AAFES Doing Its Part to Promote a Healthy 2015

DALLAS — The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is helping soldiers, airmen and their families have a healthy new year by offering a broad selection of good-for-you products and services through its new BE FIT program. This includes everything from low-calorie food court meals to workout gear.

"Soldiers and airmen must be mission-ready in body, mind and spirit," stated Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Sean Applegate, senior enlisted advisor of the Exchange. "The Exchange knows it's crucial to provide the tools necessary to sustain a healthy, active lifestyle."

Multiple healthy food choices are available at AAFES locations. For instance, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen launched Exchange-exclusive salads in December. Options include a blackened chicken entree salad with 300 calories, a smaller side salad with only 25 calories, as well as the 20-item Live Well menu.

2014 also saw the opening of Boston Market locations at Fort Bliss and Fort Meade. Boston Market's menu includes more than 100 different meal combinations totaling 550 calories or less.

In addition, AAFES customers can:

• Use Burger King's Build-a-Meal menu to reveal nutrition facts for various meal combinations and select a side salad or low-calorie menu items;
• Buy a sandwich at Subway, which is the first fast-food restaurant to earn the American Heart Association heart check for heart-healthy meals; and
• Take advantage of resolution-worthy initiatives at Pizza Hut and Taco Bell locations.

Other options include AAFES Express locations' Snack Avenue, which offers fresh salads, chilled fruit cups and oatmeal, and the Fresh Fruit program, which offers bananas, apples, oranges and more. Express locations also have a wide array of meal replacement options such as PowerBar, Clif Bar, Quest and Kind bars.

"Offering fresh, healthy snacks and meals in a convenient location helps soldiers and airmen make smart choices on the go," Applegate said. "The Express makes it easy to grab a healthy snack and go."