Community Struggles: Food

On Another blog I found this short post about weight gain on the ship and how well everyone gets fed and it was refreshing to read because I often don't feel that sentiment. But I wanted to go a step further because food is a touchy subject on the ship. Everybody has their own opinion on what needs are, and what wants are, and what they think 'they' are entitled.

I am in a cache 22 (as some may call it).

I feel the need, my duty to do the best I can with what I have...so that in turn produces good food and usually helps increase the abundance when you know how to use all the products and produce more options...

But on the other hand it creates an expectation that breeds complaints and anger when some feel they don't get what they 'deserve', which is nothing...whoever figured out that the crew fees pay for their food OBVIOUSLY has never fed themselves and cleaned up after their selves for 3 dollars a day or could find somebody that would do it for that little...(its more realistic to say that your crew fees pays for 'other' things).

That is the approximate food budget alloted for an adult - somewhere between $3 to $3.50 a day (last I checked or was told), NOT A MEAL, a day...

Another funny thing is people complain about eating healthy and eating right, then they try to blame it on the ship and food service...We create good food options with what we can obtain and prepare, from there its the crews JOB to pick whats best for them, and to control their own will for eating in moderation. This responsibility is not ours, or Food Service.

[OH, by the way, usually peanut butter and a hazelnut chocolate spread (nutella or nusco) is out at every meal, BUT even though you may think the nuts are good protein the sugar in the peanut butter is outrageous, AND the first 3 ingredients of the 'Nutella/Nusco' substance is SUGAR, VEGETABLE OIL, & FAT so keep that Hazelnut addiction going, you'll have to eat a lot to get at the less than 10% a jar nut intake]

It even becomes stressful for my wife to be in line to eat dinner because she over hears the people around her criticize the food while she's standing in line with them. Her instinct is to let them know that her husband works hard to put good tasting food out there for them. She wants to defend me. Now thats a GREAT wife!

Its very difficult to field and deny special requests from people who come to Food Service and it takes up a lot of valuable time to have to explain over and over again why things can't be done, and/or reminding them its the rules. It doesn't sit well with people who think their situation is a unique or special one.

Basically what we are looking at between 830am - 1130am (with break) there is 2 hours and 45 minutes to get lunch ready for 400+ people. Between 1:00pm - 4:45 (with 15minute break and minimum 30 minute trash time) we are looking at 3 hours to get dinner ready for 400+ people. Then after that, our crews go back to the galley/kitchen/dining room and clean up the aftermath of feeding people this many meals a day.

Now thats a struggle. And then add 400 individual judges to the food panel...

I keep convincing myself I must at least be a halfway decent human being or I would serve (weevil) rice & beans, and boiled meats & pink sausages till everyone would come back to their senses...but I haven't been able to bring myself to punish the few complainers by punishing the many who don't.

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