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March 26, 2012

Healthy Food for the Troops – How We Can Help

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I’m concerned about the foods our troops receive while deployed. Because the food often travels thousands of miles, it can be full of preservatives, additives, coloring, sugars – the list goes on. It can be a challenge for our troops to eat a nourishing diet while protecting our country. Instead of giving tips on this topic myself, I thought the message might be best heard from one of our own – George Bryant – an active duty United States Marine of ten years.

I tried and chased every fad diet in the world and been on every weight roller coaster you can imagine. I’ve tipped the scales everywhere from 155 – 257 pounds now settling on an amazingly happy and healthy 168 pounds. Eating healthy and making good food choices isn’t the most supported concept out there. With cheap, processed, over-marketed crap flooding commercials, radio ads, billboards, etc. we can be looked down upon for trying to follow a lifestyle our bodies were intended for. From personal experience, I’ve found it’s hard living here in the United States, but it is even harder when we are deployed. That’s right, we. I am an active duty United States Marine of ten years and once I decided to take control of my health, nothing was going to stop me – even the far-off desolate lands of Afghanistan.

No matter how much I try to portray an accurate portrait of the food that we are provided in far off places, it would not do justice. It’s an amazing situation for those that love junk food. Once while out on a FOB (Forward Operating Base), I walked into the huge shipping container used to store food. I saw a wall of pop tarts, a wall of Famous Amos cookies, and a wall of Rip It energy drinks. These shipping containers are forty feet long. Next to that shipping container was another one that was twenty feet long, full of water, and then a ten foot shipping container with boxes of MRE (Meals Ready to Eat – full of processed ingredients and preservatives). I couldn’t imagine seeing any human being survive on US soil eating that stuff – let alone thrive. Now don’t misunderstand, I know there are plenty of people that willingly eat that way, but NOT ME.

I spent my entire last deployment in Afghanistan doing Crossfit everyday as well as adopting a Paleo lifestyle the best I could on the chow hall food provided. I found that with a little help from others, one can thrive and eat well while on a remote deployment.

So how can you help? One of my biggest problems when I was deployed was getting my hands on healthy options to keep me fueled without making me sick. Some of you may have husbands, brothers, sisters, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers or friends that are deployed or getting ready to deploy. Or maybe  you have a big heart and want to help. I found some things that worked out really well for me and a few of my fellow Marines.

The food – Let’s start with what you can buy. And remember this list is not all-inclusive, just things I found that worked well for me.

Coconut Oil – Coconut is a super food and a jar of this can withstand all the weather in far off places and provides amazing energy with just a few teaspoons. I get all my coconut products from Tropical Traditions (which in my opinion, has all the best coconut oil).

Coconut Cream Concentrate – This is like a dessert to me and also works amazing as an appetite suppressant and energy booster due to its high fat content. I also get this from Tropical Traditions.

Macadamia Nuts – These are the nuts of the Gods. Macadamia nuts are healthy and don’t have any side effects that you could have from eating, for instance, excess almonds that contain a high phytic acid content. My favorite source of these while in Afghanistan was Nuts.com. They shipped our orders to us in under a week!

Paleo Kits – This is the best product any deployed service member could have. Steve’s Original carries everything from dried fruit, to grass fed beef jerky, to buffalo chicken jerky. They have great flavor and store well. The individual packages make them perfect to pack in a ruc sack or back pack while on patrol or out on a mission. On top of that, 15% of all Steve’s sales go to support Steve’s Club that is an amazing Non profit organization.

Quality Coffee – The importance of good quality coffee to us service members can’t be expressed in words. It provides a level of comfort from home, and gets us through the sleep deprivation, long days, weeks, and months. There are some awesome companies that support the troops with coffee, but you could never go wrong sending any ground coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, or Coffee Bean.

For those of you with generous hearts that want to make some homemade goods I recommend investing or borrowing a vacuum sealer. When I was deployed, it was a depressing experience to receive a package of homemade food only to find it destroyed and inedible due to the long journey over or heat. It’s important to wrap things in a way to allow them to be transported and withstand heat. Some mail got to us in 5 days, but sometimes, especially during the holidays it can take as long as 90 days. Keep this in mind when you are packing that box. I asked a few of my friends and family to make some of my favorite recipes and send them in large batches. They packed the food in a ziploc and vacuum sealed it. It last for months and it was a nice reminder of home.

If you don’t have friends or family deployed, you can be an anonymous donor. There are several websites that allow you to sponsor service members. The service member lists their necessities, you buy these items, and send them to the deployed service member. The one I used the most when I was in Afghanistan was Any Marine, but of course I am only partially biased to the Marines – so here are a few others: Any Soldier,  Any Sailor, Any Airman, and Any Coast Guard.

