Enthusiasm for the frozen treat in the armed forces didn’t diminish. In the Second World War, an advertisement sponsored by the National Dairy Council reminded American readers (who faced rationing of many food items back home) that “There’s a reason why the US Navy serves ice cream”:
Navy menus don’t just happen!... That is why it is significant that ice cream ranks so high on Navy menus. It is not only a favorite food, but it also supplies valuable vitamins, proteins, and minerals. For that reason, wherever practical, the Navy gets ice cream!... So, if you aren’t always able to get all the ice cream you want—remember, you’re “sharing” this nutritious food with our fighters. By this time, instead of reconstituting milk and then adding the rest of the ingredients, the Navy purchased dry ice cream mix that just needed water—according to the Cookbook of the US Navy, 1.75 gallons of water and nine pounds of the mix would yield 100 servings—to create an unflavored ice cream base, which could be flavored with vanilla tablets, cocoa, coffee, fruit, or whatever the cooks had on hand.
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