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When all entrées for the cycle have been entered
on each week’s draft, it is good management to review
the drafts to determine the following: (1) whether the
proper variety and balance are maintained, (2) if
higher portion cost entrées are balanced with lower
portion cost entrées, and (3) if preparation of the
entrées is within the capabilities of galley personnel
and equipment.
Vegetables.— Frequency charts are developed for
both potatoes or potato substitutes and vegetables in
conjunction with the meat frequency charts so that the
items selected will complement the meat, fish, or poultry
item planned for each day. Entering the potato or potato
substitute and vegetables on the menu draft is the second
step in menu planning. Variety of preparation of the
entrée items should be introduced on the menu by the
selected recipe card.
Salads and Salad Dressing.— The AFRS offers
many varieties of salads and kinds of salad dressings, as
well as recipes for relishes. These numerous recipes are
a fine foundation for a varied bar of consistently high
quality. An array of salads and relishes can be prepared
from the excellent variety of fresh, frozen, and canned
fruits and vegetables available.
When you are selecting salads for the menu,
planning is needed to achieve variety and to avoid costly
leftovers. Because the salad bar generally offers some
variety, there is a temptation to offer the same
assortment daily. With good planning, changes from
day to day can be achieved.
When you are planning for salads and relishes, there
are several factors to consider: (1) seasonal availability
for procurement, (2) temperature and climate, (3)
equipment and labor, and (4) combinations of salad
ingredients.
Select a salad dressing suited to the salad
ingredients on which it is to be used. Use tart dressings
with bland-flavored salads. Consult your Foodservice
Operations, NAVSUP P-421, for ideas.
Breakfast Fruits and Cereals.— Steaming hot
cooked cereals are a welcome and warming component
of a hearty breakfast in cold weather. Warmer climates
and higher temperatures tend to swing the popularity
pendulum toward dry, ready-to-eat cereals.
Offer a choice of fruit and juice each day to make
sure a good source of vitamin C is available to the
patrons. Either the fruit or the juice should be citrus or
tomato. In addition, fruits can be used to introduce
variety on the menus; for example, raisins in oatmeal or
rice, blueberries in pancakes, and apples in fritters.
Desserts. — Desserts should be individualized to
each meal just as other menu components, taking into
account the patrons’ preferences and other factors
influencing the menu, such as climate, cooking
facilities, and the skills of the personnel.
Desserts are classified as light, medium heavy, or
heavy. Plan to use the one that goes best with the rest of
the meal. If the meal includes hearty salads and creamed
vegetables, a light dessert, such as fruit cup or flavored
gelatin, is more appropriate than a medium heavy one
(puddings or ice cream and cookies) or heavy desserts
(cakes and pies).
Balance out the day’s dessert by
planning alight dessert (chilled pear halves and oatmeal
drop cookies) with a heavy dinner at noon and a heavy
dessert (spice cake with lemon cream icing) with a light
supper. One heavy dessert daily, especially one that
must be baked the same day it is to be served, is
sufficient for most messes.
To ensure a variety of dessert choices in your menus,
make maximum use of mixes, ice cream, prepared pie
fillings, gelatin desserts, and other convenience foods.
A caution that should be observed, however, in
planning desserts is avoiding a repetition of the same
flavors. It is easy to miss hidden flavor repetitions when
breakfast juices and dinner and supper salads contain
fruit. Watch for these duplications in dessert planning.
Breads and Breakfast Pastries.— Piping hot yeast
rolls and quick breads dress up a meal any day of the
year. Hot breads can play an important role in balancing
cold meals.
When you write a menu, be realistic. If baking
facilities are limited or if inexperienced MSs have not
yet fully developed their baking skills, you should limit
baking items.
Soups.— The soup is one of the last items planned
for a lunch or dinner menu. This sequence in menu
planning is not based on the relative importance of soup
to a menu, but rather on its relation to other menu items.
Soups are classified as light, heavy, creamed, and
chowder and, as with dessert items, are selected to
balance and complement the menu. The number of
times a soup is offered each day or each week should be
based on the crew’s acceptance of soup. If the
acceptance of soup is high and you feel justified in
including it on the menu at both lunch and dinner meals,
plan to serve a different soup at each of these meals.
Make maximum use of dehydrated soups and canned
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