What's the food like on course? (BMQ, DP, ect...) [Merged]

[stealthylizard]

It's ultimately up to the individual.  There are healthy and unhealthy choices provided.  The food for the most part is pretty good, but you will get tired of it after awhile, especially when noticing the menu is very similar week to week.

 

[George Wallace]

Thursdays are Steak Nights.

 

[aesop081]

Thursdays are Steak Nights.

Its only steak night if you consider what they dish out to be "steak".......

 

[OkanaganHeat]

Is Friday still fish day?

I remember the clam chowder with fresh scallops during basic at Cornwallis and still start to salivate.

 

[Pusser]

Its only steak night if you consider what they dish out to be "steak".......

All food purchased by the CF is required to meet the standard laid out by the Canadian Governement Standards Board, which means Grade A for meat products.

 

[acooper]

I'm REALLY surprised of the poor opinion of the IMP meals. I've had a few that my husband brought home, and I actually ENJOYED some of them. The omelet with salsa was quite good, and I think it was the beef stew(?) that was half decent as well. I've heard great things about IMPs, and TERRIBLE things only about MREs...

 

[drunknsubmrnr]

Its only steak night if you consider what they dish out to be "steak".......

I always enjoyed them. Especially washed down with a nice red on Super All-Nighters.

 

[Brutus]

The O/P mentioned 'low sodium/low fat', and I haven't heard it mentioned that this is certainly not a hallmark of CF food. Yes, you have a certain amount of choice in the messhall, and can choose (as you should) to eat at least half a plate of veggies, but in the field, the IMPs are certainly not low fat and are loaded in salt.

The CF is not a diet or a fat farm. But rhe food is reasonably good.

 

[Pusser]

IMPs are designed to sustain people who are working at maximum output.  Hence they have a lot of extra calories.  If you eat nothing but IMPs for a period of time, but don't do the physical activities for which they were designed, you will gain weight.

 

[boboyer]

It's not worth the $550 a month. I talked to my folks about it and they said that even with five of us at home they didn't spend that much a month on food. I'm sure other people with a family can confirm/deny.
The food -is- good though, but after a year of eating at the mess, it gets a little repetitive.

 

[Pusser]

It's not worth the $550 a month. I talked to my folks about it and they said that even with five of us at home they didn't spend that much a month on food. I'm sure other people with a family can confirm/deny.
The food -is- good though, but after a year of eating at the mess, it gets a little repetitive.

Your folks probably didn't take into account the cost of their time to go and get the food, the time to prepare it, the fuel to cook it, the lights they needed to prepare it, the cost to wash the dishes, the cost of replacing dishes, their own medical insurance plans, etc.  The cost of rations in a CF mess is not just about the food itself.  If you think you're paying too much, move out of quarters and buy your own food, store it, prepare it and pay all the other bills that enable you to "save" money.

 

[kratz]

I'm more concerned about soup and that it is hot.

 

[Rheostatic]

In my experience, "vegetarian" meals in CF messes seem to contain a surprising amount of fish, eggs, and (in one hilariously sad instance) bacon bits.

 

[Shamrock]

I should like to point out, the cooks in the CF are quite often top notch and produce amazing meals given the constraints of quantity of diners and dietary needs of pre-set meals.  Their skills don't often shine during normal meal hours, but for smaller functions, such as mess dinners or private bookings, the meals are amazing and very affordable. 

 

[PegcityNavy]

Your folks probably didn't take into account the cost of their time to go and get the food, the time to prepare it, the fuel to cook it, the lights they needed to prepare it, the cost to wash the dishes, the cost of replacing dishes, their own medical insurance plans, etc.  The cost of rations in a CF mess is not just about the food itself.  If you think you're paying too much, move out of quarters and buy your own food, store it, prepare it and pay all the other bills that enable you to "save" money.

425 dollars for food and board at basic seems reasonable, you could spend that amount on food alone in a month.

 

[Nauticus]

Thanks for the contributions.
Well it’s good to hear that a finger just isn’t pointed towards the salad bar and that efforts are made.  If that’s the case (only medically related dietary options protected by regulation) then I would definitely imagine there would be (has to be) many options/dishes (aside from just salad) that would be offered that are low fat (cholesterol) and low-sodium (blood pressure) as there are many people out there (many in the military too I’m sure) who suffer from conditions such as high cholesterol, hypertension, to name a few.    I don’t think anybody is expecting to have “Mom’s home cooking” or “Grandma’s ‘Sicilian style’ tomato sauce” and that one must be reasonable, but it is clear, beyond a doubt, that the ‘typical’ north American diet is responsible for many health problems in our society.  The link between good food and good health is undeniable.  If the CF doesn’t promote that concept, and encourage healthy eating habits, who will?  "Leadership" is an all-encompassing term that covers more than just bravery in combat.  The CF can be so much more than just a defense force.  It can be an organization that inspires young Canadians to lead active, healthy, and responsible lifestyles.


That’s great about the standard on ships being kept high.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the cooks are the most appreciated/loved people onboard.

Thanks.

Yes. As I stated in my previous post, the CF does offer different options for food, healthy and unhealthy alternatives. During basic, all members get introduced to a class that educates what kind of meals are best for post-fitness activities, but it relies on the member to follow up on that and actually choose the best meal option.

 

[Brutus]

In my experience, "vegetarian" meals in CF messes seem to contain a surprising amount of fish, eggs, and (in one hilariously sad instance) bacon bits.

Almost all bacon bits are made of soy.

 

[armychick2009]

I've been eating at the mess now for 2 weeks... only one meal was too salty (but I don't normally eat salt so, maybe it wasn't too bad for others).... and the rest were pretty good. If you like to eat just 'plain' food, so far I haven't had much of a problem. There's usually "something" to eat if you don't feel like something saucy or whatever. I'm eating about four or five times the amount of food I normally do and I've lost 10 pounds so far in the two weeks.

There's generally two lines.... the right and the left. The left tends to be less processed foods from what I can tell and the right has a bit more of a 'regular' style of menu -- pizza, french fries occassionally and most of the pasta is on that side. Both sides usually have the cooked veggies... and there is a ton of raw stuff you can sink your teeth into.

I normally head for the left line because it's usually the one with less people and sometimes you don't have much time to sit and wait. I'm not that much of a picky eater -- other than that I try to eat the unprocessed stuff when I can.

My one complaint is that they give you too much food in the lines and I can't eat it all. I've tried asking for just half of the amount but usually it is still a big scoop. One friend of mine got in trouble by the lady at the dirty dish line for taking too much. She tried to explain she DID ask for less amounts but they just heap it on there anyways.  We might be able to cut that $500 & some ration bill if we had slightly smaller portions

 

[aesop081]

We might be able to cut that $500 & some ration bill if we had slightly smaller portions

One person complains theres too much, the other that theres not enough. At least, if theres more than you need, you have the option of not eating it. Not going to make everyone happy.

 

[VIChris]

The omelet with salsa

It's pronounced 'smoker's lung'.

You're right though, for the most part, the IMPs are pretty decent. While I've only had a short exposure to them, I think the issue with IMPs is that it's always the same. They're all fairly good, but I would imagine for the guys eating them day in, day out, it gets to be very repetitive.