Fort Bragg Exchange promotes healthier living

By AAFES PAOFebruary 4, 2011

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - About 45 percent of adult Americans make one or more resolutions each year, with a healthier lifestyle dominating the top of the list. From Subways to shoppettes, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is making it easier to live up to goals specific to health and fitness.

Dining at Fort Bragg, for example, doesn't have to be a diet-buster as virtually every establishment now offers healthy dining options. Subway's Fresh Fit menu provides eight sandwiches with less than six grams of fat, baked chips and a diet beverage.

Burger King offers an online "Build-a-Meal" menu that reveals nutrition facts for various meal combinations. Burger King also allows diners to select a side salad instead of fries for the same price. In addition to Subway and Burger King, other options, including Taco Bell, offer a wide variety of resolution-worthy initiatives. Exchange restaurant nutrition information is available online at http://www.shopmyexchange.com/docs/nutrition.pdf.

The days of vending machines being a last ditch option for those monitoring what they eat are long gone thanks to the "Fit Pick" program. Created by the National Automatic Merchandising Association, "Fit Pick" educates Americans about the role of healthy snacks and the importance of a balanced diet and physical activity. "Fit Pick" guidelines call for vending machine snacks that are less than 35 percent calories from fat, 10 percent calories from saturated fat and 35 percent total weight from sugar. Fort Bragg Exchange vending machines include a minimum of a 15 percent product mix of "Fit Pick" items in all units.

While gassing up the car at any of the Fort Bragg shoppettes, drivers can also fuel up on fresh salads with less than 300 calories, chilled fruit cups and fresh fruit. The shoppettes also offer a wide array of meal replacement options such as PowerBars, Clif, Zone Perfect and Detour Bars, all available in assorted flavors.