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Careers / Joining Process / Food Drink and Lifestyle

Energy density

Energy density is the amount of calories per gram of food. Choosing foods with a lower energy density allows you to fuel your training, eat larger portions, and lose weight without feeling hungry. Foods that will fill you up more, include:

  • Fruit and vegetables – Fresh, tinned or frozen
  • Low-fat dairy – Semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, and low-fat or fat-free yoghurt
  • Beans and peas – Red kidney beans, chickpeas, green peas, baked beans, lentils and soya beans
  • Stock and vegetable-based dishes – Vegetable soups, stews and sauces
  • Potatoes and cereals – Pasta, rice, boiled potatoes and couscous
  • Protein – Lean meat, skinless poultry and fish

If you want to feel full, without gaining weight, you can eat larger quantities of foods with a lower energy density. You’ll still be able to get all the energy you need to train, while avoiding fatty foods.

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Food, drink & lifestyle

Alcohol

The recommended weekly limit is 14 units.Try to have two alcohol free days a week. Regularly exceeding this can seriously damage your health. It will also increase your body weight, with a single pint containing 233 calories.

Hydration

Keeping hydrated can help maintain physical and mental performance. Make sure you drink enough fluid to replace your daily losses. Be aware that if you are exercising hard then you may lose more water from sweating. Choose low sugar fluids such as water and milk.

Dietary supplements

If you have well balanced diet that provides the energy you need to train, you shouldn’t need any supplements.

Dieting myths

You might need to reduce your calorie intake to control your weight. If you do, make sure you avoid the most common dieting mistakes. These include; fasting, skipping meals and using slimming pills.

Eating a balanced diet

Good nutrition is important during exercise training to provide your body with adequate energy to support physical changes and to optimise recovery.

Eating out

You can still eat out and enjoy the odd takeaway, but it’s important to choose healthy options that don’t contain lots of salt and saturated fats.

Energy density

Energy density is the amount of calories per gram of food. Choosing foods with a lower energy density means you can eat more, without gaining weight.

Energy requirements

The amount of energy you need depends on your age, size and gender, and the amount of exercise you do. You can vary your calorie intake to fuel your body when required.

Food labels

Checking the label on the back of pre-packed food will help you manage your diet, stay healthy and get the nutrients you need.

Snacking

You can still snack, but it’s important to know what you can eat without undoing all your hard work.

Stronger bones

Daily physical activity helps you stay healthy, control your weight, and get fit to join the Royal Navy.

Manage your weight

In the military, overweight personnel have an increased risk of injury and being medically downgraded as unfit for duty.

Smoking

Stopping smoking has huge benefits to your health and fitness, and it’s never too late to stop.

Vaccinations

Receiving vaccinations can slow down the joining process.

Vegetarian

There are lots of options available to you if you want to eat food that will fuel your training.