Healthy Eating Options More Accessible to Military Community through the Exchange

DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is making it easier for service members and families to make healthy dining choices.

As part of its BE FIT 360 program, which focuses on holistic wellness, the Exchange offers fresh, healthy choices for meals and snacks at restaurants, Expresses and micro markets.

All of the Exchange’s 1,600 restaurants offer better-for-you options, and participating Exchange restaurants offer $2 off entrée salads every Wednesday. In 2022, the Exchange opened 40 new restaurants, 70% of which were BE-FIT-approved brands such as Bun-D, Qdoba and Subway.

Shoppers can find healthy snacks, including fresh fruit, trail mix, nuts, veggie chips, yogurt and more, at the Express.

For service members and civilians who may not be near an Exchange restaurant or Express on installation, there are a growing number of micro markets. These fully automated self-serve convenience stores offer fresh salads, sandwiches, fruits, vegetables and other meals and snacks that support a BE FIT lifestyle.

“The Exchange is all-in on supporting nutrition and wellness for the military communities we’re honored to serve,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “The Exchange continuing to expand BE FIT offerings so service members and families have more healthy eating options wherever they go.”

The Exchange’s commitment to providing nutritious options extends to vending machines around installations, with items such as baked chips, dried fruit, trail mix and other snacks that fulfill National Automatic Merchandising Association Fit Pick requirements. Such items contain fewer than 35% of calories from fat, fewer than 10% of calories from saturated fat and fewer than 35% total weight from sugar.

Warfighters and families can learn more about better-for-you options by visiting the Exchange’s BE FIT hub page at ShopMyExchange.com/BeFit, where they’ll find nutritional information for Exchange restaurants, menu guides and more.

Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 54^th-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $3.5 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http://www.shopmyexchange.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExchangePAO.

###

Media Notes:

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Marisa Conner at 214-312-5111 or [email protected].

Follow the Exchange:

• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/shopmyexchange
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/shopmyexchange
• Instagram: @shopmyexchange

Marisa Conner

Marisa is a PR executive and writer in the Public Affairs department at Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)

www.aafes.com