Food preferences of enlisted personnel in the Armed Forces

A food preference survey, consisting of 378 food names, was administered to approximately 3,900 personnel of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The survey required the respondent to indicate how much he liked each food (hedonic scale) and how often he wanted it served (preferred frequency scale). Overall, food preferences showed relative popularity of beverages, breakfast foods, and entrées, unpopularity of soups and vegetables, and moderate popularity of the other food classes. Items of particularly high or low preference are statistically identified within each food class. The collection and presentation of these data are intended to assist menu planners of the Armed Forces, as well as others interested in this age group (young men under twenty-six years of age.