Kwik Trip to Offer Healthier Food Choices

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Convenience store chain Kwik Trip is expanding its better-for-you selections as a new member of Gundersen Lutheran Health System's 500 Club, the La Crosse Tribune reported.

In the past, Kwik Trip's healthier food options had often been difficult to find, said Jennifer Wood, a Gundersen Lutheran registered dietitian and 500 Club coordinator. With the 500 Club designation, "the foods are clearly displayed and easy to find" now, she said.

A side salad and apple bites have been combined with pizza for a 500 Club meal. Skim milk, apple bites or soup, and a five-inch sub make another 500 Club meal, Wood said. These 500 Club choices -- which are about 500 calories or less -- will be offered in 21 stores in La Crosse County.

Kwik Trip has added more healthy items to its fresh case, hot spot and bake shoppe areas as well. For instance, the stores offer nine different fruit selections, according to the report.

"Kwik Trip is trying to overcome a bad rap that it only offers junk food and adds to the obesity problems," Wood told the newspaper.