PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - Not only will service members benefit from the healthy changes, but Presidio of Monterey civilians have a healthier venue for their dining as well, as civilian employees are also among the regular lunch and dinner custo...
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - An extensive phase-in of healthy changes in menus and food preparation is well under way at Presidio of Monterey dining facilities, according to the Presidio Food Service manager.
Ernest Meadows said this is because the aim of the dining facilities here is to serve meals that are consistent with the Army's newest guidelines on nutrition.
The Food Service oversees the Presidio's Belas Dining Facility, Combs Dining Facility and the Combs Dining Facility Kiosk. The menu changes will affect each of them.
"At each of our dining facilities, including the kiosk, we're doing away with deep-fried foods in favor of baked, grilled and roasted," Meadows said, in listing some of the changes diners can expect. "We're doing away with white breadstuffs and pasta in favor of whole grain and whole wheat. We're doing away with white rice in favor of brown. We're doing away with whole milk in favor of reduced fat milk, skimmed milk and soy milk. We're doing away with sugar-sweetened sodas in favor of calcium-enriched fruit juices and teas. We're doing away with ice cream in favor of frozen yogurt, and we're doing away with sugary desserts in favor of fruit, yogurt parfaits and sugar-free baked goods."
Service members who comprise the Presidio's permanent party and the approximately 3,000 students enrolled in the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center are the dining facilities' customer base. On weekdays the Belas facility is made available to members of the Presidio's civilian workforce who opt to purchase lunches or dinners for payment of $4.25 per meal. The kiosk, which offers short-order menus at breakfast, lunch and dinner hours, is also available to Presidio civilians.
Meadows said the Army's "Go for Green" nutrition guidelines are the basis for menu changes.
The initiative calls upon Soldiers to think of themselves as "Soldier athletes" and to "eat like an athlete, train like a pro and perform like a champion." It is a collaborative effort by the Army's Joint Culinary Center of Excellence of the Army Quartermaster Center and School of Fort Lee, Va.; the Army's Medical Command of Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and the Army's Training and Doctrine Command of Fort Monroe, Va.
Go for Green guidelines classify foods in a "Green" category ("nutrient dense -- choose frequently"), "Yellow" category ("higher in calories, lower in vitamins and minerals -- choose less frequently") and "Red" category ("highest in calories, lowest in vitamins and minerals -- limit intake").
In devising the Presidio's new menus Meadows works with Michelle Goldberg, installation nutritionist on the staff of the Presidio's Wellness Center, a division of the California Medical Detachment. Besides food choices, the two are giving a lot of thought to recipes and cooking methods.
"Our dining facilities won't cook with saturated fats or trans-fat cooking oils," Meadows said. "Instead, we'll make use of canola spray and other healthier choices. We'll use butter instead of margarine."
Although ingredients and preparation methods are changing, Meadows said the food service is still in the business of satisfying appetites and serving attractive meals in an attractive setting.
"It's up to the Food Service to come up with ways to make chicken cooked in an oven as tasty and palatable to Soldiers as chicken cooked in a deep-fryer," he said, by way of example.
Besides launching Go for Green, the Army has developed and implemented the Soldier Fueling Initiative in dining facilities at installations where initial military training and advanced individual training are conducted. For many recruits, the initiative is an introduction to healthy food choices and Army officials have expressed hope that its influence will grow Army-wide.
Meadows said the Army is not alone in revamping menus and encouraging service members to make healthy food choices.
"All of the military services are looking a ways to serve healthier meals at their dining facilities," he said.
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