Source: Army.mil
Author: Spc. Richard Carlisi
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (June 2, 2022) – Pregnant and postpartum Soldiers with America's First Corps had the opportunity to prepare healthy and delicious meals that are nutrient-rich, during a class led by Michael Manno, a corporate chef with Custom Culinary headquartered in Illinois, as part of the Army's Pregnancy Postpartum Physical Training (P3T) program and Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) initiative.
“The Army wants the mind, body and spirit to be healthy," said Manno. “There's always room for pizza and ice cream cravings during pregnancy, but nutrient-rich foods are also about functionality. What you put in is what you get out."
Participants had the opportunity to fuse nutrition with flavor, cooking foods with a variety of meats, fruits, vegetables and assorted whole foods.
“We focus on empowering these women about the knowledge of functional foods," said Manno. “The act of giving birth can be detrimental. It depletes nutrition. It's all about restoration and regeneration."
Additional civilian and military chefs assisted by offering tips, tricks and practical cooking advice for the Soldiers' unique nutritional circumstances.
