Dietary fiber content of a six-day weighed military ration

No studies have accurately reported on the total dietary fiber content of current military dining facility meals. The military nutrition data base is incomplete for total, insoluble, and soluble dietary fiber content. The Military Recommended Dietary Allowances has no recommendation for dietary fiber. The American Dietetic Association advises all Americans to consume 25 to 35 g/day. This study estimated total dietary fiber intake from a calculated analysis of a 6-day weighed military ration. The calculated fiber values for the sample military diet provided 6.8 g of total dietary fiber per 1,000 kcal. Substituting whole-grain cereal products for all the refined cereal products increased the fiber to 9.5 g/1,000 kcal. Calculated results were validated by chemical analysis. Total dietary fiber was 4.1 g/1,000 kcal for the sample military diet and 5.6 g/1,000 kcal for the whole-grain test diet. Fiber content of the sample military diet was well below recommended levels but similar to that found in other studies on the typical American diet.