Action Line 90302 – dining facility

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint: 

As an Airman on a meal card I've tried to eat at the Dining Facility to save money. I try to eat as healthy as possible but lately with the meal options provided to us I have found this to be very difficult. The healthiest options offered to us are salads, wraps and the stir fry grill. Eating salads and wraps can get boring and with all the extra vegetable oil they add to the eggs at breakfast time and grilled chicken during lunch and dinner you end up losing the "healthy" factor. Also, they have nutrition facts posted in front of the options but I don't feel that those are anywhere close to correct because everything is soaked in oil.

Is there any way we can get healthier options? Perhaps change from vegetable to olive oil? My last comment has to do with the fact that the chefs working at the grill become very rude when I ask for no oil to make the eggs in the morning or for my grilled chicken. They make a snappy comment then put oil on the grill anyway. I know I'm not the only Airman with this issue and I really hope we can get some help so we can continue to save money and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for your time.

Response: 

Thank you for writing concerning healthy choice options at the dining facility. We have good news! In response to your request, we will be using a product called Vegalene - it's a non-stick cooking spray which helps prevent food from sticking to pans and griddles during the cooking process. It is completely fat and calorie free. 

In addition to the great salads, wraps, and our ever popular stir fry, all our customers should know that at least one entrée on the main line is required to meet the healthier choice criteria per the Air Force worldwide 14-day menu. These items are indicated by the DOD nutrition logo in the upper left hand corner of the red color place card located directly in front of the item on the serving line. In order to be considered a healthier choice the menu item must have less than 15 grams of fat and less than 100 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. I'm confident that after careful review of the menu items being served each day, you'll be able to find a great variety of items that are considered healthy choices. We encourage all our customers to consider these items in order to develop healthier eating habits. 

Concerning customer service issues that you may encounter while ordering - our management team stands ready to assist. Contacting the supervisor on duty and/or calling 676-6016 with all pertinent details will allows management to address individual problems. Regardless, our cooks will be reminded that most of our customers are following healthier eating trends and they should minimize the use of cooking oils and sprays to the extent possible during preparation. Thanks for taking the time to write.