HAWC invades commissary Published March 24, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Rachel Martinez 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. -- A group of approximately 20 Airmen and civilians met with representatives from the 319th Air Refueling Wing Health and Wellness Center at the base commissary March 23, for an informative tour about the commissary in honor of National Nutrition Month. The tour was held to teach the participants what to look for and how to shop for healthy selections in the commissary. "What we really want to focus on is choosing healthier foods to make our bodies better," said Jennifer Haugen, the installation health and wellness dietician. The tour encompassed the entire commissary with stops at the produce section, the deli, the meat section and the frozen food aisles to name a few. At every stop, healthy options were pointed out to the participants. "Include mostly fruits and vegetables, proteins and low-fat dairy products to maintain a good, balanced diet," said Haugen. The tour group participants were informed that the commissary offers sampling of fruits if a person wanted to try something new before buying; simply ask a produce employee for a sample of the fruit. Haugen encourages people to try new and different foods because most people get into a rut eating the same kinds of food repeatedly. By eating a variety of food people can add more nutrients, vitamins and minerals to their diets that are normally not present. Besides concentrating on eating healthy foods, people should include some treats as well. However, treats should be kept to a moderate amount, added Haugen. Also, remember to resist fad diets as fad diets can result in a body not receiving the necessary nutrients, advised Haugen. "The tour was wonderful," said Danielle Minor, a tour participant. "Haugen walked around each aisle and showed us what to pick on each aisle, what was healthy, the best things to choose and how to read labels. It was very nice." For more information on nutrition, call the HAWC at (701) 747- 5546. Tips from the HAWC tour: -Shop around the perimeter of the store; this is where the healthiest selections are kept -Deli meat that is not pre-packaged is lower in sodium -Dark chocolate is good in moderation, as an antioxidant -Peanut butter is a good staple to have at home due to the amount of protein it contains -Olive oil is healthier than vegetable oil to cook with -To use less salad dressing but maintain the flavor put the salad dressing in a squeezable condiment bottle instead of the factory package -Instead of pasta or rice, try couscous to fulfill the grain requirement -When purchasing meat, look for the piece that has the least amount of marbling as these cuts are leaner and healthier -When trying a new spice look at the back label for recipes and uses -When buying canned fruit, look for 100 percent juice on the label as this means there is no extra sugar added and is healthier than fruit canned in syrup