Dining facilities follow standardized menu plan to provide balanced diet for deployed troops

Courtesy Photo | Service members at the Camp Arifjan Zone 2 Dining Facility eat lunch, March 2.  

03.07.2007

Story by Maj. April Olsen 

40th Public Affairs Detachment

By Maj. April N. Olsen
40th Public Affairs Detachment commander

KUWAIT— It is not uncommon to see a disgruntled Soldier go through the line at the dining facility and make a selection out of frustration rather than consider the reasons behind the choice of main entrées.

"We're here to feed and not to fatten," said Chief Warrant Officer Paul Wentz, the Area Support Group-Kuwait food service advisor.

Third Army/U.S. Army Central dining facilities follow a Contingency Operations, or CONOPS, 21-day menu plan designed by the Army Center of Excellence, Subsistence.

The intent of the CONOPS menu is to establish a standardized menu for sustained deployments in contract-operated systems such as Kuwait.

Soldiers going through the serving line do not always realize the choices are designed to meet daily nutritional needs based on research and testing by ACES, Wentz said.

"The CONOPS menu is a baseline – what we have to provide," said Maj. Steven Carozza, director of logistics for Area Support Group-Kuwait.

Under the cyclic CONOPS menu there are three breakfast menus, four short-order menus with hot-and-cold entrees, and 42 main-meal options. Wentz said each of the 21 lunch and 21 dinner menus has two entrees, two starches and two hot vegetables, with salads and dessert. The self-serve selections offer a variety of beverages, breads, condiments and a daily salad bar.

Even with the available CONOPS choices, some people still get frustrated with the cyclic nature of the menu selection, Wentz said.

"We do have a lot of flexibility," Carozza said. "We take into account what actually works here and make recommendations."

ASG-KU holds food service management boards every two months, said Chief Warrant Officer Jacob Dingle, the USARCENT food advisor.

"The boards are an effective way of getting food service personnel in one location to update policies and menu changes that improve the quality of service to the troops," Dingle said. "The boards help us improve the way we operate daily."

The boards also allow food service representatives to give feedback to ACES and make recommendations for the CONOPS menu, he said.

"We have added hundreds of new items over the past three years, and we will continue to try to improve the quality we provide our diners," Dingle said.

A January food service survey conducted by the USARCENT G4 found that portion size was a top concern for many troops, said Master Sgt. Alfred Rose, theater food supervisor.

Wentz said his office has addressed portion control with food service personnel.

"The TCNs [third country nationals] pile on the food because they are trying to make American Soldiers happy," he said.

"Just because it's on your plate doesn't mean you have to eat it all."

Navy Lt. Joshua Harding, a dietician at Expeditionary Medical Facility-Kuwait, said Soldiers are responsible for maintaining their own health.

Harding's tips for maintaining a healthy diet include applying self control and paying attention to portion sizes and product packaging.

"Everyone is an adult here," Harding said.

While ACES determines the requirements for meals, it is up to the individual to have an understanding of how many calories they need daily, he said.

The average male requires about 2,000 calories per day, while females need about 1,600 calories per day.

Being aware of product packaging can also help Soldiers make smart choices.

"Look at the products. Don't assume something is one serving," Harding said.

Despite the regulated meals based on nutrient and caloric requirements and the options made available, maintaining a healthy diet while deployed is an individual responsibility, Wentz said.

"It's the Soldier going through the line making his own choices," Wentz said.

• Date Taken: 03.07.2007
• Date Posted: 03.07.2007 09:53
• Story ID: 9343