You know how when you entered first grade, the sixth-graders looked absolutely ginormous and you wondered, “Am I really gonna be that big one day?” And then when you got to sixth grade, you wondered if you were ever going to be like the high school kids that seemed so grownup—light years away from you.

So much for the food pyramid or a balanced diet. Looking at the meal choices in the army mess hall, I'm thinking that there's not much difference between the sticky and starchy rice, couscous or pasta. But when you're in gadna (training for the Israeli army), food isn't your priority.