Seldom
"Now if there is anything there you don't understand please feel free to PM me for more info but to sum up:-
The AV Med folk say to operate our aircraft safely aircrew need to eat suitable in flight food, our employers in recognising the recommendations of these Med Specialists have decided the easiest way of ensuring that crews eat suitable in flight rations is to supply them free of charge to all crew which I think answers your question as to why we have free in flight rations

"
I am truly banging my head against a brick wall

there really is no point to this thread continuing at all!
All of your above is fine and dandy, we all agree that people need fed for flight safety! well done

will flight safety suffer if the same food is supplied and eaten but payed for by a simple system? I rest my case!
Some people will never see what they don't want to see.