Overview
This article is aimed at Marines,
particularly Marines in units that have extremely limited access to fresh food
while in the field, that are forced to consume MRE’s for weeks on end. Keep in mind I am only looking at this from a
health perspective and because I am not a fan of many of the items in MRE’s you
will have to supplement with self-purchased items.
This entire article will not really apply to civilians or even members of the armed forces that aren’t exposed to field life without access to normal foods but it should make for an entertaining article none the less. If you are lucky enough to have awesome foods Marines like I do that provide us salad and fruits on a regular basis, your supplementation will be minimum but still a good idea.
This entire article will not really apply to civilians or even members of the armed forces that aren’t exposed to field life without access to normal foods but it should make for an entertaining article none the less. If you are lucky enough to have awesome foods Marines like I do that provide us salad and fruits on a regular basis, your supplementation will be minimum but still a good idea.
I am not responsible for anything
you may or may not do as a result of reading this article. Do not tell your Sergeant that you can only
eat the high protein MRE’s because I said they are the better choice; He won’t
care. This article is for informational purposes and is not tailored to the needs of any single persons specific situation. The information provided is intended to help you make informed decisions about your health.
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| Usually $1 at the Commissary! |
What to Eat
Protein should be your main focus in
the field and this is the main reason you will have to supplement with
additional food. MRE’s were created with
one goal in mind and that is shelf life.
Palatability, quality and your dietary needs were taken into
consideration also but they were far from the top of their priority list. Don’t believe me, talk to someone that has
eaten a vegetable omelet or the four fingers of death. See, told you.
Now the reason protein is so hard to
come by in MRE’s is because protein is typically found in meat products whose
shelf lives are extended by adding crap tons of salt and preservatives to
them. Also, the FDA’s recommendation for
dietary protein is extremely low and insufficient for just about any Marine especially
in the field but it is most likely what the MRE creators were referencing when
they were designed. Protein is muscle
sparing which means it helps you maintain the muscle mass that is currently on
your body. In the field I would
recommend .8g - 1g of protein per lb. of body weight. This will ensure you are providing your body
with enough protein to retain as much muscle mass as possible throughout your
time in the field. This is a general recommendation
so if you want something more specific to your needs and situation just let me
know.
The source of your protein will be
up to you. There are a few decent
choices of MRE’s that contain up to 30g of protein in the main meal. These should be the ones you go for. There are little to no snacks in the MRE’s
that provide more than a few grams of protein.
The beef snacks and nuts are the exceptions. This is where your supplementation comes
in. Tuna, salmon, chicken and a few
other pure protein sources can be purchased in convenient pouches, perfect for
carrying to the field. Protein powder is
a little more inconvenient but still a good choice to supplement with.
Quest bars are another great example of something small and convenient you can purchase to bring to the field. With 20g of protein and 17g of fiber they make for an amazing snack. Forget about that marble pound cake, eat a cookie dough Quest bar. Much better taste and infinitely better for you. Don’t choose other protein bars as 99% of them are glorified candy bars with just as much sugar and typically more calories with little to no fiber.
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| I have yet to find a flavor that doesn't taste amazing. |
Quest bars are another great example of something small and convenient you can purchase to bring to the field. With 20g of protein and 17g of fiber they make for an amazing snack. Forget about that marble pound cake, eat a cookie dough Quest bar. Much better taste and infinitely better for you. Don’t choose other protein bars as 99% of them are glorified candy bars with just as much sugar and typically more calories with little to no fiber.
Combine the protein you bring with
the main meals that are already high in protein or even the sides meals that go
well with what you bought. The different
rice sides taste great with a can of chicken and even the mashed potatoes and
cornbread stuffing are usually tolerable when combined with something you
brought. Hot sauce will be your friend
while you are in the field. It will help
mask the crappy flavor of the MRE and also provide you with some much needed
sodium.
Carb sources in the field are
important due to the amount of energy expended while you are there. Even if you aren’t a grunt you are still
moving more than normal and require carbohydrates for energy. The sides that come with the main meal are a
decent source of carbohydrates but they usually taste terrible. Uncle Ben has some ready to eat rice that may
not be a bad idea if you want something a little fresher than the MRE carbs. Your body can also use fat as energy so nuts are also a good energy source.
Supplementing with additional fiber
could also be a good thing if fresh fruit isn’t available when you are in the
field. You can’t pack enough apples for
2 weeks but you can grab some nuts and maybe some homemade dried fruits. I know the dried fruits are a stretch but
grab some nuts. Between that and the
quest bars your digestive system will thank you.
What to Avoid
Avoid trans fats. Fairly simple and straight forward but it
eliminates nearly everything inside the MRE.
Very rarely will I tell someone NOT to eat something and eliminate it
from their diet but trans fat is the exception.
The crackers, bread, cookies, cakes, snacks, candy, peanut butter and
cheese all contain some form of trans fat.
Some of them list 0g on their labels but if you see ‘partially
hydrogenated oil’ in the ingredients you can be sure there is trans fat in
there. Trans fat should be avoided for a
multitude of reasons. If you want some
specific ones then Google them. In all
honestly an entire separate article could be written with regards to trans fat. As you can imagine, this leaves very little
food inside the MRE that I recommend eating which is why you will have to
supplement.
One subject that I know will come up is candy. The candy that comes in MRE’s has been the same for a while now. Reese’s pieces, Skittles, Twizzler’s bites, M&M’s, peanut M&M’s, tootsie rolls and those other chocolate squares are all decent snacks. While not the best source of nutrition as some of them contain trans fat, they break up the monotony of tasteless food and keep you from going insane during a few week stint in the field. If you can avoid it, do so but do not feel bad eating them.
Hydration
Drink water and plenty of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or hot, you are
moving around more than normal when you are in the field. Walks to the head, chow and just walking
around for whatever your tasks are throughout the day will cause you to require
more water than you are used to. Keep a
camelback on you or have a canteen you fill regularly. On a typical day in the field I can go through
200oz of water fairly easy. Mio and
other flavor enhancers can be used to either mask the taste of field
water. I hate drinking calories except
for the occasional glass of wine with my wife so using the big drink pouches in
the MRE will never be recommended by me.
They aren’t required if you are eating the proper foods anyways.
When to Eat
Chow is continuous Devil Dog. Eat when you want. I still try to stick to a 16/8 fast and eat
schedule but sometimes that isn’t feasible.
One small piece of advice is to eat your carbs later in the day. When sleeping in cold weather you will find
yourself waking up at night at least 1 time to take a piss. Sometimes you try to sleep through this but that
is a terrible idea. The feeling can only
be compared to what Sigourney Weaver was feeling in Alien when the spawn was
just about to burst out of her. Now I
have never had an alien spawn burst out of my stomach but that is a feeling I do
not wish on anyone. Back on topic, eating
some carbs before bed will give your body some place to store that water that
you would have pissed out if you were to have eaten those carbs earlier in the
day. I can do some more research on the
science behind all of this to further explain it but it has yet to fail me or
anyone I recommend it to.
Benefits of Eating Healthy in the Field
The best benefit is
performance. You will feel better which
means you will have the ability to perform better. You will be providing your body with a more
optimal macronutrient profile which will also lead to more consistent visits to
go poopy. You should be going 1-2 times
a day depending on your eating schedule.
One time a day at minimum. If you
aren’t then you aren’t getting enough fiber and will likely have a rough
transition back to normal food when you come back from the field.
Notice
This has been an extremely general
overview of field eating for Marines. If
you want something specific for your case or if you want to discuss something
in greater detail either comment below or email me at Joshua.j.palmieri@gmail.com. Thank you for reading!
