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

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.