The Chicken of the Sea

[Artega]

So, I plan on losing weight and shaping up in preparation of enlisting in the Army sometime soon (soon being a year or so), and I've found that tuna is an excellent choice for a meat; it's very high in protein, while being very low in cholesterol and fat, and I believe it also contains some kind of fatty acid or some such that's supposed to be beneficial for your brain. On top of this, it's also quite cheap (sixty-two cents a can at Wal-Mart), which makes me like it even more.

Unfortunately, I don't know many recipes involving tuna, aside from basic tuna salad (mayo or something similar, pickle relish, a little mustard, and some hard-boiled eggs) and Tuna Helper-type stuff. I've tried combining it with other stuff I eat fairly frequently - like eggs - with results ranging from good to horrific.

Does anyone know of some (relatively) simple recipes for canned tuna?

[Jack]

One of my very favourite recipes (which is very easy to cook) is a jacket potato with some kind of tuna filling. Tuna & sweetcorn is a good starting point from which you can add mayo, cheese etc or other possibly healthier options as takes your fancy :wub:

[Roland]

So, I plan on losing weight and shaping up in preparation of enlisting in the Army sometime soon (soon being a year or so), and I've found that tuna is an excellent choice for a meat; it's very high in protein, while being very low in cholesterol and fat, and I believe it also contains some kind of fatty acid or some such that's supposed to be beneficial for your brain. On top of this, it's also quite cheap (sixty-two cents a can at Wal-Mart), which makes me like it even more.

Unfortunately, I don't know many recipes involving tuna, aside from basic tuna salad (mayo or something similar, pickle relish, a little mustard, and some hard-boiled eggs) and Tuna Helper-type stuff. I've tried combining it with other stuff I eat fairly frequently - like eggs - with results ranging from good to horrific.

Does anyone know of some (relatively) simple recipes for canned tuna?

Tuna is very high in Mercury content, as are any fish that are "bottom-feeders". Be very wary of eating too much, and if you do start eating tuna regularly, make sure to get yourself tested for mercury on a regular basis. Otherwise, you can get VERY ill, and it will be hard to detect what is wrong if you don't specify mercury testing.

[Alram]

Tofu is a great source of protein with zero fat content.


Tofu is basically a very bland food which takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with. One recipe I sometimes make at home is scrambled tofu.
Saute onions and peppers in a pan, then add a pound of firm tofu and mash it up. Season to taste with tamari (The top quality soy sauce) and garlic. Add turmeric for coloring if you like. Add a bit of cheese if you like or any other ingredient which you would normally add to an omelet.

If you freeze tofu it gets a nice chewy consistency.

Sometimes I like to freeze it, then press it (cover with a towel in a dish and place a heavy weight on top for an hour.) This gives it a consistency somewhat like meat. Then marinate it and roast or fry it and add it to a stir fry or a salad.


You can find more recipes here.

[Occhidiangela]

Tofu is a great source of protein with zero fat content.

And it lowers your sperm count.

Occhi

[Alram]

It didn't hurt me!

[--Pete]

Hi,

So, I plan on losing weight and shaping up in preparation of enlisting in the Army sometime soon

Focus on running. You've got to do that so that you can live up to "hurry up and wait";)

. . . I believe it also contains some kind of fatty acid or some such that's supposed to be beneficial for your brain.

Yup, that would be the Omega-3 fatty acids which seem to crop up about once a month in Science News with some added health benefits.

Does anyone know of some (relatively) simple recipes for canned tuna?

Usually we just use canned tuna for tuna salad and sandwiches. But there's a great recipe database here, and a search on tuna came back with a lot of recipes, some of which use canned tuna. Browse around, and you'll probably find some nice, simple recipes for other foods as well. Happy eating:)

As to the mercury content, light canned tuna isn't too bad and tuna in general is pretty much OK as long as you don't overdo it.

--Pete

[Nystul]

Focus on running. You've got to do that so that you can live up to "hurry up and wait";)

Goodness, does that phrase ever bring back memories of marching band. There's nothing like waking up at 5AM so you can get to a parade 2 hours too early and then, after goofing around for 2 hours, suddenly having to run into formation while strapping on a drum at the same time, only to stand in place for another 20 minutes. (At some point, the bass drum gets put back on the ground, which means that the "hurry up" process must be repeated multiple times until the parade actually moves.) It must be the ROTC heritage of the band. By the time the parade actually starts, my shaving job is probably no longer up to inspection standards!

I'm afraid I can't help with the tuna recipes. I make a point of not eating anything healthier than ground beef, bacon, and Swiss Cake Rolls. Work/exercise and metabolism have kept my waistline in great shape, but my teeth are another story.

Pete does bring up a good point though. To get in shape for training, your aerobic fitness will be very important. Dietary changes may also be necessary, but if you aren't a big exercise buff this would be the time to change that dramatically.

