Fruit is served in season. USNA photo by MC3 Matthew A. Ebarb.

So read the minutes from the Midshipmen Food Service Division (MFSD) Menu Review Board, in which 45 Midshipmen provided feedback through the chain of command about what works (lemon bars!) and what doesn’t work (cheese station – too much waste). The Menu Review Board at the Naval Academy is almost a mirror image of the process in which Sailors provide feedback about meals and menu items in the Fleet, and it’s just one of several avenues available for Midshipmen to voice their opinions about food service.

''Midshipmen can provide feedback through the King Hall email, which is reviewed daily,'' explained Mid-shipmen Food Service Officer Lt. Cmdr. Debra Rogers. ''My entire senior staff, myself, and Naval Academy Supply Officer Capt. Robert Goodman walk around during the meals so they provide feedback then. Many companies also provide feedback up their chain, through the Battalion Officers. And then we have the monthly menu review board.''

Feeding the 4,400-strong Brigade of Midshipmen resembles the task of feeding a crew of 5,000 aboard an aircraft carrier, with some unique challenges.

''Logistically, King Hall operates in an environment which cannot be duplicated anywhere in the Fleet,'' explained Midn. 1⁄C Charles Breaux, Midshipman Supply Officer. ''A carrier may serve 5,000 meals three times a day, but not in ten-minute windows using one galley for two wardrooms that would cover an area in excess of 60,000 square feet. No other single shore installation comes close to King Hall’s logistical capabilities.''

The planning that goes into a single meal in King Hall is exhaustive. According to Rogers, menus are based on nutritional content of the food, what type of equipment is required to prepare the food, and how feasible it is to serve the food family-style as opposed to the traditional cafeteria-style.

Before a food item even hits the menu, it is taste-tested by Midshipmen at the Menu Review Board. MFSD brings in the vendors, and after sampling the fair, Midshipmen fill out a detailed survey about the food. At the most recent Menu Review Board, the Midshipmen tested spicy turkey burgers, pesto sauce, chicken enchiladas, and whole grain pasta.

Once a dish is on the menu, one of the largest deciding factors in whether it stays is what Rogers called ''acceptability.''

''We use the 75% rule,'' she said. ''If we serve an item and it receives a 75% acceptability or higher from the Midshipmen, we keep in the cycle. We have a quantitative program that analyzes this information for us. It is a very comprehensive process.''

In a recent review of acceptability, Rogers concluded that spring rolls were overwhelmingly popular, with 83.33% acceptability, while the chipotle turkey was far less well-received, with only 42.33% acceptability. This data was calculated by comparing the number of servings put out on 25 tables to the amount thrown away at the end of the meal. Of the 300 portions of spring rolls served at those sample tables only 50 were thrown out, but of the 300 portions of chipotle turkey, 173 servings went to waste. This data is vital to MFSD in ensuring Midshipmen get the food they like to eat.

According to Breaux, Midshipmen also play a critical role to the success of King Hall, and he encourages them to be proactively involved in the decision-making process. Breaux sees potential benefits for Midshipmen long after they graduate from the Academy.

''As future officers, Midshipmen should learn to be involved in quality-of-life issues that affect them and those under their command,'' Breaux said. ''Learning to provide constructive feedback through appropriate channels is a valuable asset to an officer both in the Fleet and civilian world. King Hall is extremely receptive to feedback, and Midshipmen need to know that the only way things get changed is by individuals who are willing to voice their opinions through the appropriate channels.''

Rogers agrees.

''Whether at sea or in the field, food is a major morale issue and everyone needs to be proactive,'' she said.

Midshipmen can contribute to the menu planning process and provide constructive feedback by emailing King Hall directly at kinghall@usna.edu. The Brigade Supply Officer is another resource available for Midshipmen, or they can pass questions or concerns through their Company First Sergeants. Those issues are then forwarded through Battalion First Sergeants and Regimental First Sergeants, and are addressed by the Brigade Sergeant Major in the weekly ''Feeddown'' report, which is emailed out to the Brigade-at-large every Thursday evening.

So, if you ever wondered why King Hall serves the pre-shelled hard-boiled eggs (more convenient to the Midshipmen), or why there aren’t always grapes at the fruit bar (fruit is served seasonally), participating in the feedback and planning process can answer all those questions and more, and provides Midshipmen with the opportunity to play a role in the decision-making process.