Staying well hydrated is just as important to performance and recovery as fueling properly with the right foods, stretching your muscles, and getting enough sleep. Drinking sufficient fluids isn’t just for summertime activities or extreme heat. It’s crucial to pay attention to your fluid needs daily and especially around exercise. When you dine in military dining facilities or galleys, let Go for Green® (G4G) guide your drink choices to hydrate smartly without all the extras.
G4G is a DoD nutrition program that increases availability of and access to high-performance foods and drinks for Military Service Members in dining facilities and galleys. Foods and beverages are labeled with stoplight colors (Green, Yellow, and Red) to help you make the best choices to fuel your body, power your mind, and maximize your energy. Go for “Green” with drinks that are lower in added sugar and saturated fat, avoid artificial ingredients, and naturally contain vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Use the G4G labels—and other smart strategies—to make performance-boosting choices to keep you hydrated and stay optimized.
- Listen to your body, but not necessarily about your thirst. Thirst isn’t always a good indicator of whether or not you’re meeting your fluid needs. Drink fluids throughout the day to stay on track.
- Your body is about 50–70% water, so an easy way to remember fluid goals is to drink 50% of your body weight (in pounds) in fluid ounces daily. Include water on your tray when dining at military facilities to drink enough.
Hydration is important—whether you’re training, working out, or just trying to beat the heat. Use G4G to find high-performance drinks to help you stay hydrated and mission-ready.
- Is plain water plain boring? Look for water infused with chunks of fruit, veggie slices (cucumber), or herbs at your local dining facility. A better-tasting drink encourages you to drink more of these Green-coded options.
- Be sugar savvy. Sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks, and sport and energy drinks) are the #1 source of added sugar for Americans. Limit your intake by choosing Green-coded drinks most often.
- Water (plain or carbonated)
- Unsweetened or very lightly sweetened iced or hot coffee or tea
- 100% vegetable juice
- Unsweetened skim or 1% milk or milk alternatives (soy, almond, etc.).
- Use Yellow-coded choices sparingly. Sports drinks and 100% fruit juice can be part of your eating plan depending on your activity level, calorie needs, and other food choices. When used around exercise, sports drinks code Green because they’re important for proper fueling and hydration. Learn more about how to choose your drink.
- Power your recovery from exercise by heading to the dining facility or galley and rehydrating with water, sports drinks, or milk to replace the fluid you lost. For every pound of body weight lost, drink 20–24 oz of fluid.
- Eat balanced meals to replenish electrolytes like sodium and potassium that are lost in sweat. When you dine after intense exercise or exercise of long duration, choose Green-coded foods from all food groups to build a nutrient-rich meal.
- Stock up on salty foods, especially after intense or long bouts of exercise. Sodium helps you retain fluid and fully rehydrate, so look for high-performance foods with “Moderate” or “High” G4G salt shakers.
- Did you know that some fresh foods contain a high amount of water? Look for berries, citrus, watermelon, and other juicy fruits to stay hydrated. Enjoy broccoli, celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, and tomatoes from your local salad bar too. And check out the daily soup options for other high-fluid choices. Choose high-water content veggie sides at the Mainline or Specialty Bars as well.
Visit the G4G section on HPRC to learn more ways to fuel your performance and go “Green.”
About the Author
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