The sky is the limit when it comes to what you can do. One thing I do want remind you is that it doesn’t matter if you make some elaborate culinary creation or throw some homemade trail mix in a bag. Just knowing that we have people at home that care enough for us to make food, package it, and send gives us drive everyday to do what we do. The packages that are sent over to us deliver emotions that are hard to describe unless experienced.

Make it with love, package it up, and know you are sending it off to people who will adore you for a lifetime.

About George:
George Bryant is the man behind Civilized Caveman Cooking; a popular cooking blog dedicated to giving people gluten free, grain free, and dairy free recipes to live a healthy lifestyle. You can also check his page out on Facebook. He is also an Active Duty United States Marine of 10 years as well as a competitive Crossfitter.

 

 

Posts may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Filed Under: Thyroid Disease | 53 Comments

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53 Comments

  1. HeatherChristo

    March 26, 2012 at 8:30 am

    Thank you Carrie and thank you George for giving us insight into how we can help. God Bless you George for your service, and Carrie- thank you so, so much for yours in supporting our troops.
    Reply to this comment
  2. Amanda

    March 26, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Such an eye opening and inspiring post, Carrie. Thanks so much for sharing!
    Reply to this comment
  3. Christina S.

    March 26, 2012 at 9:24 am

    I have looked on George's blog and he has some awesome recipes! Thanks for including him on this topic. I'll share it with my other navy/military friends and their families.
    Reply to this comment
  4. aida mollenkamp

    March 26, 2012 at 10:04 am

    Seriously fabulous post, Carrie. Thanks!
    Reply to this comment
  5. Nichole Wherry

    March 26, 2012 at 10:16 am

    God bless you, George. You are one hell of a man. I have family deployed an always feel helpless. Thank you for this.
    Reply to this comment
  6. Erin

    March 26, 2012 at 10:39 am

    So you never had problems getting Paleo Kits shipped to Afghanistan? My husband is stationed here in Germany and I've never bought them because I don't think we can have meat shipped here. That would be great if I could have them sent to him once he deploys though.
    Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      March 27, 2012 at 9:01 am

      I don't see there being a problem as long as it's going to an APO address (these addresses are considered U.S. addresses).
      Reply to this comment
      • Jessica

        March 27, 2012 at 3:02 pm

        There are still many places that won't ship food items to an APO address. I am currently living at one and have had issues getting things shipped over, even from Amazon.
        Reply to this comment
  7. Nichole Wherry

    March 26, 2012 at 10:39 am

    George, you are one hell of a man. Thank you for your service, and for this blog post. Having family serving overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and always feeling helpless, this means the world. Love you!
    Reply to this comment
  8. marla {family fresh cooking}

    March 26, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Now this is amazing! I have always wondered how these fine folks survive let alone exert so much energy with such awful food. I hope that this post finds its way into the hands that feed/supply these wonderful people. Thank you George for your service & commitment to great health.
    Reply to this comment
  9. Lucy Lean

    March 26, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    Wow - this is such a powerful post and let's hope it gets more people thinking about the junk we feed our troops - makes my mindful attempts at eating healthy seem so irrelevant. Signing up to send food packages today. Thanks Carrie and thanks George.
    Reply to this comment
  10. Lucy Lean

    March 26, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    Carrie - just tried to sign up for Any Marine and I read that they aren't including troops in war zones - any idea how to connect with our troops in Afghanistan?
    Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      March 26, 2012 at 12:52 pm

      If you go to the "Where to Send" page (http://AnyMarine.com/WhereToSend/) you can click on the troops names on the left. When you click on a name it will tell you where they are deployed too. Almost all of the troops listed are in Afghanistan. After you fill out the form with your info, they will send you the address for the troop selected. I also wrote George and asked if he has any further info. If he does, I'll make sure and pass it along to you. Thanks!
      Reply to this comment
  11. Allison [Girl's Guide to Social Media]

    March 26, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    Very inspiring. Thanks Carrie. I will bookmark this for the next time I send a care package.
    Reply to this comment
  12. The Civilized Caveman

    March 26, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Thank you so much everyone. I am glad I was able to provide a little insight into how you can help and how we do it. Carrie that information you provided is the best they have, I don't know anymore. :)
    Reply to this comment
  13. Kristina Vanni

    March 26, 2012 at 6:49 pm

    These are some great ideas Carrie. Thank you so much for sharing. There are so many ways to help!
    Reply to this comment
  14. the urban baker

    March 26, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    George could be the face of change in how the us forces feed and consume their meals! thanks for sharing, Carrie. Very inspiring!
    Reply to this comment
  15. Tara Dowell

    March 27, 2012 at 5:31 am

    Great post! I only wish I had known this information earlier, as my husband is set to come home from a year-long deployment in a couple of months. He has complained a lot about the awful food in the DFACs. I have sent him things like coffee, beef jerky, and nuts that he did appreciate.
    Reply to this comment
  16. The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh

    March 27, 2012 at 5:36 am

    What a wonderful post. Thanks for letting us in on how we can help!
    Reply to this comment
  17. Esi

    March 27, 2012 at 6:40 am

    Food for thought. Thanks for providing ideas on how to help
    Reply to this comment
  18. Anita D'Souza

    March 27, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    Thanks so much for this, Carrie! It's something I've wanted to do but didn't know what kinds of healthy things to send!
    Reply to this comment
  19. Nicole [More Beets, please!]

