INTERVIEW – CHEF GEOFF TRACY — owns and oversees restaurants in Washington DC including Chef Geoff’s, Chef Geoff’s Downtown, Chef Geoff’s Tysons, and LIA’S

• Navy Banning Fried Food: Fried food on the outs in changes for Navy chow halls. JOINT EXPEDITIONARY BASE LITTLE CREEK-FORT STORY, Va. — Fried food is out and nutritional nagging is in as part of the big changes coming to your chow hall. Menus will not see significant changes — not yet, at least. But you can say goodbye to the fried foods you have come to know and love; breaded chicken, French fries, and the like will be baked in state-of-the-art ovens rather than deep fried. Whole milk will be replaced by skim and soy; fruits and vegetables will be on prominent display. The fast line will remain, but its offerings will be cut back. And this is just the beginning. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced a host of sweeping changes in May that will affect everything from promotions and training to uniforms and fitness. As part of that, he has set his sights on a well-balanced diet, which he calls “the foundation of a healthy lifestyle” that will provide capable warfighters and lower medical costs.
• Thanks, Michelle! Navy sailors blame fried food ban on First Lady. First Lady Michelle Obama has earned a lot of attention for trying to get Americans, especially children, to eat healthier foods, but now a host of former and current members of the Navy are criticizing her for the service’s plan to ditch fried food. According to a recent article in the Navy Times, the military branch is experimenting with healthier food offerings at a couple of units for the remainder of the year. The plans involve swapping fried food and French fries for baked versions, replacing whole milk with skim and soy alternatives, and generally including more vegetables.