Mumbai: In a first-of-its-kind event, the Indian Navy on Thursday spent time discussing the benefits of cereals over biscuits while sailing, instead of the regular challenges the men in white face.
At a seminar on food and nutrition organised at the INS Hamla, Malad, the topics discussed ranged from the history of world navy diets to the optimum diet for Indian Navy personnel, based on research conducted in the country.
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Vice Admiral A. R. Karve inaugurated the seminar by quoting Napoleon Bonaparte: “An army marches on its stomach”, adding that perhaps in this instance it would be more apt to say that “a navy sails on its stomach”. “Without food and water, an army cannot survive. Unfortunately, we do not accord due understanding to the nutritional aspects of food served on board ships and shore units. There is a strong correlation between diet, nutrition and exercise on one hand, and health and fitness on the other, which has not been looked at in its entirety in the Navy before,” he said.
In his keynote address, Chief of Logistics Vice Admiral Jaywant Korde suggested alternate diets for each branch of the Navy. Basing his findings off of a study of a 100 Navy personnel from each branch who spent a majority of their time at sea, he recommended a military diet high in carbohydrates and protein and low in trans fats.
Advocating the need for a healthy amount of fats in one’s diet, he debunked the myth that fats were bad by distinguishing between the good and bad kind, and highlighted the need for around 25% of the healthy kind in one’s daily diet.
He called for diets rich in Omega 3 for people working in high-stress environments, such as in submarines and on battleships. “Quitting snacking on biscuits and instead switching to cereals would not only help lower weight gain but also keep sea sickness at bay,” Vice Admiral Korde said.
Addressing the controversy of Army jawans complaining about the poor quality of food, he said, “The supply of substandard food is a cause for concern. The issue needs to be investigated holistically.” He emphasised, however, that Thursday’s event had no relation to the recent incident.
