The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has decided that soldiers should eat more healthfully. At a unique training session held Monday at the IDF Logistics School, dozens of IDF cooks learned how to incorporate nutritious ingredients into military food, without soldiers noticing the difference. "Let's take rice, for instance," explained Major Yossi Nidam, head of the Nutrition Department in the Logistics Branch. "We can add dietary fiber and iron to it. A solider wouldn't notice the difference and would think it was ordinary rice." Other hidden ingredients include whole and ground sesame, tahini and legumes. "Soldiers are not meant to taste a difference in the food, but they will feel more satisfied than if they had eaten unhealthy, fattening foods." In addition to the use of healthful ingredients, the IDF has decided to introduce healthier menu items as a whole, including whole-wheat bread, nuts, roasted vegetables, bulgur salad, and onions stir-fried in a wok. In addition, salads will contain chopped almonds to increase their nutritional value. Monday's training for military cooks was conducted by professional chefs and nutritionists. "This is a real culinary revolution in terms of healthful cooking," said Nidam, "Over the next year we intend on inviting all military cooks to the Logistics School so that they can learn to properly prepare meals with the new healthful ingredients." "Canned meat, bourekas and margarine packets have already been removed from the menu," said Nidam. "Soldiers will now find meals to be less greasy, and the food to be more interesting and varied."
