TE_4_USCG_Food_Quality_Guidelines_SSMarie_-_AA9471.pdf

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 4

US Coast Guard Food Quality Guidelines

A. INTRODUCTION. Diet and nutrition have significant affects on the health and morale of Coast Guard personnel. Coast Guard dining facilities must provide nutritious meals to support the operational demands of the unit and meet the dietary needs of Coast Guard personnel. In addition, dining facilities should provide nutritional information to their customers to assist them in making informed decisions on their diet and in making beneficial changes to their eating habits.

1. PURPOSE. This Exhibit makes recommendations to promote health and well being by improving food quality and nutrition awareness at Coast Guard contracted and food service specialist (FS) staffed dining facilities.

a. Highly Encouraged: This Exhibit highly encourages using the recommendations but does not set requirements or act as a checklist for compliance purposes. The guidelines were designed to aid in planning Coast Guard Dining Facility's (CGDF) menus in the promotion of healthy food choices.

B. DISCUSSION.

2. Quality food and customer service contribute substantially to the maintenance of high morale, well being, and a healthy lifestyle of Coast Guard personnel. Keeping that in mind, the food quality guideline is based on good nutrition principles and focus on the balancing of menu items. Using these guidelines will not increase the FS workload. Planning a proper menu that incorporates nutritional adequacy does not necessarily entail increasing the number of menu items.

C. DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS.

1. General. These guidelines, developed for healthy Americans by the U. S.

Department of Agriculture and the development of the Food Guide Pyramid, are based on what we know today about the relationship of diet to good health. All aspects of daily planning support nutrition initiatives. It is recommended that menu drafters and interested patrons include the following guidelines and information when preparing the weekly menu:

2. Eat a Variety of Foods. To ensure variety, select foods from the menu from each of the major food groups: fruits and vegetables; breads, cereals, rice and pasta; milk and dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and low fat cheese; and meats, fish, poultry, eggs, and dry beans and peas. Serve different foods from within these groups, and take advantage of the wide variety of the revised AFRS recipes and foods, especially seafood, poultry, fruits and vegetables when they are available.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: HSCG84-15-R-AA9471

Attachment (6)

3. Maintain Healthy Weights. These guidelines and an appropriate exercise program will contribute to a healthy lifestyle and contribute to ensure Coast Guard members are within the Commandants policy on Allowable Weight Standards (reference c).

4. Choose a Diet Low in Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol. Reducing dietary fat is an especially good idea for those limiting calories. A diet low in fat makes it easier to include the variety of foods needed for nutrients without exceeding calorie needs.

Fat contains over twice the calories of an equal amount of carbohydrates or protein.

Eat foods with adequate starch and fiber. Emphasis should be placed on fiber-rich foods such as grain products, vegetables, and mature legumes. A source for dietary information on AFRS food items is the Fat, Cholesterol, and Calorie List for General Messes published by the Naval Supply Systems Command, NAVSUP Publication 580, and Stock No. 0530-LP-189-5100. Forward requests to:

Commanding Officer Naval Publications and Forms Directorate Naval Aviation Supply Office Tabor Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19111-5098

5. Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products.

Vegetables, fruits, and grain products (such as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta) are parts of the varied diet suggested in the first guideline. They are emphasized here for their carbohydrate and dietary fiber content.

6. Use sugars in moderation. Sugars and most foods that contain them in large amounts supply calories but are limited in essential nutrients. Thus, they should be used in moderation by most healthy people and sparingly by people with low calorie needs. For very active people with high-energy needs, sugars may be a useful source of calories.

a. Use salt and sodium in moderation.

7. Cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in the body cells of humans and animals. Cholesterol is needed to form hormones, cell membranes, and other body substances. The body is able to make the cholesterol it needs for these functions. Cholesterol is not needed in the diet. Cholesterol is obtained directly from foods of animal origin and present in all animal tissues (meat, poultry, and fish), dairy products, and egg yolks. Cholesterol is not found in foods of plant origin such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, dry beans and peas. An important factor in elevating blood cholesterol is the saturated fat in the diet, some of which is converted into cholesterol in the body. Most saturated fat is obtained from foods of animal origin. Reducing the amount of dietary saturated fat is an important means of lowering blood cholesterol.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: HSCG84-15-R-AA9471

a. Fatty acids are the basic chemical units in fat. They may be either saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated. All dietary fats are made up of mixtures of these fatty acid types.

b. Saturated fatty acids are found in largest proportions in fats of animal origin.

These include the fats in milk, cream, cheese, butter, meat, and poultry.

c. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in fats of both plant and animal origin.

Olive oil and peanut oil are the

d. Most common examples of fat with mostly monounsaturated fatty acids.

