Meals in a pinch: Choices that certainly are better than a bacon cheeseburger and fries

Finding decent food is often a problem while traveling. We all know how pathetic the choices can be in some airports. In terminals like Minneapolis where you do have good options, time between flights can be your enemy. Plus, not everyone can or wants to spend $15 or $20 for a decent airport meal.

I found myself with a similar problem at a hotel recently. I hit the gym before a meeting and then jumped onto email figuring there would be time to grab a plate of food from the typical pre-meeting Continental breakfast. Budget cutbacks quickly set me straight. No food. My option was coffee or tea. It's at such times that nutrition bars can really save your bacon, so to speak.

The selection shown here range in calories form 170 to 240 with anywhere between 8 and 13 grams of protein. The vitamin complement was pretty good on every one of them. The list of ingredients was a little longer and more complex than one might like. Regardless, I've done worse in a pitch when it comes to a meal. I'll bet you have, too.

I picked up all of these at a Hy-Vee pharmacy near the Des Moines airport for a little over $6. (Yes, it was a heck of a sale.) I usually keep a couple bars in my briefcase when heading out on a trip. Not only are they better than nothing. They're better than so many other things one might eat.