Meals at USAFA

Lunch is definitely the most unhealthy meal at USAFA just because there tends to be only one or two options. There's always a nice salad bar and fruit bar at dinner as well as usually two or more entrees, which often include fish or grilled chicken. Breakfast always has yogurt, plain oatmeal, and hardboiled eggs. It probably won't be quite as optimal as it was for you at home, but for the most part you should be able to eat healthy.
 
I'm glad to hear the vegetarian card is still around! I had some issues at USAFA because I am vegetarian not by choice, but by an inability to digest meat, partially due to genetics and partly due to being raised in an all vegetarian family. Basic was ROUGH because I was too nervous to figure out how to get what I needed the first few days, I have never eaten so many rolls and peanut butter in my life. After basic, when I discovered there was a vegetarian option at every meal (not just lunch), I was appalled at how unhealthy it was (I was a tennis player and I needed to eat well to play well). I spent my 4 years at USAFA working on improving the vegetarian option and helped start the card system (or the early version of it, we didn't actually get cards until after I graduated) because non-vegetarians kept stealing all our food. The mitch's staff knew me well and were happy to work with me to improve things for vegetarians.

The point of this story is, sometimes it will be hard to find what you need, but USAFA and Mitch's are pretty committed to making sure everyone can eat well. I'm not sure how it works now, but there were "lite" tables when I was there, for those that needed to slim down or just want to eat a little healthier. These tables usually had less greasy/fatty options of whatever was being served, or something totally different. You won't always find a great healthy meal, but freshman year that will be the least of your problems and after that, you'll have a little more freedom to come up with a system that works for you if it is that important.
 
BlahuKahuna said:
I would be extremely shocked if they weren't allowed, they didn't care about fitbits or smart watches when I was there.
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Hey are allowed, just not during bct, tests, certain military events (unless you want to run the risk of it breaking), and during certain classes
I’m wearing a Apple Watch as we speak. You just need to make sure it’s on silent mode.
 
Another question out of right field, since this is a thread about meals at Mitchell Hall:

I see a lot of pictures with everyone at attention around the table before they sit down. What usually happens at this time? (I've been writing announcements/daily orders/etc. at the end of meals - I hope I'm not wrong about that.) I'm currently writing a breakfast scene, so I'm especially interested in that meal.

Please and Thank You. :)
 
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(maybe dated info)
There is a professional nutritionist on staff. USAFA plans for a 2500 calorie diet during the academic year.
There are weight-gain and weight-loss tables for those who need help.
 
Pardon me if this is an ignorant question, but can cadets have food they've purchased in their rooms?
 
Bluesalts-Author said:
Another question out of right field, since this is a thread about meals at Mitchell Hall:

I see a lot of pictures with everyone at attention around the table before they sit down. What usually happens at this time? (I've been writing announcements/daily orders/etc. at the end of meals - I hope I'm not wrong about that.) I'm currently writing a breakfast scene, so I'm especially interested in that meal.

Please and Thank You. :)
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I can only answer with respect to USAFA in the 20th century. At that time, the Wing stood at attention at tables before each meal while announcements were made from the Wing staff from the balcony. No wing-wide functions are possible at the end of any meal, as the tables were dismissed individually at the discretion of the 'Table Commandant'. Visits to Mitchell Hall for a number of reunions show a number of changes over the decades, but many traditions (e.g., the Form O-96) endure.
 
USAFA'77 said:
I can only answer with respect to USAFA in the 20th century. At that time, the Wing stood at attention at tables before each meal while announcements were made from the Wing staff from the balcony. No wing-wide functions are possible at the end of any meal, as the tables were dismissed individually at the discretion of the 'Table Commandant'. Visits to Mitchell Hall for a number of reunions show a number of changes over the decades, but many traditions (e.g., the Form O-96) endure.
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Thanks! I finally found a video that made it clear announcements were before meals, so I doubt much has changed since. (The current chapter is set in 2047, as one of the main characters is a member of the Class of 2048.)
 
