July - August 2012 (PDF Version) - New York Chiropractic College

Rations – “Fueling” the Military
It’s been said, “An army
marches on its stomach,”
a proverb attributed to
Napoleon and Frederick
the Great, both of
whom were aware that
insufficient calories
and improper nutrition
rendered their troops
less effective in battle.
Throughout history “military rations,”
a term for fixed allowances
of food, were intended to meet the
caloric needs of soldiers under exacting
conditions. Are today’s military rations,
in fact, meeting the nutritional needs of
soldiers?
A Brief History of the Military Ration
The U.S. military is now making an
effort to provide soldiers in the field with
nutritious food that is palatable, portable,
nonperishable, and easily prepared. Food
supplied the troops has evolved over
America’s history.
Garrison rations, first introduced in the
U.S. military in 1775, provided Continental
Army troops with “one pound of beef or
¾ of a pound of pork or one pound of
fish per day, one pound of flour per day,
three pints of peas or beans per week, or
vegetable equivalent, one pint of milk per
day per man, one half pint of rice or one
pint of Indian meal per week per man, and
one quart of spruce beer, or cider.” Good
nutrition, they found, not only helped
soldiers stave off such illnesses as scurvy,
but heightened morale as well.
Portions changed little during the
16
American Civil War, with the exception of
the addition of potatoes. Illnesses such as
typhoid, dysentery, and those easily spread
by contamination of water and food supplies
were rampant. Fatalities were common.
Published by the Army of Virginia in
1861, “Directions for Cooking by Troops
in Camp and Hospitals” (largely written by
Florence Nightingale) emphasized meat,
milk and whole grains, fruit and vegetables.
In the late 19 th century, early nutritional
science hastened changes that stressed
inclusion of a more diverse selection of
vegetables. During the Spanish American
War, vast distances separating supply
chains from American troops left soldiers
eating rotten foods and poor-quality meals.
In fact, the death toll caused by bad food
exceeded combat fatalities!
Better Technology Brings Better Food
Clearly, changes needed to be made.
Studies determined the garrison rations
to be too much food, too high in fat content
and nutritionally unbalanced. During
World War I, the provisions’ balance
improved significantly to comprise 137
grams of protein, 129 grams of fat, and
539 grams of carbohydrates every day,
www.nycc.edu
for a total of roughly 4,000 calories. Still
lacking, however, were fresh vegetables and
essential vitamins. Enter technology: with
advances in food processing and storage it
became possible to supply training camps
with fresh meats, eggs, dairy products,
and vegetables. Troops overseas, however,
could only enjoy vegetables if they could
procure them locally.
Eventually the League of Nations
Commission on Nutrition made recommendations
based on the scientific principles
of nutrition. The recommendations
highlighted the importance of foods such
as green leafy vegetables, fruit, and milk.
Following the war, field studies assessed
the health, performance and nutritional
status of troops in different environments
and led to the development of a variety of
rations for a variety conditions.
K-Rations
During World War II, A-rations (garrison)
were fresh, refrigerated or frozen, and
prepared in dining halls or field kitchens.
B-rations, also known as field rations, were
canned, packaged, or preserved, and could
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