[Occhidiangela]

Goodness, does that phrase ever bring back memories of marching band. There's nothing like waking up at 5AM so you can get to a parade 2 hours too early and then, after goofing around for 2 hours, suddenly having to run into formation while strapping on a drum at the same time, only to stand in place for another 20 minutes. (At some point, the bass drum gets put back on the ground, which means that the "hurry up" process must be repeated multiple times until the parade actually moves.) It must be the ROTC heritage of the band. By the time the parade actually starts, my shaving job is probably no longer up to inspection standards!

I'm afraid I can't help with the tuna recipes. I make a point of not eating anything healthier than ground beef, bacon, and Swiss Cake Rolls. Work/exercise and metabolism have kept my waistline in great shape, but my teeth are another story.

Pete does bring up a good point though. To get in shape for training, your aerobic fitness will be very important. Dietary changes may also be necessary, but if you aren't a big exercise buff this would be the time to change that dramatically.

To add on to that: running, yes for aerobic, but you also need to add three days a week of strength training to add muscle mass and thus speed up your metabolism a touch. In the Army, you will have to haul a ruck sack, and a bit of strength helps there.

Occhi

[kandrathe]

Does anyone know of some (relatively) simple recipes for canned tuna?

Egg whites, and the white meat in chicken would be the best staples in a high protein diet. If you want to be ready for the army, work on being able to climb up a 50 foot rope, do 30 pullups, 50 pushups, 300 or so situps, and run a mile in under 6 minutes. If you break a sweat then you need more conditioning. Trust me you'll lose weight, or convert it into muscle mass. My point is that having a jump start on the expected basics and good cardio conditioning will be more important than losing a bunch of weight.

[Munkay]

Egg whites, and the white meat in chicken would be the best staples in a high protein diet. If you want to be ready for the army, work on being able to climb up a 50 foot rope, do 30 pullups, 50 pushups, 300 or so situps, and run a mile in under 6 minutes. If you break a sweat then you need more conditioning. Trust me you'll lose weight, or convert it into muscle mass. My point is that having a jump start on the expected basics and good cardio conditioning will be more important than losing a bunch of weight.

Couldn't have said it any better myself Kandrathe. Only thing I could add to the list is cottage cheese. One of the best types of protein is whey protein, which of course is found in dairy products. Cottage cheese has a high protein count in a very small package. Skim Cottage cheese with some fresh fruit in it is a great post workout meal.

Since your focus will be more on cardio than lifting, carbs will be more important post workout than protein. So within about 45 minutes post workout have a light snack, a half a bagel and some tuna/cottage cheese/chicken etc. By getting it into your system post workout your muscles will recover much faster and you'll have a lot less sore days:)

And of course, don't forget to end a workout with a stretch.

Cheers,

Munk

[kandrathe]

Couldn't have said it any better myself Kandrathe. Only thing I could add to the list is cottage cheese. One of the best types of protein is whey protein, which of course is found in dairy products. Cottage cheese has a high protein count in a very small package. Skim Cottage cheese with some fresh fruit in it is a great post workout meal.

Since your focus will be more on cardio than lifting, carbs will be more important post workout than protein. So within about 45 minutes post workout have a light snack, a half a bagel and some tuna/cottage cheese/chicken etc. By getting it into your system post workout your muscles will recover much faster and you'll have a lot less sore days:)

And of course, don't forget to end a workout with a stretch.

Cheers,

Munk

Heh, I despise cottage cheese, tofu, and yogurt. But you are right, if you can stomach the decayed milk/soy products by all means. I like white cheeses though, so I'd go for the mozarella on some chicken breast pasta dish with a light cream sauce.

If you want a fish diet, I'd look for a source to farm raised fish. Much less toxic in quantity.

[Flymo]

Salade Nicoise is my favourite way of eating tuna. There are lots of different ways of making it and no doubt hundreds of recipes in the Internet, but when i do it it's tuna, boiled eggs, potatos, stick beans, salad, dressing, croutons, olives, and anchovies. It takes about an hour to make so you wouldn't want to do it just for one though.

[Vandiablo]

My favorite preparation of tuna:

Lay down a sheet of seaweed.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on it.
Put a row (about an inch deep) of cooked rice on it.
Put tuna on top of the rice.
Maybe add some somewhat crunchy vegetables.
Roll up the seaweed so that you have one big cigar just over an inch in diameter.
Slice the cigar into disks about an inch tall.
Cover the disks with the right amount* of green horseradish (wasabi!).
Pop each disk into your mouth, and wait for Explosive Delight.
Wait until your glass is refilled before eating the next disk.

-V
Assistant Chef
The Forsaken Inn

*the right amount is so much that you don't taste any of the other stuff, your eyes slam shut, and your sinuses feel like you've been punched in the nose. Heaven!

