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The Cost of a Nutritious Diet in Cafeterias: Evidence From US Military Dining Facilities

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Providing nutritious meals in institutional settings with financial constraints, such as military dining facilities, is challenging. The US Department of War (DoW) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) collaborated to modernize the Basic Daily Food Allowance (BDFA) using an optimization model that incorporates service members' consumption patterns and nutritional standards. The model estimated optimal diets for four demographic groups, producing costs similar to the 2019 BDFA but with greater food variety. This first application of the USDA Food Plan to military purchase data demonstrates a flexible approach for improving cost estimates in military and other institutional food programs.
DOI: 10.1002/aepp.70088
Authors: Linlin Fan, Yiwen Zhao, Andrea Carlson, Parke Wilde, Joanna Reagan, Julianna Jayne, Starr Seip, Denise Laursen, Matthew P. Rabbitt
Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Tufts University, Defense Health Agency, Defense Center for Public Health - Aberdeen, Defense Logistics Agency, United States Army, Cornell University
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
OpenAlex ID: W7161562200
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Cites: 15
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