Fort Bragg chefs team up with pros to create healthier fare

[Pete]

Fort Bragg chefs team up with pros to create healthier fare

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2013...9?sac=fo.local

"A healthier menu is in the process of being implemented at Fort Bragg during this week's Healthy Base Initiative.

The Healthy Base Initiative is an effort by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Fort Bragg Community Health Promotion Office to bring about a "smarter program," where "soldiers eat better, shop better and order food better," said Brian Wansink, the director of Cornell Food and Brand lab.

Today, three teams of cooks took part in a competition to create new dishes to introduce to soldiers. The competition was held in hopes of finding a dish that would be healthy and popular with young soldiers......."

I always liked "Tray, layer of fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, big ladle of creamed beef and topped with hot sauce - toast and bacon on the side with two big glasses of milk."

[69harley]

I cant help but wonder who the target audience for these meals that were being 'introduced' to Ft. Bragg Soldiers.

I mean, the meals were shown at Irwin Middle School and the tours of the commisary are scheduled for Thurday? WTF

If whoever was serious about this the meals would have been served in the mess halls that feed large concentrations of troops, like one of the infantry brigade messhalls in the division area.

The tours on Thursday might be great for the wives of field grade officers, but the bulk of enlisted soldiers and their spouses are at work on Thursday.

[The Reaper]

I eat in the DFAC occasionally, and the low fat, "healthy" food on the line is not what the soldiers are eating.

TR

[mark46th]

Let's see I'll not have the eggwhite omelet, steamed quinoa with the mint leaf plate decoration. BUT- I will have the SOS with a double side of bacon...

[Toaster]

Originally Posted by 69harley

I cant help but wonder who the target audience for these meals that were being 'introduced' to Ft. Bragg Soldiers.

I mean, the meals were shown at Irwin Middle School and the tours of the commisary are scheduled for Thurday? WTF

If whoever was serious about this the meals would have been served in the mess halls that feed large concentrations of troops, like one of the infantry brigade messhalls in the division area.

The tours on Thursday might be great for the wives of field grade officers, but the bulk of enlisted soldiers and their spouses are at work on Thursday.

I don't really think that the people at the echelon scheduling understand the concept of "target audience" and that people have schedules that do not place said schedulers in the highest priorities.

Chow halls are pretty dicked up in the servings of food. You can get all the waffles, cakes, and fatty foods you could ever want, but if you want more than three or four hardboiled eggs for breakfast, or an extra meat, well you're SOL.

[plato]

As you hook that static line to the C-130, or rush to a firefight, there's nothing as satisfying as knowing you ate your veggies.

[Team Sergeant]

I did a week of pure "vegetarian" food at culinary college and it sucked. I don't need to eat tofu twice to know I hate it.

Attempting to teach army "cooks" to actually cook should be the first part of the mission. They receive 8 weeks of cook training and most of that is probably spent on food safety.

This falls into the category "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish........."

[Richard]

This falls into the category "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish........."

...and he'll go sit in a boat all day and drink beer.

[The Reaper]

Almost all cooking in a DFAC is done by contractors.

The Army does not have enough cooks to do it with uniformed personnel alone.

This was done during a previous draw-down to save manpower and money.

They have recently closed all but a few Dining Facilities. If you were a soldier on Bragg without a car trying to find a meal at night, or on a weekend, or a holiday you would have a hard time finding one open and serving.

Look for more of the same, as budgets continue to be cut.

TR

[mojaveman]

Originally Posted by Pete

I always liked "Tray, layer of fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, big ladle of creamed beef and topped with hot sauce - toast and bacon on the side with two big glasses of milk."

And a small bowl of grits with butter and sugar.

I remember that the dining facility that was behind the JFKSWC was the best one on Bragg.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by mojaveman

.....I remember that the dining facility that was behind JFKSWC was the best one on Bragg.

When they remodeled the Smoke Bomb Hill Barracks around 1976 they moved all the 5th and 7th Group Barracks Rats over to the wood buildings in the COSCOM area.

We were next to the MPs. The 5th and 7th Gps ran a consolidated Mess Hall at the end of our street. The MPs had their own. The SF & MP Mess Halls were open on alternating weekends.

Our cooks ran a much better Mess Hall.

When 5th Group moved over to the Old Division Area in 1983 we again had our own Mess Hall down by the Parade Field. Again they had very good food.

When we were out at Ft Huachuca with a Bn from 7th Gp during the Falklands dust up and they ran an excellent Mess Hall.

Overall I'll give the SF Cooks a big thumbs up.

[69harley]

I concur with SF having very good cooks. While never asigned to any of the groups, my company (A-1/508th PIR) was on Rio Hato maybe a month after the invasion. 7th Group had a pretty nice mess area set up right on the beach. That was probably the best army food I ever had in my twenty years of service.

[mark46th]

I always ended up at the Thai mess hall back in the day. Loved the fried rice...

[Richard]

I used to eat over at the 4th POG's mess hall with Ernie Tabata - it was a lot like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXHGU...&feature=share

Richard

[Gypsy]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Attempting to teach army "cooks" to actually cook should be the first part of the mission.

Sounds like a good gig for a Team Sergeant.