I'm Still Trying to Get These Things Added.......

[innlady1]

We eat only whole wheat bread, pita, pasta, etc. Brown rice instead of white; sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, etc. I would love for HAL to make all of these choices readily available. So many products are now made with whole wheat flour:

 

In our inn, we now offer Pepperidge Farm Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl bread for folks to use for toast (we can't always get whole wheat, but when we can, that's what we buy). I use it for us, too.

 

Another new product that we love: Arnold's Multi Grain Sandwich Thins....they're very similar to a pita pocket and great for sandwiches.

 

Hopefully the powers that be at HAL read these boards and pay attention to our requests.

[Juanita462]

I am with you on the whole wheat and sweet potatoes.

 

But - many seniors have diverticulitis and can't eat whole grain products containing the whole seeds. Sometimes it is impossible to find bread or rolls that don't have seeds in them. would love to see plain whole wheat bread without seeds. At the dinner table there are usually 2 plain white rolls and all the rest have seeds in them meaning there are none that we can eat.

 

Brown rice would be wonderful - we never eat the white stuff.

 

Salt is another thing they could cut down on - it is not healthy and sometimes you can't eat the vegies they are so salty. We never salt any vegetables at home.

[neverwinter2]

I switched over to all whole wheat/whole grain foods and it has been the best move I ever made. I won't touch anything made with white flour any more - don't even like the taste. I have made exactly Sail's request at various restaurants - that whole grain items be offered. I think a lot of people would make that choice if it were offered.

 

Hope someone at HAL is reading this thread and thinking about Sail's very smart suggestion!

[vbmom87]

Every now and then I bring this up and it is usually few weeks before we are planning to cruise again.

 

I'm a few weeks early this time. :D

 

 

PLEASE ..... why has it been impossible for HAL to always offer whole wheat pasta along with the white pasta, whole wheat bread and/or roll always available and the choice of a baked sweet potato ALONG with the choice of a white potato. These are not luxury foods and are not pricey. Why can't they be added to the stores list and prepared along with white spaghetti? What's the big deal to put another pot of boiling water on the giant stoves? Is it so much work?

 

I've written this before and alway seemed to find people who agreed they want these things.

 

Anyone out there still hope HAL makes these simple items available?

 

I don't eat white rice, white bread, white potato, white pasta and would enjoy being able to have the far healthier alternatives to those foods.

 

 

It would be nice. Like you I eat the whole grains at home and the sweet potatoes, but when I am on vacation, I just go with whatever is. If it bothered me that much, I wouldn't cruise.

[vbmom87]

Probably the biggest issue is cost. Where I live whole grain pastas and flour are much more expensive than the white. Sweet Potatoes are usually more expensive than white potatoes. I would guess it boils down to cost, or the kitchen doesn't want to have to prepare so many different items. That would be my guess.

[ViolaSwamp]

I'm on board (bad pun :p ) with this idea!!! I would like the healthy whole grains to balance out the overage of desserts and drinks... ;)

[AlexandNessa]

Rate the food low on your cruise surveys. Tell them you rated them low for their lack of wheat/healthy choices. Until their survey scores are low, they won't change anything.

[Sage]

As many of you know, the healthier foods cost more, as least they do here, and perhaps that is one of the reasons that HAL is not offering them. I have a problem with antibiotics in meats and poultry, and the products that do not have the antibiotics are much higher in price. Perhaps it all comes down to price with HAL. We can only request, and hopefully, they will hear us one day. Fill out those comment cards everyone.

[sail7seas]

I buy whole wheat pasta at Trader Joe's and Stop and Shop (a very large super market chain in our area) for the same price as white pasta. No increase in cost. Some 'designer labels' cost more but taste no better IMO and are no more nutritious. With the Carnival Family of Ships huge buying power, I doubt the price of pasta would differ.

 

Whole wheat bread, again, can be higher but whole wheat flour costs no more. If, indeed, they are baking their bread aboard, why can't it be baked with whole wheat flour instead of white paste?

 

Cost CAN be higher but does not need to be and HAL way better than me knows cost effective buying in the huge quantities they order.

 

Sweet potatoes/yams are not luxury foods. Again, their cost is comparable.

 

I'm not talking about free range chickens, U.S. organically grown produce and the like. I'm talking very basic, non-luxury items.

 

 

[Travalerie]

I buy whole wheat pasta at Trader Joe's and Stop and Shop (a very large super market chain in our area) for the same price as white pasta. No increase in cost. Some 'designer labels' cost more but taste no better IMO and are no more nutritious. With the Carnival Family of Ships huge buying power, I doubt the price of pasta would differ.

