I’m on Annual Training again for the National Guard. That’s my two weeks of summer training we do every year. This year, however, we are not deploying to the field, which presents new challenges in the diet realm.

The food we are typically served isn’t what I would call healthy. It’s very carb and sugar heavy, and most of the carbs come from grains and very sugar-heavy fruits like bananas. This makes sense for soldiers who are deployed and need lots of easily convertible energy to get their jobs done in a combat environment. The problem is, we are still fed this way even in garrison.

Breakfast is usually some eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, waffles, cereal, and fruit and fruit juices with some coffee. Not all of these are available at the same time: it will be a combination of about three or four of those foods at any given time. Sometimes, I can eat something here that is okay, but most of the time, I can’t. For this reason, I’ll just keep it safe and eat my two eggs and two slices of bacon at home.

Lunch: MRE. No, no, no, no, and no. lol

Dinner: Most of the time, it’s very carb-heavy with spaghetti or some sort of noodles and meat. Often, the meat is something like Kung Pao Chicken or Chicken Parmesan or somehow coated in stuff I don’t eat. If they have something healthy, I’ll eat it. Otherwise, I’ll just wait to eat at home afterward.

I will be fortunate enough to be close to home during this AT, so I will be able to stay at home in the evenings and take food with me for lunch daily. I will be sticking to my regular breakfast and lunch routine, and for dinner, I will eat those at home as well. The funny part is that I will have to stick around for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the armory. I even have to pay for those meals! But it is what it is: I’ve made my peace with that. I will eat right, and I will keep my body healthy despite what they are feeding “Us.”

I sincerely and overwhelmingly enjoy my National Guard service and the time I spend with the soldiers. I anticipate with excitement my training later this year to become MOS qualified, although it will definitely challenge my diet as I will have no way to make my own food. I am certain I will find ways to eat right, but it will be a challenge nonetheless.