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A food service worker A plate of New York strip
breaks down several sweet in customers asking for and choos- ability prior to being incorporated steak and citrus salmon is
peppers to add to a veg- ing healthier options,” Spencer said. into our menu cycle.” prepared for airmen in cel-
etable dish for the lunch ebration of the Air Force’s
service at the Sierra Inn “The dining facilities have incorporated Even more options are likely to 70th Anniversary at Davis-
dining facility, Travis Air more ‘green’ items to the menu to meet be introduced in the coming years as Monthan Air Force Base,
Force Base, Calif. (Photo these demands.” the Air Force continues to investigate Ariz., Sept. 18, 2017.
by Heide Couch, USAF, (Photo by Airman 1st Class
60th Air Mobility Wing Increasing the mix of fresh and adding similar menu items that ven- Frankie D. Moore, USAF,
Public Affairs) frozen vegetables, grains and other dors have available. “The Air Force is 355th Fighter Wing)
healthier ingredients into recipes have still finding new ways to incorporate
nutritional and dietary benefits for airmen by increasing quinoa and couscous into our recipes,” he said. “We cur-
the amount of healthy carbohydrates consumed. rently only have a few recipes that have these ingredients,
“Our preparation method has changed to more baking/ and we are looking to expand our options. We continue to
grilling vegetables as opposed to frying,” Spencer said. “Our work with manufacturers to stay knowledgeable on food
potato recipes call for fresh, frozen, and higher-quality instant and beverage industry trends.”
potatoes. We continue to use pasta and grains, however, we —GFS
are purchasing healthier options, such as wild rice, couscous
and quinoa. Cost and convenience is a factor, in addition
to shelf life, storage and availability
of equipment to prepare the product.”
SERVING STRATEGIES
Air Force dining facilities support
the trend toward selecting healthier
options by educating service members
about where to find them on serving
lines, stations and salad bars.
“As part of the new G4G program,
we are in the process of educating our
food service professionals on new
ways to arrange food on the serving
lines,” he said. “Our line is currently
set up with entrées grouped together,
side dishes, and vegetables. This new
process strategically merchandizes
healthier options at the front of the
line to put more emphasis on having
the customer select healthier menu
selections.”
Airmen asking about and choosing
green-labeled items is one sign that
the choices are popular, and customer
responses back that up. “Customers
like the addition of fresh vegetables
and new popular rice and grains, which
put us more in line with industry stan-
dards,” Spencer said. “Feedback from
the dining facilities are assessed based
on cost/nutritional value and avail-
GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • NOVEMBER 2017 15