Saw that someone mentioned bread bowls up top. This year they have, sadly, done away with bread bowls and rarely serve soup. On the bright side, there are now full salad bars at both noon meal (lunch) and dinner! In addition Mitch's now has sunrise falcon express and late night falcon express. In the morning, if you're running late to class or simply want to grab something quickly without sitting down, there is a wide variety of yogurts, fruits, milk, granola bars, RX bars, go-go squeeze apple juice, and trail mixes to grab. In the evenings (approx 30 minutes after dinner) they have falcon express which is another grab-and-go options. They have hard boiled eggs, packaged salads, sandwiches, tuna, juices, fruits, trial mix, etc. In the winter months they even serve soup!
I have to admit, to serve 4,000 cadets USAFA doesn't exactly have the best quality cuts of meats (my mother has instilled in me a very picky taste in my cuts of meat). However, there are many alternatives to choose from and the vegetarian meals are sometimes better than the food served so I would definitely sign up for that!
Additionally, USAFA is slowly introducing a cadet dining card which essentially gives cadets around $10 a day to spend at Arnold Hall restaurants such as Subway, Bun-D, and Polaris Perk. It's in the initial testing phase with the top two squadrons, but if it makes its way to the entire wing it will provide you with even more options.
 
Bluesalts-Author said:
Thanks! I finally found a video that made it clear announcements were before meals, so I doubt much has changed since. (The current chapter is set in 2047, as one of the main characters is a member of the Class of 2048.)
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Today at USAFA, Breakfast and Dinner are optional. Lunch (noon meal) is mandatory and the entire wing (excluding the Drum and Bugle Corps who play at this time) form up with their respective squadrons outside of Mitch's and around the terrazzo for Noon Meal Formation. After the playing of the Air Force Song, the Wing Tripod makes their way and stands beside Mitch's, the rest of the squadrons follow one-by-one and enter Mitch's.
Afterwards, cadets form up at their respective element tables and stand at attention during the announcements from the staff tower (balcony). The 4-Digs/Four Degrees/Smacks/Freshmen stand at attention and read their knowledge for the few minutes before announcements begin. After the announcements, the wing is put at ease and directed to sit ("Wing take seats") and everyone begins their meal.
 
From 4 years of commentary ... the food was not very good. Hard to feed the entire Wing with meals that are on point ... but, really I saw some pretty poor execution when I compare that to what was served many years ago at MSU's Brody Dining Hall which I believe was at some point (and, may still be) the largest non-military dining hall. My cadet was frustrated with the meal situation until able to have a small fridge with freezer in room. Many times went to sit through mandatory meals and was only able to stomach the raw vegetables. Logistics of serving so many at once aside, used to frustrate me as a taxpayer thinking that our military was not getting better food.
 
The vegetarian meals were NOT great when I started as a basic, neither nutritionally or taste wise- BUT I made a point of talking to the staff, making suggestions and expanding the vegetarian program while I was there. It got MUCH better and I’d say was actually quite good by the time I graduated.

My point is, become a vegetarian! Ok not really, but Mitchell hall does take feedback. It worked better for me because there were so few people who showed interest in the vegetarian meals that they listened to everything I say. My guess is that it is possible to achieve a similar effect at scale with the main meals if their were a concerted effort to make usable suggestions instead of just unhelpful complaints (the bulk of the feedback according to the staff when I was there)
 
emtet said:
Today at USAFA, Breakfast and Dinner are optional. Lunch (noon meal) is mandatory and the entire wing (excluding the Drum and Bugle Corps who play at this time) form up with their respective squadrons outside of Mitch's and around the terrazzo for Noon Meal Formation. After the playing of the Air Force Song, the Wing Tripod makes their way and stands beside Mitch's, the rest of the squadrons follow one-by-one and enter Mitch's.
Afterwards, cadets form up at their respective element tables and stand at attention during the announcements from the staff tower (balcony). The 4-Digs/Four Degrees/Smacks/Freshmen stand at attention and read their knowledge for the few minutes before announcements begin. After the announcements, the wing is put at ease and directed to sit ("Wing take seats") and everyone begins their meal.
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Thanks! That's pretty much what I gathered from the video I found, but I appreciate the confirmation.
 
wildblueyonder57 said:
Hi, I was just wondering about what the meals are like at USAFA. I generally eat pretty healthy with lots of fruits, veggies, good fats, whole grains, and lean proteins. I use little oil, butter, sugar, etc and I was basically wondering if it’s possible to continue this sort of diet while at the academy? I understand it’s mass produced and not everyone likes to eat as healthy as I do so making “tastier” foods for cadets would make sense. It’s just that 4 years is a long time and it takes a while to retrain yourself how to eat good foods after not doing it for while so I was hoping that maybe they provided options for that:/ I’m just trying to prepare for what I’ll have to give up I guess. Thank you so much!!!
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Someone I know went to the E.R. The doctors though they were having a stroke. Nope, just food poisoning from Mitch's (The food hall) food.

It's not actually that bad most of the time, but its going to be pretty tough to maintain specific diet.
 
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