not spill them in the lounge, don’t take them on the plane and wash your hands with soap after touching them – these strategies will help those with nut allergies to fly more safely.
- Tofu curry was one of the hot dishes on offer. Tofu is quite nutritious being a good source of plant protein, calcium and manganese. It also contains a range of other vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin A, copper, selenium and zinc just to name a few.
- Now these were great wraps – just look at all those salad vegetables and only a thin layer of wrap. it is not often you seen wraps bursting with filings – usually they only have a little filling and layers of wrap. These wraps had hummus with roasted summer vegetables including squash, spinach, mint and sun-dried tomatoes. While they look great from a nutrition perspective unfortunately the squash made the filling a bit watery which made the wraps quite soggy.
- Slices of cheddar cheese were available with a range of different types of crackers. Hard cheeses like cheddar cheese have low levels of lactose and so can be a good option for people who are lactose intolerant. This is especially important before getting on a flight – you don’t want to eat foods that will contribute to bloating before sitting on a plane for hours.
- Look at these lovely brightly coloured carrots, served with a brown sugar miso glaze. While you may be thinking well they are covered in sugar so that must make them not healthy. Indeed while adding hidden sugar to many ultra-processed food products is not considered good for health, and the WHO suggests we need to limit added sugars in the diet, a small amount of sugar to enhance a freshly cooked vegetable dish can be helpful if it makes eating the carrots enjoyable.
- Tomato soup was also available with crouton, pesto and parmesan cheese available to go with it.
Not so great. Caution.
- There was a dish of sausages on the buffet when I arrived but these swiftly disappeared and did not return so I assume these were leftover from breakfast.
- The dumplings were delicious – I was not sure of the flavour as there was no sign but they had meat and corn in them from what I could tell when I took a bite. Dumplings can be hard to place in terms of whether they are nutritious or not as they can be easy to overeat and it can be hard to tell what is in the filling. However overall they don’t really contain much of a vegetable filling and can be high in refined carbohydrates if there isn’t much filling inside. If you like dumplings try 1-2 as a side on your plate – don’t have a whole plateful.
- Mini croissants and finger sandwiches were also on offer alongside the wraps. And while I admit croissants can taste delicious they do not make nutritious sandwiches. Croissants are made with layers of pastry and butter (that’s what makes them taste great) and so if you are looking for a nutritious sandwich they don’t really form the basis of one. These croissants had a coronation chicken filling (creamy curry chicken flavour) and rocket (arugula). Unfortunately they weren’t very nice as the croissants were served cold and tasted quite bland. The coronation chicken filling was tasty.
- The mystery chicken dish… the sign said teriyaki chicken however this did not taste like teriyaki chicken. It tasted more like a curry, (and looked more like a curry to me), was spicy and had chicken and potatoes.
- The noodles were very bland tasting and did not have anything else in them – they were just noodles.
- There were sweet treats available with muffins and pastries available on the buffet and then Oreos and biscotti available near tea making facilities in another area of the lounge.
Final words on British Airways Lounge Boston food
A fairly decent buffet here in the British Airways Lounge Boston Logon to enjoy before a lunchtime flight, however it is was disappointing that the QR menu and the dining room was not open. There seemed to also be some menu discrepancies with the chicken dish not matching up to the name of the dish, and there were no egg rolls on the buffet as were listed on the sign. So was the British Airways Lounge Boston food any good? I found the lounge comfortable with a fairly standard lounge food offering. I liked there were fresh and nutritious foods and I could make a fairly balanced meal. However it was disappointing to not have the lounge fully up and running for the morning and midday flights – I felt like it was just basic offering. There was no wow factor for the buffet foods. It would be nice to see the lounge running at ‘full capacity’ to see if the food options shine. The discrepancies between the menus on the buffet and some of the food dishes was also slightly concerning, especially for people with food allergies and intolerances. Another reminder for people with dietary requirements to always check with staff if you have any concerns or you aren’t quite sure about certain foods.
NOTE: All pictures of the British Airways Lounge Boston are my own and I review the food from the foods available at the time I visited the lounge. There may be different options available at other times.
For more reviews of British Airways Lounges please see my reviews for British Airways First Lounge T3 London Heathrow and British Airways First Lounge T5 London Heathrow.
