Evening star., 1943-02-25
Quarfermaster Corps
Shows Army Rations
To Woman Reporters
Demonstrates Balanced
Diet Is Still Possible
With Dehydroted Foods
By DOROTHY MURRAY.

By DOROTHY MURRAY.
The Office of the quartermaster
general of the War Department
demonstrated to group of woman
reporters this week how dehydrated
foods still supply the Army with a
Well-balanced meal. A presentation
of the Armys emergency rations c,
D and K as well as a demonstration
of such special rationS as the noun
tain, jungle and f1ve-in-one were
shown.
Supplying the Army with food is
a major activity of the Quartermas-
ter Corps. 1t involves furnishing
meals to soldiers in every branch
of the service and under any cli-
matte conditions. 1t is UP to the
Quartermaster Corps to see that
soldiers receive the necessary food
stuffs in proper proportion. This
amounts to approximately five and
one-half pounds of food day per
person, except on packaged field
rations.
Coffee is Served.
All meals served in mess halls,
whether within the bounds of the
United States or overseas, are knwn
as Field Ration A if they contain
fresh meat and fresh bread and
Field Ration B. if they contain
canned meat and hard bread. The
5l2 pounds day usually includes
about l pound of meat, poultry or
fish; ! egg; l pint Of milk or the
equivalent; 3 ounces of fats, includ-
ing butter: II ounces of grain prod
ucts and cereals; u ounces of pota-
toes, 4 ounces of tomatoes and citrus
fruits; 7 ounces Of leafy, green and
yellow vegetables, and II ounces of
other fruits and vegetables. Bread,
beverage and desserts are provided
In addition at each meal
1t is interesting to note that coffee
Is served approximately 40 times
each month on the basis Of pounds
for each 100 men. This allows ap-
proxlmately l20 cups for each 100
men every day and an additional 10
cups per 100 men for 10 days out of
each 80. When coffee is not served.
tea, cocoa and fruit juices are sub
stituted.
Special Types Developed.
The Quartermaster Corps has de-
veloped special rations to meet the
specific requirements of the soldier
in the field. Field ration "C' con-
sists of previous cooked and pre-
pared food, packed in sealed cans,
which may be eaten either hot or
cold. A days ration consists of
three meat units and three units
containing biscuits, confection, sugar
and beverage. The meat in the
units is mixed with beans, another
with vegetable hash and third with
vegetable stew.
Field ration ID" consists of three |
4-ounce bars of concentrated choco-
late which is to be eaten only when |
other rations are not available. The |
bar is made up of chocolate, sugar,
skim milk powder, cocoa fat. oat |
flour, vanillin and $50 international
units OF thiamin, or vitarnin B1. |
The oat -four keeps the chocolate |
from melting at high temperatures. |
1t will endure climatic conditions |
ranging from 20 degrees below to
100 degrees above zero. ThreS bars
IN a daily ration furnish 1900 CAL |
ories and weigh only IL ounces.
Field ration tx" is now the most |
widely used packaged ration in the
Army and is furnished to all troops
IN the theater of operations. A pack
age measures by by 2 inches and
days ration of three units weighs
only a fraction more than two
pounds. The packages are imper-
vious to nearly all deteriorating in
duences. Breakfast, dinner and
supper units are represented, with
he contents printed on the outside
bf the package so the soldier can
make his own selection.
Jungle Ration Dehydrated.
The jungle ration is made up pri-
narlly of canned, dehydrated and
dried foods and is packaged gen.
orally in a box large enough to hold
food for four men for one day. Salt
tablets are also included.
Mountain ration is also packaged
Tor convenient handling in units of
Is, which provides food for one man
for 16 days or for four men for four |
days. Pre-cooked cereal, milk. raj
sins, spaghetti, meat and eggs are
among the foods contained in the /
package.
All dehydrated foods must be re-
constituted. This is done by soaking
in the right ratio of water for ap-
proximately 20 minutes, then the /
product is ready to cook. Cooking
time for reconstructed foods is
about the same as for average fresh
vegetables.
The audience at the demonstra-
ton was given cooked samples of
dehydrated foods prepared in the
subsistence branch of the storage
and distribution division. Cabbage
and potatoes were on the menu.
The audience was told that to feed
potatoes to 100 men it would take 8
pounds of dehydrated potatoes, 49
pints of water, 8 ounces of dehy-
DRAFTED onions, reconstructed in
pints of water, and messkit spoons
of salt.