Fuelling the force

Nine simple steps to achieve healthy and sustainable nutrition

Whether you are a new recruit, a seasoned professional, or special forces, the foundations of a good diet are the same.

Minimally processed foods contain the nutrients to support metabolism, performance, mood, energy and recovery, with protein sources being a key dietary factor to supply these nutrients. The amount you will need, particularly carbohydrates and fat, will depend on your physical activity level and your body composition goals. Follow these nine easy steps to achieve healthy and sustainable nutrition. 

• 1. Prioritise natural or minimally processed foods

  Natural or minimally processed foods are the basis of diets that provide the nutrients we need. Variety means foods of all types – nuts, milk, eggs, meat, fish, legumes, roots, tubers, vegetables, fruits - and diversity within each type, e.g. beef and lamb, spinach and kumara, beans and lentils, corn, potato and taro, tomatoes and squash, oranges and bananas, chicken and fish.

  Shop around the outside of the supermarket (where most of the fresh food is) and in fruit and vegetable shops, or buy directly from producers or other places that sell varieties of natural or minimally processed foods. Choose vegetables and fruits that are locally grown in season, for both their nutrition and your wallet.

  When eating in the galley/mess, go for the least processed protein option (the steak, the un-coated chicken or fish etc) and then load your plate with veggies.

• 2. Limit processed foods

  Processed foods such as vegetables in brine, fruits in syrup, processed cheeses and breads, have a lower nutritional quality of the food. Try to use only small amounts of these in dishes.

• 3. Avoid ultra-processed foods

  Ultra-processed foods make up 60% of foods found in the supermarket and consist of three main ingredients (starch, sugar and processed oils). A bunch of additives and preservatives make them taste like foods that we might find in nature, but they contain none of the nutrients. Salty, fatty packaged snacks, soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, and instant noodles, are low in the nutrients we need and provide an excess of calories that can lead to overeating.

• 4. Use natural oils, natural fats and salt in small amounts

  When used in dishes that are predominantly whole foods (such as vegetables, eggs, meat etc), cooking with natural oils, fats and salt (in small amounts) improves flavour and contributes to a diverse and delicious diet.

  They also help improve the absorption of nutrients from vegetables. Natural oils include coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil. Natural fats includes fat from dairy and from tallow and lard.

   

• 5. Eat mindfully, and with others

  Whenever possible, eat in company with family, friends, or colleagues; this increases the enjoyment of food and encourages eating regularly, attentively, and in an appropriate environment.

  Try to eat your meals at regular times each day and avoid snacking between meals. Eat slowly and enjoy what you are eating, without engaging in another activity. Eat in clean, comfortable and quiet places, where there is no pressure to consume unlimited amounts of food. 

• 6. Develop and share cooking skills

  If you have cooking skills, develop them and share them, especially with children. If you do not have these skills, find ways to acquire them. Learn from and talk to people who know how to cook. Ask family, friends, and colleagues for recipes, read books, check the internet, or maybe take a course. 

• 7. Plan your meals in advance

  Decide on meals up to a week in advance so that you can check what you’ve got and what you need, and shop accordingly. Share the planning and cooking with those you live with and make time and effort to enjoy the meal.

• 8. Choose freshly made meals when away from home

  When you're away from home, try to eat in places that serve fresh meals. Choose the protein base first (fish, chicken, steak, etc) and ask for sauces on the side. Try to minimise the amount of processed sauces or starch that are added to the meal. Self-service restaurants and canteens that serve food buffet-style, charged by weight, are good choices. When on base or in camp, make use of the mess or galley, and avoid the fast food chains. 

• 9. Plan your time to make food and eating important in your life

  The purpose of advertising is to increase product sales, not to inform or educate people. The marketing of any food product is on the front; the nutrition information is on the back. Be critical and teach those around you to be critical of all forms of food advertising and marketing. For example, while some common breakfast food brands are marketed as a ‘high protein’ cereal, the protein source is from added wheat protein, a source that contains little other nutrients and doesn’t provide the satiety of food sources naturally high in protein (such as eggs). In addition, the serving size, 40g, might provide 2 tsp of sugar, however most people eat at least double the suggested serving size so this can quickly add up. Sugar is also hidden in food labels under many different names, for example cereal has four different possible sources of sugar (sugar, maltodextrin, molasses and barley malt extract).