Soldiers' Dietary Intake in 3 Settings: In the Field, on Base and at Home

Area of Science:

• Military Nutrition Science
• Human Nutrition
• Dietary Assessment

Background:

• Adequate nutrition is crucial for military personnel's health, performance, and operational readiness.
• Inadequate nutrition can lead to decreased performance, increased injuries, and higher dropout rates.
• Limited data exists on the dietary intake of Dutch military personnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the energy and nutrient intake of Dutch soldiers.
• To evaluate intake across three distinct settings: field deployment, on base, and at home.
• To compare dietary intake against established Military Dietary Reference Intakes (MDRIs).

Main Methods:

• 72 soldiers from the Dutch Light Armoured Brigade participated.
• Dietary intake was assessed via food/waste collection (field) and online food diaries (on base/home).
• Energy intake was compared to MDRIs, and energy expenditure was estimated and compared to intake on base and at home.

Main Results:

• Fiber and carbohydrate intake (on base/home) were below MDRIs.
• Protein intake met MDRIs across all settings; field carbohydrate intake also met MDRIs.
• Total fat, saturated fat, and sodium exceeded MDRIs in all settings; energy intake was below MDRIs but aligned with expenditure on base/home.

Conclusions:

• Dutch soldiers' energy intake was consistently below MDRIs in all assessed settings.
• Increasing fiber-rich carbohydrate sources could address energy deficits.
• Improved energy expenditure assessment and ration alignment are recommended for optimal military nutrition and logistics.