How‘s the food?

[InfantryWannabee]

Hi, I‘m considering joining the CF (as an Infanteer I hope) once I‘m done school. I just wanted to know what the food was like. Could someone who‘s in the CF help me with this? Thanks.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

well, the IMP‘s (Individual Meal Packages) are ok I geuss. personally, i find it difficult to keep alot of the main meals down....but it does the trick when your in the field. Theres also something called a Box lunch. Basically, the mess puts sandwiches/fruit/milk..etc in a box for you. Not meant for the field as it doesnt have a long shelf life, unlike the IMP‘s. Finally, we have Mess Food itself. I absolutely love eating at the mess at Borden, hot food thats not half bad, and plenty of it. Dont worry bout food, the army keeps you fed and makes sure your nutritional needs are met.

 

[InfantryWannabee]

Alright, thanks.

 

[chrisf]

An army marches on it‘s stomach, and food can make or break moral. Generally, and thankfully, in my experience at least, the Canadian forces have taken this to heart.

Mess food is generally good, some messes are better then others, but over all, most are decent.

I noticed Hay Boxes weren‘t mentioned, this is another food possiblity while in the field. Essentially, they‘re boxes that are loaded with food by the mess, brought into the field, and served to the troops.

Regarding the box lunches, they‘re sort of like the lunch you would have gotten when you were going to school back in grade three...

Regarding the IMPs, rumor is that our ration packs are some of the better ones globally... anyone care to confirm or deny this?

I mean, really, there‘s variety, there‘s plenty of calories, and they aren‘t *that* bad, heck, after a hard day in the field, some of them are pretty darned good (I‘m proud to say I have YET to eat a omlette of any sort)

If nothing else, the meatballs are great.

As a little aside to this thread, how do people usually eat the starch (Rice or potatoe) "side dishes"? Mix them with water or just dump them in the main course? I find actually mixing them with water is far too much trouble.

And can anyone actually eat the buttered rice? I was thinking about disposing of the rice itself and reconstituting the powder as a CLP alternative.

 

[McInnes]

some people have trouble keeping IMP‘s down. i think it‘s mostly psychological, something about it looking like dogfood or puke in a bag. i actually think the IMP meals taste really good. except for the baked cherry slab of granite of coarse (sigh).

 

[sgt_mandal]

The breakfast sausage and beans are NASTY!!!!!

 

[Slumsofsackville]

IMP are grose, I usually Starve in the field, Cant keep them down. Only The Veggitarian meals are good.

 

[PTE Gruending]

You can usually wheel and deal with your buddies to get the IMP that you want. I have yet to eat Beef Strogonaff! (Thank God). The IMPs that taste good, are actually really good. And there are usually enough extra‘s in a ration (combined with some snacks that you should take to the field), that you don‘t necessarily have to eat the main portion if it is something gross (ie: Salmon Filet, etc). Particularily, I like the Fruit packets and bars, and the "Petite Pain" is edible with the included jam/honey/peanut butter (errr, which ever one is not carconogenic). Kind of humourous to open up an IMP with stickers on the side saying that the spread of the week is hazardous to your health.
Best IMPs in my opinion; Chili, Turkey Stew, Green Pepper Beef.
Oh, and you know those multi-spice packs you can buy from the supermarket? DO, bring one of these to the field. Not only will you be able to eat whatever the CF throws at you, but you will be the most popular one in your section. A fellow troop on an exercise I attended last week had the foresight to bring a bottle of "Franks Redhot Sauce". This will cover the flavour of ANY crappy meal that you may get.

As has been mentioned before, you also get boxed lunches (quality may vary, where does the CF get these from anyways?). In addition to hayboxes (again, quality varies), which are a really nice treat on an exercise.

 

[stukirkpatrick]

Don‘t forget the wonders of ham steak...

The way I find it, IMPs always taste proportionately to how hungry you are. Its a feast when you are in the field, and you feel you can go home and eat IMPs afterwards, but once you have alternatives again you hate them wish a passion...

Once, for fun I cooked up some of that oriental rice, on a kitchen stove, with time to cook... It will be the last time I try that.

 

[chrisf]

Originally posted by PTE Gruending:
[qb] You can usually wheel and deal with your buddies to get the IMP that you want. I have yet to eat Beef Strogonaff! (Thank God). The IMPs that taste good, are actually really good. And there are usually enough extra‘s in a ration (combined with some snacks that you should take to the field), that you don‘t necessarily have to eat the main portion if it is something gross (ie: Salmon Filet, etc).[/qb]

This really illustrates the point here, as I love the Salmon. Wouldn‘t want to eat it for every meal, but I have no problem disposing of a couple over a weekend.

I wonder... with beef having been so cheap there for a while, did anyone in the ration production world have the fore thought to buy up enough meat to make beef steak the new ham steak?

 

[Gayson]

The Fruit deserts are my favorite part!

I hate the coffee though, if only the CF could get Tim Hortons to provide us with instant coffee for in the field.

 

[48Highlander]

Anyone interested in starting a petition to get rid of the god**** Ham Steak and Pineapple? I think I‘ve met only two people since I joined the forces who don‘t detest that thing.

SigOp: Try the omelette! The Cheese Omelette with Salsa is delicious, the one with mushrooms not so much, but in my opinon they are deffinitely the best breakfast IMP.

 

[chrisf]

Nope, I‘m simply refusing to eat the omlettes on the basis that it‘s eggs... that are four years old...

 

[D-n-A]

The IMPs arent that bad, some of them are bad, some I really enjoy.

The ham steak ones.. they just keep getting reinvented(ham steak and pineapple, ham streak and mustard), an yet none of them taste good..

 

[Lexi]

IMP‘S ROCK!

 

[48Highlander]

Well see, it‘s not really eggs, so it‘s ok

 

[D-n-A]

Ah, that makes it so much better


*wonders what the h#ll he was eating*

 

[Pte. Bloggins]

Originally posted by D-n-A:
The ham steak ones.. they just keep getting reinvented(ham steak and pineapple, ham streak and mustard), an yet none of them taste good.. [/QB]

Hehe, I have yet to eat a ham dish, always managed to somehow get out of it. Plus the Beef Stroganoff is NASTY: looks AND smells like dog food (as opposed to the cheese omelette, which looks like puke but tastes like salsa; not that terrible if you‘re hungry enough.)

I always find it‘s safest to go with the pasta, there‘s not that much that can go wrong with that.

 

[Cpl. Williamson]

I Actually Didnt Mind the Beef Stroganoff Im Partial to Dog Food Over Puke in a Bag.

Chicken Caccitore (sp?) is the Cats Meow

 

[brin11]

Can‘t forget the field kitchens. Most of the time they make pretty good food similar that you would find in the mess hall...especially if you‘re buddies with the cooks. LOL

They also leave out bread, peanut butter, etc. for those on sentry at night.