SAF Food in General
Cookhouse food is supplied by Singapore Food Industries. Of course, being in an Asian country, the diet is rice (and carbo) based.
Breakfast
Breakfast would normally consist of fried noodles or buns or some tim sum or something to that extend. There would be hot drinks provided like Milo or Horlicks. A truckload of refined carbo (and sugar), very little protein and fat, not something that i would eat regularly. Not even irregularly.
Main course for breakfast: noodles. Image courtesy of the internet.
Main course for breakfast: pau. Image courtesy of the internet.
I knew this since active times ten years ago, so this time i didn't even bother to go to the Cookhouse every morning to check out the breakfast. It is a waste of my time and energy just to walk there and back.
I stocked up on cans of sardines to be eaten for breakfast everyday. Each can of 425 grams contains about 60 grams of protein and 20 grams of fat. Not the best tasting food, but convenient and not too shabby in the protein and fat department.
I ate this every breakfast in reservist. Image courtesy of the internet.
Lunch and Dinner
Lunch and dinner would be rice with meat and veges (aka mixed vege rice or chap chai peng) plus soup and fruit. Sometimes some additional junk food would be given, like fish balls. Not bad, same as what i normally consume outside. I just asked for more meat everyday and reject the extra junk. Most of the time the cookhouse aunties would be very nice to give you some extra.
There is another item in the lunch and dinner menu which is syrup drinks and sometimes ice-cream which i don't bother to try at all.
Mixed vege rice. Image courtesy of the internet.
Combat Ration version 2011
We had a three day two night field camp. Two 24 hours worth of combat ration was issued. If you think breakfast at the cookhouse is bad, combat ration is worse. A lot worse. Lotsa sugar and carbo, very little fat and protein. Not something that you would want to eat in times of survival or war. Won't say too much here, i'll let the pictures do the talking.
Combat ration menu. The only thing somewhat worth eating are the Entrees from the Main Packs.
Accessories Pack menu. Full of simple carbo and sugar.
Contents of Accessories Pack. I am missing the potato crackers. The powers that be wants you to believe that these are essential food. :P
Good thing our unit gives us the freedom to take what we wanted, so i only took the Entrees. There was an oversupply of rations, so i took more than the standard two per 24 hours just in case. The rest are just a few kilos of dead weight, wasting energy to be carried but doesn't add any value to your wellbeing.
In times of war or survival, you wouldn't want to waste energy carrying these junk. You'd need more calorie dense food made up mainly of fat, for long lasting energy and preservation of muscle mass.
And i added my own extra food.
Extra fat and protein.
Coconut cream. Each 200ml packet supplies 50 grams of fat, 4 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein. :D
Conclusion
Only lunch and dinner are passable, the rest of the menu needs to be improved, which is very very unlikely. Well, maybe the authorities are not concerned with our health, just like the majority of the population is. Taste (or maybe cost savings) takes precedence over nutrition. Even when given fresh ration back in camp, some people chose not to eat what is given but ordered food from Pizza Hut and MacDonald's. For me, i would gladly take the extra meat and vege from them. :D