    March 27, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    What a wonderful post! We use the Any Soldier site every Thanksgiving to send 10-20 care packages each year for the holidays. It's become such a beautiful family tradition to spend the day packing boxes for those protecting us, before sitting down to our own feast. I never knew that you could do some of these things, and we will definitely be sending healthier options this year! Thanks to George for the insight, as well for his service to this great nation. God Bless!
    Reply to this comment
  20. Amanda@EasyPeasyOrganic

    March 28, 2012 at 1:58 am

    Great post, Carrie! And thank you to George for sharing! Honestly, this should leave little in the way of excuses left for people!! :)
    Reply to this comment
  21. Diane

    March 30, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Thank you so much for this post, Carrie! It's an inspiration and a great guide for those of us who would like to help but haven't quite figured out how. Thank you for your service, George.
    Reply to this comment
  22. Joseph Connor

    April 1, 2012 at 4:39 pm

    Carrie and George, God bless you both for your services and for your kind donation to all those that keep us safe. Thank you very much.
    Reply to this comment
  23. Yvonne

    April 1, 2012 at 8:47 pm

    After being on the GAPS diet for about a year, I can see how hard it would be to eat whole healthy foods while deployed. I began wondering whether our military personnel might stand a better chance of avoiding PTSD and other maladies, even while living through horrendous experiences, if their bodies were well nourished. The gut-brain connection is now pretty well established. It seems we owe that to our troops.
    Reply to this comment
  24. katherine

    April 1, 2012 at 9:32 pm

    thanks for the article! my husband and I are both active duty and I worry all the time about being stuck on an installation where I can't be the quality control for the way my food is handled. this gave me some great ideas, thank you again!
    Reply to this comment
  25. Sophia

    April 2, 2012 at 1:13 pm

    Thanks for this! My husband is in the Navy and this will come in handy on his next deployment.
    Reply to this comment
  26. Christine Hooker

    April 3, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    What an enlightening post! Who would have known that American Fast Food has replaced the proverbial potato in our dearly beloved military. I will do my duty as an American and send the quality that is needed. Thank you so much! Chris
    Reply to this comment
  27. Danijela

    April 4, 2012 at 1:32 am

    Amazing post. Thank you!
    Reply to this comment
  28. George Bryant

    April 4, 2012 at 6:53 am

    Thank you so much everyone for all the thank yous and support. It truely was my pleasure writing this and having Carrie post it for me. She is such a sweet woman with a huge heart and I hope this helped shed a little light on what we deal with. It is truely all the people like each of you commenting that keep me driven to do what I do everyday. So THANK YOU
    Reply to this comment
  29. Danielle

    April 4, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    Great article! My husband requested lots of healthy foods in his care packages. I'll keep your list in mind for next deployment! Now with him home, I feel bad about him living on MREs when in the field so often and not allowed to bring any outside food. He comes home feeling awful and spends the weekend eating as much fresh healthy foods as possible before starting the MRE week again. I don't know how they can expect them to be their best when feeding them such junk!
    Reply to this comment
  30. Megan

    April 10, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    Thank you for some much-needed suggestions of healthy food that ships well. With my husband and several of his siblings on active duty, this is a constant challenge for me. I can't wait to include these in my care packages!
    Reply to this comment
  31. Michelle

    October 5, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    You mentioned shipping prepared meals in ziplocs that have been vacuum packed. I'm not familiar with vacuum packing. Are these regular ziploc bags or special bags. After vacuum sealing can they sit unrefrigerated? And if so, approx. how long?
    Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      October 5, 2012 at 1:55 pm

      Vacuum sealing is done with a specific kind of machine like this one (if you're in need of one, maybe a friend has one you could borrow?): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044XDA3S?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=B0044XDA3S&tag=deliciorgan03-20 Here is a very helpful chart to know how long vacuum-packed foods will last: http://survivalacres.com/information/shelflife.html, http://www.vackpak.com/shelf_life.html
      Reply to this comment
  32. Laura @ A Healthy Jalapeno

    October 22, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    This post was incredible and inspiring. My {newly} husband is an Army man of 11 years with two deployments under his belt and a third on it's way. We are healthy-food nuts and avid Crossfiters (him far more than me). I have already shared this post with him and absolutely plan to share and follow Georges blog and share with my readers as well. EXCELLENT POST, and thanks to all our service men and women... you are loved!
    Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      October 23, 2012 at 8:32 am