 

Whole wheat bread, again, can be higher but whole wheat flour costs no more. If, indeed, they are baking their bread aboard, why can't it be baked with whole wheat flour instead of white paste?

 

Cost CAN be higher but does not need to be and HAL way better than me knows cost effective buying in the huge quantities they order.

 

Sweet potatoes/yams are not luxury foods. Again, their cost is comparable.

 

I'm not talking about free range chickens, U.S. organically grown produce and the like. I'm talking very basic, non-luxury items.

 

 

I agree. I live in the south and I think the prices are the same too pretty much. There are so many brands doing it now, the prices are better. Personally I would love organic and free range, but I know that is really costly. I am having to bring the horizon milk singles that don't require refrigeration for my kids.

[CrystalLady]

Every now and then I bring this up and it is usually few weeks before we are planning to cruise again.

 

I'm a few weeks early this time. :D

 

 

PLEASE ..... why has it been impossible for HAL to always offer whole wheat pasta along with the white pasta, whole wheat bread and/or roll always available and the choice of a baked sweet potato ALONG with the choice of a white potato. These are not luxury foods and are not pricey. Why can't they be added to the stores list and prepared along with white spaghetti? What's the big deal to put another pot of boiling water on the giant stoves? Is it so much work?

 

I've written this before and alway seemed to find people who agreed they want these things.

 

Anyone out there still hope HAL makes these simple items available?

 

I don't eat white rice, white bread, white potato, white pasta and would enjoy being able to have the far healthier alternatives to those foods.

 

You bring up some very reasonable points, Sail. Since you and DH are very good friends of one of the Hotel Managers in particular, why not raise the question with him? As you know, I hold him in very high respect, too. If anyone can get Seattle to pay attention, I believe he can.

[pipedreams62]

For whole wheat pasta of course

 

[neverwinter2]

But - many seniors have diverticulitis and can't eat whole grain products containing the whole seeds. Sometimes it is impossible to find bread or rolls that don't have seeds in them. would love to see plain whole wheat bread without seeds. At the dinner table there are usually 2 plain white rolls and all the rest have seeds in them meaning there are none that we can eat.

 

*JOSH HAS STOLEN MELISSA'S ACCOUNT TO MAKE THIS REPLY* :eek:

 

The answer is all logistics. There are probably ten reasons it's just not feasible to split between white/grain. Cost, volume, cooking space, etc. The rolls are easy since they're most likely IQF, if not boxed dough. It's up to the producer to determine percentages of each type. The only reasonable solution to HAL would be to switch completely to grain products. Cost would most likely increase slightly due to lower crop yields, but most cruisers probably wouldn't mind. The issue would be those on the other side of the debate who feel they MUST have white. Though the numbers of people no longer eating white are increasing, they're nowhere near the majority. Therefore, to HAL, it's not worth it to change at all.

 

Juanita, you may want to discuss it with your PCP, but there is research showing that small indigestibles, such as seeds, do not actually contribute to the progression of diverticulosis to diverticulitis as was once believed. Once a patient with diverticulitis has the inflammation under control, a high-fiber diet (that can contain seeds) is usually recommended to prevent future recurrences. Interestingly, it's the North American traditional diet high in red meat and starches that causes most diverticulosis to begin with!

 

*BACK TO LURKING*;)

[DMorris]

Every now and then I bring this up and it is usually few weeks before we are planning to cruise again.

 

I'm a few weeks early this time. :D

 

 

PLEASE ..... why has it been impossible for HAL to always offer whole wheat pasta along with the white pasta, whole wheat bread and/or roll always available and the choice of a baked sweet potato ALONG with the choice of a white potato. These are not luxury foods and are not pricey. Why can't they be added to the stores list and prepared along with white spaghetti? What's the big deal to put another pot of boiling water on the giant stoves? Is it so much work?

 

I've written this before and alway seemed to find people who agreed they want these things.

 

Anyone out there still hope HAL makes these simple items available?

 

I don't eat white rice, white bread, white potato, white pasta and would enjoy being able to have the far healthier alternatives to those foods.

 

I totally agree with you... I don't eat white rice, bread, pasta, potatoe, etc... I eat only whole wheat or whole grain foods. I wish they would add this also to the daily menus.

[pipedreams62]

Whole Wheat pasta Labyrinth

 

 

[hammybee]

I am another who prefers whole wheat.

