Nutritionists Help Sailors Choose 'Readiness'

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NORFOLK (NWSB) -- How does Cajun Creole chicken breasts followed up by a slice of sweet potato praline pie sound? Too rich for your diet? The Navy Food Management Team (NFMT) and the Navy Environmental Health Center (NEHC) are working to help Sailors and Marines change that.

"A lot of what this is about is choice," said Senior Chief Mess Management Specialist Carol W. Wininger, from the NFMT in Norfolk. "We work with mess specialists to encourage them to serve foods that are lower in fat. For example, we encourage serving grilled foods rather than fried foods, and boneless, skinless chicken breast rather than skin-on chicken pieces."

Wininger says a lot of cutting the fat from foods is a matter of substitution -- yogurt for sour cream or egg whites for whole eggs. But cutting the fat isn't the only goal. Ease of preparation is just as important.

"If it gets too hard (to make the dish), people don't want to do it," said Wininger.

To help with the "marketing" of eating right, Mary Kay Solera at the health promotions office at NEHC has been working with Sailors and Marines to teach them about healthy foods and healthy choices.

"We tell them you need to make the right choices, put the right fuel in your body so your body can be ready when you need to act. Really, eating right is a readiness issue," said Solera.

Solera says one of the most important things she teaches is that foods low in fat and high in nutrients don't have to be bland. She personally taste tests all the recipes suggested by NFMT.

One way Solera has been getting the word out about good tasting recipes that are good for you is through the Internet. She posts a new recipe each week on NEHC's Home page:

NEHC also plans to post a Thanksgiving menu on their Home page in early November with recipes that are low in fat, high in nutrition and also taste great.

Navy News Wire "B" story NWSB370, dated November 4, 1996.

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SeabeeCook Publishing, Shingle Springs, CA.
Last update:November 5, 1996 at 2150