Fueling the Fleet

Maintaining peak physical readiness and preventing against chronic diseases (i.e. diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and obesity). Below are resources to help you make smart food choices, whether you are dining in a galley, preparing quick meals in unaccompanied housing barracks, or shopping for your family.

By focusing on nutrient-dense foods, limiting added sugars and sodium, and mastering simple meal-prep strategies, service members can optimize their recovery, sharpen mental focus, and sustain high performance in any environment.

DASH Eating Plan (NIH).  Clinically proven dietary guidelines by the National Institutes of Health designed to prevent high blood pressure, reduce sodium intake, and improve cardiovascular performance.

DeCA Dietitian-Approved Commissary Resources.  Explains the Dietitian-Approved Thumb (DAT) program. Look for the green "Thumbs Up" tags on commissary shelves to easily spot nutrient-dense, high-performance foods.

G4G & Performance Nutrition. The foods you choose plays an important role in your mental and physical performance. Go for Green (G4G) & performance nutrition guides offers information on how to fuel your body to support your mental and physical performance.

HPRC Handy Guide to Portion Sizes.  Uses simple, everyday hand comparisons (e.g., palm, fist) to gauge visual serving sizes on the go without scales.

Military Nutrition Environment Assessment Tool (m-NEAT). This tool is a standardized assessment framework that can be used on US Navy installations shore and afloat to evaluate and improve the food and nutrition environment.

Nutrition.gov. Sponsored by the USDA. Serves as a gateway to reliable information on weight management, dietary supplements, food safety, and overall healthy eating habits.

NIH Menu Planning Guide.  Practical templates and tools from the National Institutes of Health designed to help you organize a balanced weekly meal plan.

RealFood.gov.  Provides a dietary framework to help service members build a balanced plate using whole, real food options.

The Unaccompanied Housing Sailors Cookbook.  Specifically designed for single Sailors. Features healthy, cheap, and easy meals requiring 5 ingredients or less, tailored for microwave cooking and limited kitchen gear.

Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label (FDA).  Clarifies food labels by highlighting key updates such as realistic serving sizes, dual-column labeling, bolded calories, and clarified daily value percentages.