When military officials talk about getting troops and their families to eat healthier food, one thing immediately comes to mind: the kind of food offered on base.
It can seem like a double standard, really. On the one hand they require troops to meet weight and measurement requirements. And they really want spouses and families to be healthy. On the other hand, behold! KFC! Burger King! Baskin Robbins!
Military health officials have noticed that as well. Now they are saying that as part of a healthy base program they want to change what kind of restaurants are on base, add healthier options to vending machines and make current restaurants do a better job labeling the nutritional value of what they sell.
Read the news story about it here.
The other thing they want? To hear from you on what kind of restaurants you want. They said when they asked military families and troops what kind of food they want on base, they identified healthier options. And when they had the dining facility (DFAC ... we aren't sure what that actually stands for) switch from iceberg lettuce to a spinach mix, there was great rejoicing.
Now, we're pretty sure people were excited about the lettuce thing because iceberg in large quantities is nasty, not because it's the less nutrient dense option, but the point remains: healthier options aren't a bad thing. And while putting in place new contracts and new options on base will probably take the rest of our natural lives (because contracting = slow), but it's an exciting idea nonetheless.
So I want to know: what kind of restaurants do you want to see on base? My vote goes to Chipotle. Tell us in the comments! not
