Page 16 - gfs0817_Magazine

FOOD FOCUS: BREAKFAST

hours, according to Valen- Serving stations are increasingly
cia. “Sailors take advantage common in military dining facilities
of breakfast to fuel up and to increase meal variety, and Naval
Base San Diego’s Mercer Hall Galley
obtain energy prior to their uses them during breakfast, as well.
normal business of the day.”
Lunch is the galley’s busiest meal of the day.
Convenient grab-n-go breakfast options are becoming
more useful at Mercer Hall, and are rising as a share of
the menu items available to fuel sailors
for the day ahead. “We accommodate
different schedules and circumstances,”
he said. “It is just a matter of prior plan-
ning between tenant commands and
our staff.”
The standard breakfast menu assort-
ment in Mercer Hall features a variety of Red labels go on performance-limiting
entrées, including grilled minute steak, foods and beverages, which are con-
breakfast ham steak, bacon (pork/tur- sidered the least-effective fuel and
key), pork/turkey sausage patties, Texas should be eaten rarely.
hash (beef/turkey), Canadian bacon, A saltshaker graphic is a guide
corned beef hash, breakfast burrito (tur- to the sodium content in foods and
key/pork), minced beef and creamed beverages, and helps service mem-
ground beef. bers to make choices that boost their
Hot and cold cereals are alterna- Sailors at Naval Base San Diego’s performance, readiness and health.
tives to the entrées. These include hot Mercer Hall galley have a choice Torgerson Hall Galley also features a plate of the day to
oatmeal, hot farina, hominy grits and of standard breakfast entrées on further simplify meal decisions. “When customers come
the traditional serving line and
assorted variety cereal packs. more options at serving stations. to dine at our facility, we have a sample food plate display
Breads complement any breakfast indicating the recommended plate of the day (G4G choice)
menu, and the assortment at Mercer Hall is diverse: wheat, at the entrance,” he said. “Also, there are color-coded menu
white, rye, multigrain, raisin, bagels, English muffins, crois- labels posted at the cashier’s register to make our customers
sants and biscuits. aware of the menu for the day. After our customers proceed
to the serving line, there will be detailed identical menu cards
NUTRITION indicating the food/beverage name, food color code, and
Nutrition is a growing emphasis in the Navy, and throughout sodium level for various customers’ dietary needs.”
the military. In the Navy, all afloat and ashore general messes Revised cooking methods at Torgerson Hall Galley contrib-
operate on a 21-day standard core menu. Ashore galleys and ute to improving the nutritional value of the meals served to
the different platforms of ships each have their own specific sailors. “We revised our cooking methods by utilizing batch
versions tailored to unique environments. cooking in the Rational ovens and on the grill instead of
Standard core menus developed for large-deck ships include the traditional deep-fat fryer to reduce calories; adding less
various specialty bars in addition to the normal requirements. or no beef base for decreased sodium level; and using less or
The Navy’s Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes JEB Little no butter for decreased fat intake,” Walker said.
Creek-Fort Story, developed its own standard core menu in
response to customer input, and updates it quarterly based on NEY WINNERS
the recommendations of the food service officer in the region Torgerson Hall Galley at JEB Little Creek-Fort Story is the
and comments received during regular menu review boards. Navy Ney Award Small General Mess category winner for
In January 2016, the Navy launched its Go for Green (G4G) 2017. Its specialty bars, balance of manpower and smooth
program in response to the secretary of the Navy’s direction operation caught the Ney judges’ attention. “It takes a well-
to advance nutrition efforts to provide healthier eating op- organized plan, open and active communication, and qual-
tions in conjunction with Physical Readiness Program policy ity assurance from everyone in the food service division to
changes in 2015. achieve this goal,” Walker concluded. “Our notion in achiev-
“G4G is a food identification system designed to help ing excellence in food service is closely tied to enhancing the
service members identify healthy food and beverage choices service members’ quality of life and boosting morale, which
while dining in military galleys,” Walker said. is recognized perhaps more now than ever before.”
Its three traffic light color codes guide sailors to select Mercer Hall Galley at Naval Base San Diego is the Navy
performance foods and beverages that are designated with Ney Award Large General Mess category winner for 2017.
a green label, more frequently than other options. Yellow Comments Valencia and the galley team received from judges
indicates moderate-performance foods and beverages that regarding its performance during breakfast were that the menu
provide less effective fuel and should be eaten occasionally. was well planned, prepared and executed. —GFS
16 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • AUGUST 2017