Also, most margarines and hydrogenated vegetable shortenings tend to be high in monounsaturated fatty acids.

e. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in largest proportions in fats of plant origin. Sunflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed, and safflower oils are vegetable fats that usually contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

D. COAST GUARD FOOD QUALITY GUIDELINES.

1. The keys to planning and serving meals that are lower in fat and cholesterol are based on moderation. The idea is NOT to eliminate high-fat, high-cholesterol foods on your menu. Instead, BALANCE high-fat foods with other foods that contain LESS fat and cholesterol. CGDFs should provide: whole grain cereals at breakfast;

less sugar coated cereals; provide one or more choices of dried fruits, such as dates, raisins, currants, etc. at breakfast; whole grain bread at each meal; fresh or canned fruit at each meal; a citrus fruit juice at each meal; serve fewer frosted cakes, cook with less fat and oil, especially saturated fats; stringent portion control; minimize purchases of pre-packaged cooked meals (e.g., pizza, TV dinners, pot pies; high fat snack items, etc.); and more emphasis on healthy eating alternatives.

2. Menu combinations offered at each meal shall continue to provide variety and contrast in texture, flavor, and color. The Food Guide Pyramid indicates that we should eat a variety of foods, maintain healthy weight, choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit and grains, choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, use salt and sodium only in moderation, and to eat sweets sparingly.

3. Performing a food preference customer survey quarterly within the command can identify patron nutritional desires and Satisfaction, as well as producing recommendations to improve product quality and increase patronage. Changes may be considered by the unit commanding officer and implemented as appropriate.

a. In order to provide variety and reduce saturated fat, fish and poultry could be integrated throughout the menu cycle.

b. Menus should be evaluated for too many:

• Deep fat fried items;

• Sautéed/fried menu items;

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: HSCG84-15-R-AA9471

• Sauced and/or gravy items.

4. Evaluate the menu for reduced calorie alternatives to those who choose low fat alternatives.

a. Provide at least one or two low fat, low calorie salad dressings;

b. Serve low fat 2% and/or skim milk;

c. Provide an alternative entree that is not fried;

d. Provide an entree without a gravy;

e. Provide a low calorie, acceptable vegetable choice (look at preparation method);

f. Provide a low calorie dessert choice (fruit, low fat yogurt, sherbet, smaller portions, gelatin, etc.);

g. Provide an egg entree at breakfast prepared without added fat;

h. Offer either butter or margarine at each meal.

5. A non-fried entree shall be offered as an alternate choice when a fried entree is featured.

6. Low fat 2% milk will be the primary milk. Whole milk, skim milk, buttermilk, and chocolate milk may also be made available as an alternate dairy beverage choice.

7. Menus should be planned, whenever feasible, to include an alternate entree without gravy when the main entree incorporates a gravy.

8. Menus should offer a hot low calorie vegetable prepared without added butter or fat.

9. Avoid having more than one deep fat fried entree daily. (Exceptions are menus that offer multiple entrees).

10. When serving a meat entree high in fat such as sausage, spareribs, corned beef, pastrami or knockwurst, try making the meal healthier by:

a. Finding a low-fat version instead;

b. Creating a lower fat entree as an alternate choice such as roasted meat, fish or poultry; or

c. Ensuring overall low total fat content when including all meal items.

11. Select entrees that can be baked or roasted to the maximum extent possible.

12. Low calorie meals should include all the basic menu components without the high calorie extras.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: HSCG84-15-R-AA9471

13. Seasonal fruits and vegetables should be incorporated into the menu to the maximum extent possible in order to provide nutrient dense, lower calorie choices.

14. Avoid serving meals with too many high sodium foods, (e.g., knockwurst and sauerkraut with a vegetable prepared with bacon or sausage). After serving high sodium food such as ham, corned beef or other cured meats, serve a lower sodium food such as fresh meat/fish/poultry at the next meal. Balance high sodium main dishes, with lower sodium side dishes.

15. Avoid reliance on snack foods such as potato chips for the speed line starch choice as the sandwich accompaniment.

16. Include a variety of fresh vegetables on relish trays or salad bars to the maximum extent practicable.

17. Substitute mozzarella, when possible, when recipes call for cheese because mozzarella has only 1% milk fat.

E. FOOD COMBINATIONS, VARIETY, AND INNOVATION.

1. Analyze the menu to see if the meal combinations served are acceptable to most patrons.

2. Evaluate the menu to see if preparation methods are varied in the same meal, same day, throughout the menu cycle. Example, are the potatoes always mashed? Are the components of the menu similar in color?

3. Make effective use of the AFRS, NAVSUP Publication 7 or locally approved and recorded recipes for all food preparation.

4. Texture. Avoid a meal containing all fried items or all mushy items.

5. Avoid too many similar flavors in the same meal. For example, corn should not be scheduled with a meal containing cornbread or cornbread dressing; or sweet potatoes with pumpkin or sweet potato pie.

6. Prepare food as close to serving as possible.

7. Avoid using bacon fat.

8. Excess fat shall be trimmed or skimmed from all foods.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: HSCG84-15-R-AA9471