WHAT DO REAL HEROES OF OUR NATION EAT

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

let us see what the true saviours of our nation eat. Before World war 1 Indian soldiers received only cash allowances. The nutritive value of the food given to our soldiers was neglected.

During the second world war, the supply of rations became difficult due to the rise in the cost of living and our soldiers got affected by malnutrition. The government authorities recommended foods of higher nutritive value to our soldiers.

After independence, the Indian soldiers were supplied with food preserved by traditional methods. There were difficulties in transporting, storage, handling, and packaging because these foods were prone to physical and chemical deterioration during these stages.

DFRL: The defence food research laboratory Mysore was established on 28th December 1961 under defence research and development organization to fulfil the food needs of the army, navy and air-force. The prime aim was to engineer lightweight convenient packaged food with a longer self-life that suits varied climatic conditions.

]Different varieties of food bar

DFRL has developed a long list of of nutritious bars to meet the energy needs of soldiers such as Compressed tasty bar, Protein-rich Composite cereal bar, Sweet and sour tasty bar, Flax oat tasty bar rich in soluble fibers, Ergogenic energy-rich bar, Barley bar rich in glucan, Omega 3 rich bar, Cocoa delight bar rich in antioxidants and fiber, Composite tasty bar for high altitudes which is light weight and easy to carry and each bar serves a specific nutrition need with the help of a specific functional ingredient with a calorific range of 400-540 kcal with shelf life of about 6-15 months.

BARLEY BAR : Lifestyle changes have led to the decrease in the intake of fiber. DFRL food scientists have developed bars using barley grains in order to provide the amount of fiber that is necessary in an individual’s daily diet.

COCOA DELIGHT BAR : The most preferred chocolate bar that is developed by DFRL is made from cocoa powder butter and sugar. As Cocoa is a rich source of antioxidants and flavonoids makes this bar a healthy and tasty delight as well.

COMPOSITE CEREAL BAR : The bar is made of a number of cereals including barley, maize, wheat and soy and contains the essential amino acids and protein needed to make a balanced nutritious diet alleviating protein-energy malnutrition.

COMPOSITE TASTY BAR : During emergency, survival situations, long patrol duties troops need continuous supply of energy so this protein-rich nutritious bar has been developed by DFRL which is light in weight, easy to carry and provides sufficient energy in the form of calories.

SOY FORTIFIED OAT BAR : The bar developed by DFRL has a long shelf life of about 15 months. The beta-glucan and amino acids are known to provide various health benefits .

ERGOGENIC BAR : This bar is prepared by using jaggery, walnut, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, turmeric powder, etc. known to warm the body of army troops in extremely cold conditions.

FLAX OAT TASTY BAR : This bar is prepared by using flax-seed and oats and is rich in fibers both soluble and insoluble in the diet.

OMEGA 3 RICH BAR : This bar is made from walnut and flax seeds which are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids that are known to be heart-healthy foods and provide calories in a healthy way increasing HDL in the body.

READY TO EAT NUTRI FOOD BAR : This bar provides fullness and is a chewy, dense nutrition-rich compressed bar prepared from readily assimilable sources of carbohydrates and proteins and serves as meal supplement in packed army rations.

SWEET SOUR TASTY BAR : In order to provide a change in taste sweet and soar bar was developed by DFRL. It contains salt, sugar, chilli powder, and nuts, etc.

CHICKEN BISCUITS : are a good source of readily digestible proteins, essential amino acids, fatty acids, and B complex vitamins and hence helps cater to the protein needs of armed force at high altitudes as a high protein snack.

EGG PROTEIN BISCUITS : Protein-rich biscuits have been developed from real egg solids in three known flavours vanilla, pineapple, and orange. The biscuits have nearly 20% protein and provide energy of about 475 kcal/100g.

HOLIBITE

DFRL has developed this instant health-oriented RTE product for emergency use after exertion. It provides 108 kcal for 30g capsule and 4-6 are enough to help during emergency situations. The product contains 70% honey.

ALOE VERA PRODUCTS AT DFRL

PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT DRINK : Aloe Vera is known to have various health benefits. It is known to improve blood circulation helping in the supply of nutrients to the cells and thus enhances the nutrient absorption across the endothelial cells to the bloodstream. These two properties have been utilized to develop this pomegranate performance enhancement drink to enhance physical performance.

SPICED LOW-CALORIE ALOE VERA BEVERAGE : Spiced aloe vera beverage developed by DFRL aims to reduce blood sugar level in type 2 diabetic patients owing to its anti-diabetic property and known to have proven health benefits in other people.

ALOE VERA FRUIT SPREAD AND BAR : Aloe Vera gel with a fruit base of mango help improve colon health and serve as a bread spread with health benefits.

APPETIZERS

Appetizers solve the problem of lack of appetite faced at high altitudes. The development of ready to eat appetizers with a shelf life of 8 months is a unique contribution in the field of food technology and it fulfilled the requirements of defence forces as well. These RTE appetizers include ginger munch, fruit munch, pepper munch, lemon munch, and ajwain munch.

SHELF STABLE CHAPATIS : After extensive research, the food scientist team at DFRL has successfully developed chapatis with natural sensory attributes with extended shelf life using thermal processing with additives and flavors and are of different varieties.

Do you know : All these convenience foods which work miracle for today’s working woman were first invented for the armed forces of our nation.

https://drdo.gov.in

For more information and deeper insight do visit the DFRL official website.

 I dedicate my post to the food Scientists who have gone a long way in engineering foods of great comfort.