'Where are my fries?' Navy not all happy with more nutritious menu
Changes in how one branch of the US military will prepare and present food to its members has some reacting like they just bit into a lemon.
Navy sailors line the infield before the San Diego Padres play the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game Sunday, June 28, 2015, in San Diego.
Gregory Bull/AP
Taking fried foods, whole milk, and other comfort foods off the Navy鈥檚 menu may make sailors and naval aviators more fit to fight. But, at the moment, it鈥檚 making many fighting mad.
The program is similar in concept and implementation to first lady Michelle Obama鈥檚 changes to school lunch menus in order to boost healthy lifestyles.
Citing the SEALs' "" program as an example, Navy Secretary back in May that vast changes affecting food and fitness were coming. Secretary Mabus has set his sights on a well-balanced diet, which he referred to as "the foundation of a healthy lifestyle" he hopes will make sailors more fit to fight.
The SEAL plan increases the availability of lean proteins, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates to fuel, rather than feed, the warfighter. Other galleys have implemented "Go for Green," a Department of Defense (DoD) nutrition program that teaches sailors to recognize and select healthier foods.
In 2014, the Navy Nutrition Program teamed up with the and the Culinary Institute of America 鈥渢o improve and create 50 new recipes and replace some of the decades old Armed Forces Recipe Service Cards,鈥� according to the . Those 鈥淕o Green鈥� cards which use a 鈥渟top light system鈥� to identify foods high in nutritional quality to enhance performance, mood and help manage body weight are now available in mess halls.
However, taking away the deep fryers and whole milk options from chow halls across the country is upsetting some Navy personnel, leading them to vent their frustrations and the first lady for the changes on social media.
Others on Facebook favored exercise increase over dietary restrictions.
鈥淎in't gonna work,鈥� commented to the Facebook posting. 鈥淚n my day, if I couldn't get fried chicken or fish n'chips from the mess decks, I'd buy it in town. I think this is just an excuse to spend less on food (During Vietnam Nam, we were actually getting grade B meat several meals a week because of some corrupt supply officers who were being bribed.) These people are U.S. Navy sailors. They don't need some doodle bug nanny from that stupid medical service corps coming around telling them what to eat. Hold people accountable during the annual PFT, AND ACTUALLY KICK THE ONES OUT WHO CAN'T PERFORM.鈥�
鈥淣o more deep fried soft shell crabs, Freedom Fries, Fried Chicken, Hush Puppies.... There goes the taste. Hope the Air Force doesn't follow suit,鈥� commented . 鈥淭heir cooks always made awesome chow, when they visited.鈥�
Darya Rose, neuroscience Ph.D, author of the book 鈥�,鈥� and founder of the site says in an interview that the new focus on nutrition in the Navy's diet may be far more effective than the changes made in the national school lunch programs.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e imposing it on your children, for example, at schools it won鈥檛 work because kids don鈥檛 understand the health and performance components and can just trade lunch for chips with other kids,鈥� Ms. Rose says. 鈥淗owever what the Navy did was smart because it really put the emphasis on performance and recovery.鈥�
Rose adds that telling people that something will be good for them in years to come 鈥渋s too abstract鈥� while, 鈥淵ou can understand the emphasis on performance as consequences that are immediate and beneficial.鈥�
鈥淵ou can feel a very strong difference in performance if you eat healthier and I thought that was a really smart tactic,鈥� Rose says. 鈥淚f you value performance it鈥檚 a much stronger argument than in the school telling kids they shouldn鈥檛 have soda. They aren鈥檛 saying I want you guys to weigh less or avoid diabetes or heart disease. They are saying this is what we鈥檙e doing for your job performance and your benefit and I think that鈥檚 really smart.鈥�
Ultimately, the key to this program鈥檚 success, according to Rose, will be the Navy鈥檚 ability to have its chefs make the food taste good.
鈥淢ost people鈥檚 experience with vegetables it having them steamed, no fat on it, no salt, industrialized vegetables and that just doesn鈥檛 taste good,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e gone past the 1980s argument that fat is the enemy in the nutrition world. The key is offering foods that are healthy, but that taste really, really good. It sounds like the Navy chefs understand that. Obviously, we鈥檒l see how they execute on that.鈥