WASHINGTON — Ever want to know exactly how many calories are in the crunchy crackers in most MREs before you are about to wolf them down?
What about the nutrition value of an entire Pork Sausage Patty, Maple, meal?
This information is readily available on the packaging of combat rations. But a new online database lets troops get that information before they get into the field.
The Combat Rations Database, or ComRaD, was launched Monday by the Defense Department's Human Performance Resource Center and Army researchers to give personnel more information on their field rations, from calorie counts and fat content to vitamin information, cholesterol stats and more.
"Trying to maintain an effective nutritional program is challenging to warriors in training and in a deployable status. ... ComRaD provides our service members with a unique tool to aid in fueling for performance," said Navy Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Patrick Hyde, brigade command senior enlisted leader at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
For example, according to the database, the crackers have 170 calories, 5 grams of fat, including 1.5 grams of trans fat, 208 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein — and, for those watching their added sugar content — zero sugars.
And, they contain 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance for riboflavin.
That pork patty meal? It has 1,345 calories, 82 grams of fat — including 26 grams of saturated fat and 3 grams of trans fat — a whopping 39 grams of protein and 46 grams of sugar.