      Thank you for your kind words. I'm so glad this post was helpful. We can't do enough for those who serve! :)
      Reply to this comment
  33. Amy Harrington

    October 2, 2013 at 2:02 am

    So glad to run across this! I have a loved one deployed in Kuwait and the chow hall food is just so bad! I'm no puritan, but come on! This is horrible food! I have pictures of the meals and it's deplorable! How can they expect our soldiers to perform at their peak while feeding them weird looking cheese sticks for dinner and giving them Apple Jacks for breakfast. Apple Jacks? For a 45 year old? I'm new to deployment overseas so I was looking for advice! I wanted to send home made meals in vacuum packed bags, but was uncertain as to what I should/could sent (spaghetti meat sauce, beef stew, rissoto, etc.) without having it spoil or having it rejected because I included a packing material that was unacceptable. Any tips on whether vacuum packed is o.k. and what I can and can't include to keep the food fresh? Any better alternative than Priority Mail? Any help is appreciated! Thanks so much for your service and for helping us feed the most important people in our lives and country nutritious and good food to keep them healthy!
    Reply to this comment
  34. cara

    June 28, 2014 at 5:58 pm

    I was wondering if anyone had a healthy homemade recipe for snack bars that can be sent over seas. I would really appreciate it. I worry most of them won't last this shipping process.
    Reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. Civilized Caveman says:
    April 5, 2012 at 9:56 pm
    Hey everyone I was asked by a fan to repost the link to this article I wrote for Deliciously Organic on how to... http://t.co/1jJoyhhG
    Reply to this comment
  2. Debra S says:
    April 5, 2012 at 10:00 pm
    Hey everyone I was asked by a fan to repost the link to this article I wrote for Deliciously Organic on how to... http://t.co/1jJoyhhG
    Reply to this comment
  3. Rural Housewife says:
    April 5, 2012 at 10:17 pm
    Terrific article with great ideas of how we can support our troops and how to send healthier food to them! http://t.co/i7583OvI
    Reply to this comment
  4. Sandra says:
    April 5, 2012 at 10:46 pm
    Healthy Food for the Troops – How We Can Help http://t.co/ZZoVGqQp
    Reply to this comment
  5. Cesar Lopez says:
    April 6, 2012 at 2:12 am
    Starting this. http://t.co/Oa3NiorK
    Reply to this comment
  6. Carrie Vitt says:
    April 11, 2012 at 2:43 pm
    @ariannahuff Can we bring to light what our troops are fed while deployed. Many don't know the truth, but we can help: http://t.co/W8v334LA
    Reply to this comment
  7. TwoFatChickx says:
    April 26, 2012 at 9:17 am
    We're proud to post this from Deliciously Organic. Let's all do our part to get good, healthy foods to our troops... http://t.co/FwiGSkHH
    Reply to this comment
  8. BC says:
    May 11, 2012 at 1:54 pm
    Healthy Food for the Troops – How We Can Help - http://t.co/Cuqxmkrr
    Reply to this comment
  9. Adopt A US Soldier says:
    May 15, 2012 at 6:18 pm
    If you like sending home-made treats to the troops, this is for you. Thanks to @cookingcaveman and @carrievitt for this http://t.co/nGNP7fxs
    Reply to this comment
  10. Stephanie says:
    May 15, 2012 at 6:28 pm
    If you like sending home-made treats to the troops, this is for you. Thanks to @cookingcaveman and @carrievitt for this http://t.co/nGNP7fxs
    Reply to this comment
  11. Heidi Young says:
    August 14, 2012 at 7:32 pm
    Healthy Food For the Troops – How We Can Help http://t.co/QeSakIZo
    Reply to this comment
  12. Chocolate Swirl Paleo Banana Bread Recipe (Grain-Free says:
    May 29, 2014 at 9:26 am
    […] ago I met George via our blogs and was inspired by his drive to eat nutrient-dense foods even while deployed as a Marine. His first cookbook – The Paleo Kitchen – written with Juli Bauer from OMG Paleo, will be […]
    Reply to this comment
  13. Organic Non Perishable Food « Recipes for Health says:
    September 10, 2014 at 12:57 am
    […] Healthy Food for the Troops – How We Can Help – As a military wife, I’m concerned about the foods our troops receive while deployed. Because the food often travels thousands of miles, it can be full of preservatives, additives, coloring, sugars – the list goes on. […]
    Reply to this comment
  14. Healthy Foods Sent To Home « Healthfood Tips says:
    January 22, 2015 at 1:09 am
    […] Healthy Food for the Troops – How We Can Help – George Bryant, U.S. Marine gives us his favorite tips and foods to send the deployed troops. Healthy Food For the Troops … I wanted to send home made meals in vacuum packed bags, … […]
    Reply to this comment

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