Short CommunicationExpectations and experiences of institutional foods among Finnish male conscripts

- Young men (n = 407) starting military service rated the expected pleasantness of 36 army foods and foods in general.
- These foods were rated again during the service, now based on experience.
- No negative expectations of army foods relative to foods in general were observed.
- A majority of army foods failed meeting expectations.
- The only food category exceeding expectations was sweet items.

We examined the views of army catering foods in 19-20-year-old Finnish male conscripts. Four to six weeks before starting their service, the conscripts (n = 407) rated the pleasantness of 36 foods in general, and their expectation of pleasantness “when these foods are served in the army”. After 2 months of service, they rated the experienced pleasantness of the same products and their perceptions of the eating environment (dining hall). Demographic and psychosocial data were also collected. The “before” ratings showed no negative expectations of the foods served in the army, compared to expectations of those foods in general. However, 21 out of 36 foods served in the garrison failed meeting the hedonic expectations, and only six exceeded them. When grouped into categories, Cereal snacks and Sweet items were the best, and Soups and Salads and Fruit the least liked food categories. Sweet items was the only food category rated higher after 2 months of service. Psychosocial instruments did not predict ratings, suggesting that hedonic responses to the dishes represent a shared experience of this male cohort. Neither did the rated comfort of the dining hall relate to the experienced pleasantness of foods eaten in the dining hall. We suggest that the Finnish catering systems prior to the army service (day care, school lunch) raise the young men to accept institutional foods, but the perceived quality of army catering does not quite live up to the expectations. Positive responses to the sweet items in the army can reflect increased need for energy and enjoyment from the food.