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FIT FOR DUTY. . . FIT FOR LIFE!
Nutrition On The Go:  Selecting The Optimal Fuel For Your Ready Bag
 Submitted by LCDR Joseph Frost, USPHS, Dietitian Category
 
September is “Emergency Preparedness Month” 

In celebration of Emergency Preparedness Month, you’re probably spending the better part of September packing your “ready bag” in accordance with the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment’s guidance. Work clothes to last 10 days….check. Shampoo, unscented….check. Leatherman….check. Lots of quarters….check. One day’s worth of emergency food….all in your carry-on bag? This one is not as easy.

Squeezing an entire day's worth of calories into a carry-on bag (while still leaving room for all of the other essentials) may not be too difficult, if you don’t mind loading your system with high fat, sugar, and sodium and skipping most essential nutrients. Packing foods with the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that your body needs each day and that won’t leave you out of fuel for your upcoming mission is a bit more challenging, but will pay great dividends in the long run.

As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to pack as many calories as you typically consume in a day. We’ll use 2,000 per day as an estimate. Try to stick with the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines and shoot for somewhere around 25-35 percent of those calories (56-78 grams) coming from fat (with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids); 45-65 percent from carbohydrate (225-325 grams) – complex when possible; and the remainder from protein. As to not let your nutrition slip during the deployment, we’ll also try to get at least a few of those recommended five fruits and vegetables per day and maybe even a serving of dairy. And, we’ll get it to all fit into (and survive in) that carry-on bag!

While there is no formula for this packing list that will work for everyone, we’ve included a few foods to consider for your deployment bag:

Meals Ready to Eat (MREs): MREs are a complete meal in one package. With 24 menus produced each year and complete with dessert, their own heater, and even a bottle of tabasco, these are worth mentioning. They pack an average of 1,250 calories per meal (51 percent carbohydrate, 36 percent fat, and 13 percent protein) and often contain a fruit. New additions are added each year, and the least favorite foods are removed. A high sodium content (1,800 mg per meal) is among the cons to these meals.

Sports Bars: This lightweight, nutrient dense, and easy to pack option is an obvious deployment choice, but keep in mind that some bars marketed under the sports bar umbrella are little more than fortified candy bars. Include fiber, fat, protein, and sugar content in your comparisons when selecting the right sports bar. Geared for athletics, these bars tend to be higher than healthy eating recommendations in terms of total carbohydrates. However, some have lower sugar, total fat, and saturated fat compared to others. The same recommendations hold true for granola and cereal bars as well.

Dried Fruit: A dense portable form of calories that even provides vitamins, minerals, and some fiber. Unlike the fresh variety, you’re not likely to have to scrape it out of the bottom of your carry-on if you forget about it. Choices from this category will provide some vitamins and fiber. Choose ones without extra sugar added. Check your grocer’s bulk bins for more variety and cost savings.

Nuts: With a whopping 885 calories per cup*, it’s difficult to think of a more calorie dense food to take on a deployment. However, because the calories are 76 percent from fat, and 9 percent from protein, you want to be sure to not overdue it on the nuts and add some carbohydrates. (*peanuts)

Trail Mix: Speaking of nuts and carbohydrates, trail mix has long provided back packers with sustained energy in a small volume. Although high in overall fat, trail mix will typically provide you with a good blend of energy sources. Consider mixes without chocolate to boost the overall nutrition value and to avoid that gooey melted mess in the bottom of your carry-on.

Tuna in a Pouch: No need for lugging your can opener on the deployment with this durable airtight pouch. This product gives you a convenient option for a low-fat, high-protein source. And, some consumers believe it is even fresher in taste compared to the canned version. You can now also find marinated (mesquite grilled, lemon and cracked pepper, and ginger and soy) tuna fillets, as well as chicken breasts, in the same retort packaging in the same grocery aisle. Consider bringing along a few whole grain tortillas for a quick wrap and easy meal on the go.

Cheese: Although recognized as an important aspect of our diet, milk products generally don’t make the quick, convenient, and easy to carry list. Backpackers have long known that many cheeses can last days with out refrigeration when packed correctly. You may consider a low-fat string cheese that is individually wrapped for longer life away from the refrigerator to meet some of your calcium needs. Quality and safety may diminish quickly depending on temperature, so to be safe, plan on using this food choice early on in the day.

Water/Fluids: Be sure to remember to pack enough water for the day, too. Water and/or fluid requirements, like caloric needs, increase with a person’s body size. In general, the larger the individual, the more fluid is required to keep one from getting dehydrated. Women should strive to drink nine 8-ounce servings/day, while men should aim to drink thirteen 8-ounce servings. Everyone should limit caffeine to 400 mg per day and calorie-containing beverages should not add up to more than 10 to 15 percent of your total daily calories. Bottle waters, plain or flavored with no or few calories added, are excellent choices for the carry-on. Opting for a one-liter, resealable bottle can help with packing space, while providing just over four of your daily servings.

References:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21Oj.html http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter7.htm

American Dietetic Association Web site and the “The Daily Healthy Beverage Guidelines”: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/login_search_ENU_HTML.htm?dosearch=1&search=water+&x=17&y=7

The series “Fit For Duty…Fit for Life!”, is a lifestyle-based column that has been provided by the USPHS Dietitian/Nutritionist PAC (D/N-PAC). If you have related topics of interest that you would like to learn more about in future articles, contact CAPT Jean Makie, USPHS, at jean.makie@fda.hhs.gov 
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