November 8, 2011
Pasta, pasta, and more pasta. That’s all I heard. The crew preference sheet listed pasta by each person’s name.
What they wanted was energy to last them until they were off duty or until dinner. What crew often don’t realize is that if they eat large quantities of pasta, they will actually get hungry faster, especially if they eat simple pasta with a cream or tomato sauce.
There are other ways to keep the guys on deck healthy and full of energy without dealing with the ups (and eventual downs) of wacked out blood sugar. Carbohydrates do that to you, especially if they are the main ingredient served without something to counter the blood sugar highs brought on by the carbs.
Right after lunch, crew on deck have all kinds of energy, but by 3 or 4 p.m., they slow down again, feeling sluggish, lacking energy and wanting a nap. Simply put, pasta alone is not the answer to feed a guy who works in the hot sun.
There is nothing more disappointing to a chef than to have the deck crew stand in our galleys, looking for a snack because the previous meal we prepared didn’t give them what they needed to last the afternoon.
We may take the easy way out and say “we gave them what they wanted,” but it didn’t work.
So exactly how do we sustain them until dinner rolls around? The solution is not found in pasta. Our best bet in feeding men a meal that will get them through the afternoon is vegetables and protein. Think complete protein meal. Think lentils. Think beans. Think whole grain rice. Think protein.
And yes, add a small amount of carbohydrates. This will keep your crew mates’ blood sugar and energy at a stable level. A great protein I use a lot that stabilizes blood sugar is lentils. They are super in soups, stews, with lean meats or alone with vegetables.
Men are difficult sometimes -- OK, a lot of the time -- when food is either not ready or isn’t what they had planned. They are not easy to feed, and when they are not fed, they can get off balance.
A man’s empty stomach can control their cognitive thinking process, resulting in emotional imbalances, temper tantrums, anger and impatience, even physical and verbal abuse. They become mean. (Some women are like that, too, by the way.)
I know a captain who is downright cranky when he doesn’t eat breakfast. A deckhand I know to be painfully shy is anything but if he hasn’t eaten
.If chefs run into cranky crew, take into account their dietary needs first. Consider adding more fiber into their diets, and reduce the fat. Some ways to do this:
1. Add fiber, such as flax oil, that is not combined with other oils. (Some are, so look at the label. Some flax oil has fish oil in it, which will leave a fishy taste when you burp.) If you have instant oatmeal for breakfast, try instead rolled or steel cut oats, and then throw in some flax oil or flax seed, or nuts upon serving. Throw flax seed into soups and stews, even into bread you make.
2. Toss the white flour and use organic oat flour instead. It gives a rustic look and feel to breads, pies and cookies, and the taste is super. Buy whole grain breads, cereals and snacks. If you have to have that nacho platter, use whole grain chips and add beans, cheese and avocados.
3. Serve up a big salad, and it doesn’t have to be all leafy greens either. Most men just don’t do salads like we women do. Think ancient grains such as spelt, bulgar, quinoa, kamut and amaranth, which are loaded with protein and fiber. Pair quinoa with wild rice and whole grain brown rice, then throw in some toasted seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower, walnuts, pecans, and a simple protein such as chunks of chicken or turkey. Toss with some cut up vegetables.
4. Pair whole wheat pasta with vegetables and meat. A large plate of fresh steamed or roasted vegetables, 3-5 oz of protein and small serving of a whole grain pasta can stave-the-crave.
5. For those pasta stubborn crew, prepare a high protein shake as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
6. Include more leafy greens such as kale and spinach into meals.
It’s part of our jobs as chefs to keep the crew not only happily fed, but productively fed. Watch out for behavioral changes as a cue to tweak the food we give them. Meals higher in protein and lower in carbs will keep the deck humming all day long.
For Mary Beth's high-protein minestrone soup recipe, click here.
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