 

I wonder however, how many of the 1 million + passengers a year, do. White bread still outsells all other bread on the grocery shelf.

 

Rye and something that resembles wheat, are usually available for toast, but I suspect white bread toast is requested far more often, than not. No one knows better than a cruise line what their passengers prefer.

 

I have no doubt this will change, over time.

[CoconutFish]

This September on the Zaandam the Lido served a brown rice salad several times and a barley salad twice at lunch time. Both were very substantial and tasty. Some nights in the dining room there were very good, no-seeds buns that were probably 75% whole wheat. Polenta and mashed sweet potatoes were served with several entrees.

Looks as if HAL is leaning in the right direction. Hope to see these offerings on other HAL ships.

[maha123]

I am another who prefers whole wheat.

 

I wonder however, how many of the 1 million + passengers a year, do. White bread still outsells all other bread on the grocery shelf.

 

Rye and something that resembles wheat, are usually available for toast, but I suspect white bread toast is requested far more often, than not. No one knows better than a cruise line what their passengers prefer.

 

I have no doubt this will change, over time.

 

Can we do a survey on this? Maybe somebody at Head Office will pay attention if there really are a lot of passengers who would prefer whole wheat over white.

[sail7seas]

I am another who prefers whole wheat.

 

I wonder however, how many of the 1 million + passengers a year, do. White bread still outsells all other bread on the grocery shelf.

 

Rye and something that resembles wheat, are usually available for toast, but I suspect white bread toast is requested far more often, than not. No one knows better than a cruise line what their passengers prefer.

 

I have no doubt this will change, over time.

 

 

Something that resemble wheat just doesn't cut it for me. That is still enriched flour...... if they hadn't taken out the wholesomeness, they wouldn't have to enrich it.

 

I'm looking for 100% whole wheat or whole grain.

 

I doubt the fellow at the toast station makes a notation each time someone asks for whole wheat and he doesn't have it. I'm not sure Exec Chef even knows from stewards if guests are requesting whole wheat everything/anything.

 

I make comments on the end of cruise survey every time. I've been trying for years to get 100% whole wheat pasta/bread/bagel.....

 

Any or all of the above. :)

[kryos]

Can we do a survey on this? Maybe somebody at Head Office will pay attention if there really are a lot of passengers who would prefer whole wheat over white.

A lot of people don't realize this, but you CAN make special requests when onboard, and as long as they are feasible, they will be accommodated. I know one person in our CC group on the Statendam who got orders of Bitterballen sent to their cabin on a few occasions, as an accommodation to a special request.

 

What I would suggest is that people who want these whole wheat choices request them once onboard. If HAL sees that a lot of people are requesting them, they will offer them as a matter of course rather than deal with all the special requests. If they don't get many requests for them, then there really is no reason to overhaul the menus to offer them as a matter of course.

 

As in all things, majority will rule ... and the best way to establish a majority is to make a special request for these items when you get onboard.

 

Just my two cents ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[hammybee]

Yeah, the wheat bread is like white bread with some color. The rye is more substantial.

 

I guess what I am saying is that a cruise line knows what its passengers eat and what goes to waste, just like a grocery store. And perhaps what people say and do anre two different things, especially while on vacation.

That ice cream station sees a lot of action over the course of a cruise from people who would otherwise probably not indulge.

 

Don't get me wrong. I am all for whole wheat products. They taste better.

[ekerr19]

I'd like to see them add the pasta and whole grain rolls too. I actually prefer the taste of whole wheat pasta over regular.

 

DH usually orders rye bread at the deli station, and they seem to have a few different choices, but not sure whether they could be consider 100% whole wheat.

 

I was very impressed with the salad bar on our last cruise. There were some very decent selections.

[skyedoggie]

Given the choice between whole wheat or white, I'd go with the whole wheat. Baked Sweet Potato or regular, I'd go with the Baked Sweet.

 

So count me in as someone who supports this cause.

 

I wouldn't take the time to search anyone out to make special accomodation for me, as that seems too much like work.

[pipedreams62]

The whole wheat pasta case can be taken to the supreme court?

 

[happy cruzer]

I agree with the poster that listed logistics as the issue.

 

HAL would have to add all these items to their list to be supplied and kept available on each at each supply area. That will add expense. I am sure that they try to limit the number of supplies and vendors to control costs.

 

I imagine they stock items that they think at least 1/2 half of the cruisers would have in one form or another.

 

I own a small business and each and every change to inventory causes management overhead cost. I imagine it would for large businesses too.

 

JMHO