[eppie]

So, I plan on losing weight and shaping up in preparation of enlisting in the Army sometime soon (soon being a year or so), and I've found that tuna is an excellent choice for a meat;

First, why do you need to shape up for the army, the last thing I heard they take absolutely anyone.
Second, tuna is also an excellent choice for dolphin. If you don't like dolphin, take the one which has written 'dolphin friendly' on it, like this your sure you are eating 10 % dolphin max.

[Occhidiangela]

First, why do you need to shape up for the army, the last thing I heard they take absolutely anyone.

He isn't joining the Dutch Army. ;) The American Army, though Basic isn't as tough as it once was, has been on a consistently increasing fitness kick for the last 10 - 20 years. If he is going to be in the infantry, field artillery, combat engineers, or even armor, the fitness ethic is significant.

Getting through basic is one thing, being prepared to do well is another. The worse shape you join in, the more likely you are to injure yourself during early training. Being in good shape is a good way to prevent muscle and joint injury.

Occhi

[--Pete]

Hi,

Getting through basic is one thing, being prepared to do well is another. The worse shape you join in, the more likely you are to injure yourself during early training. Being in good shape is a good way to prevent muscle and joint injury.

Very true. And more importantly, unless things have changed since I went through it, if you can't meet the proficiency level every two weeks, you get 're-cycled' to a unit that is two or more weeks behind. While I found basic to be fun, I don't think it would make a good career.;)

--Pete

[kandrathe]

Hi,
Very true. And more importantly, unless things have changed since I went through it, if you can't meet the proficiency level every two weeks, you get 're-cycled' to a unit that is two or more weeks behind. While I found basic to be fun, I don't think it would make a good career.;)

--Pete

Not if you had someone like Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket. I would not want to be anything like Private Pyle. Better to go in hard and chewing on broken glass already.

Let me see your war face. You still don't scare me! Work on it!

[Artega]

Getting through basic is one thing, being prepared to do well is another. The worse shape you join in, the more likely you are to injure yourself during early training. Being in good shape is a good way to prevent muscle and joint injury.

Occhi

Yeah. Had a friend of a friend who was significantly overweight decide he wanted to be a Marine right out of high school. Apparently he had to be hospitalized multiple times during basic training due to various problems involving over-exertion, though I heard he made the cut after five or six times<_<

[Drasca]

Since I don't like to clog up the lounge with new threads when possible...

Forgive my scattered thoughts. I am at a crossroads and need some soundboarding. I know some lurkers have performed US military duty, and I wish for your thoughts on my situation particularly.

I've been investigating US naval enlistment, and will probably see my local recruiter this week. The past year for me has been a 'test' year to recuperate with my parents and try to find other options. I've been unable thus far to find a decent job. I've accrued 70 odd college credits at PSU towards a chemical engineering degree, and for various reasons too lengthy to go into here I do not plan to re-attend to finish the degree at PSU. I am a US citizen in fair health, some intelligence and am considering enlisting, assuming I pass screenings and they recognize my college transcript.

I've read the about.com guide here:
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup...er10_2.htm
a few from here:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/
and the navy.com website for information.

I'm not certain I'm in my right mind. It seems like a good idea, but I thought the same of chemical engineering, except, I was angry at the PSU system for being systemically flawed towards its chemical engineering degree program canidates in satellite campuses that would transfer to the main campus later on at the time.

I'll be 23 come August 30th, 2007. I need to grow up, and take some responsibility but that doesn't mean taking the wrong choices prematurely. If I do join the Navy, assuming they want me, I don't want to do it out of desperation--even though it may be a sound option.

I don't plan on signing anything until hopefully the fall when I can hopefully make a clearer decision... but I would appreciate some opinions.

It could be for me. I fit the standards I've read about so far. I'm in fair health and fitness. I've maintained a certain amount since being certified as a Red Cross lifeguard and playing soccer in high school. The strains for boot camp, basic training, 'restrictions' such as no alchohol, smoking, and various other amenities seem almost like everyday life due to a fairly clean and already regimented upbringing that never promoted scandalous behaviour.

I don't know. The puzzle piece seems like it can fit, but I've never made an 8 year commitment before. I've never lived in one place more than 6-7 years of my life. 4 years here, 4 years there, 3 years here, 6 years there, 2 years here, 3 years there, 1 here. I'm honestly afraid to commit 8 into naval service. Shrug. I've never had much of a social life, and though I'm fine without a personal life for 6 months to a year or so at a time, I hestitate to think of 8.

I should probably let the recruiter screen me before thinking further, but what are your thoughts? These are some heavy reservations. I may qualify. I may find some peace in the Navy (or other US military branch) system. I may not. I'm not sure.

My main concern is that I do not wish to follow the path of my father in that he started fairly late for starting a family. I would like to before I am 30, but a military path... does not seem very conducive at this stage. I would be 26-28 at the end of the official service, and 31 before my 8 year sign on period would end. That too scares me. I'm near the stage where bumming around and having a laugh seems like it'll be more fleeting. However, my career paths also look limited at this moment.