Table 3.

Key themes identified as barriers to healthy eating within Army food environments, stratified by soldier rank, as revealed by focus group discussions with active duty soldiers (n 366) at three US Army installations located in the continental USA, March–May 2014

Key themes	Platoon Leaders or Higher	Squad Members or Leaders
Proximity and density of fast-food outlets	High density of fast-food outlets Fast food is available but lacking nutritious options	Close proximity of fast food is convenient
Cost of nutritious foods	Healthy options cost too much Value satiety over nutrition	Healthy options cost too much Small portions are not cost-effective
Limited nutritious options available	DFAC have poor food quality	DFAC have small portion sizes Lack of healthy vending options
Time constraints	Short lunch period Long lines at DFAC	Limited time for meal preparation

DFAC, dining facility.