Editing Ancel Keys (section)

===Development of K-rations===
{{Main|K-ration}}
[[File:KRation Dinner.JPG|thumb|left|An example of a [[K-ration]] dinner. All the components were intended to fit into a box which would fit into a soldier's pocket]]

In 1936, Keys was offered a position at the [[Mayo Foundation]] in [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]], where he continued his studies in physiology.<ref name=Keys1936/> He left after a year, citing an intellectually stifling environment where research was secondary to clinical "doc business" and playing [[Contract bridge|bridge]].<ref name=Hoffman1979/>

In 1937, he left the Mayo Foundation to teach physiology at the University of Minnesota,<ref name='Reed2004'>{{cite news | first = Christopher | last = Reed | title = Ancel Keys The dietician who promoted the virtues of the Mediterranean diet | date = December 8, 2004 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/dec/08/guardianobituaries1 | work = [[The Guardian]] | access-date = February 5, 2011}}</ref> where he founded the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene. His earlier research on human physiology led to an assignment with the [[Quartermaster Corps (United States Army)|Army Quartermaster Corps]], where they worked to develop a more portable and nonperishable ration that would provide enough calories to sustain soldiers (such as paratroopers) in the field for up to two weeks.<ref name='Buskirk1992'>{{cite journal | title = From Harvard to Minnesota: Keys to our History | journal = Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews | year = 1992 | first = ER | last = Buskirk | volume = 20 | pages = 1–26| pmid = 1623883  | quote = Based on an appeal from the Army Quartermaster Corps, experiments to design and test rations for the promotion and maintenance of combat effectiveness for paratroopers were undertaken. Neither Keys nor the military was particularly interested in vitamins, but rather they wanted to put calories into a small packet of nonperishable food&nbsp; ... the Keys or [[K-ration]] was designed in the Laboratory and at field test sites in both hot and cold areas on the North American continent. | doi=10.1249/00003677-199200200-00001| doi-access = free }}</ref>

This development did not begin without some turbulence. His colleague, Elsworth Buskirk, recalled:

{{blockquote|When it appeared that the U.S. would be in World War II, Keys went to the Quartermaster Food and Container Institute in Chicago to inquire about emergency rations. The story goes that he was told to go home and leave such things to the professionals. Undissuaded, he went to [[Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company|William Wrigley's]] office and secured $10,000 for the development of an emergency ration. Then, he went to the [[Cracker Jack|Cracker Jack Company]]. They couldn't supply money, but did provide the water-tight small box concept. The result was the K-ration in sealed Cracker Jack boxes.<ref name=Buskirk1992/>}}

Once the basic design had been completed, the Navy, through the [[National Research Council (United States)|National Research Council]], funded the testing of the K-rations on its sailors to determine their feasibility as a temporary and mobile food source. The initial ingredients of the K-ration were procured at a local Minneapolis grocery store—hard biscuits, dry sausage, hard candy, and chocolate.<ref name=Sullivan2004/> The final product was different from Keys' original ingredients, but most of Keys' suggestions made it to the final product.<ref name=Hoffman1979/> The rations weighed only {{convert|28|oz|abbr=on}}, but provided 3200 calories per day.<ref name=Reed2004/> Though several sources claim the name was unrelated to Keys,<ref name=Quartermaster-1>{{cite conference|url=http://qmfound.com/history_of_rations.htm |contribution=Rations: The History of Rations |access-date=February 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208042157/http://www.qmfound.com/history_of_rations.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |publisher=The Quartermaster School |via=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum |date=January 1949 |title=Conference Notes prepared for the Quartermaster General }}</ref> many historical references support the claim that the K-ration was indeed named after him.<ref name=Hoffman1979/><ref name=Buskirk1992/><ref>{{cite journal | title = Olaf Mickelsen (July 29, 1912 to August 8, 1999)  | journal = Journal of Nutrition | year = 2001 | first = Rachel | last = Schemmel |author2=Simin Vaghefi |author3=Barbara Bowman  | volume = 131 | issue = 2 | pages = 205–210| pmid = 11160534  | quote = During World War II, I worked with Dr. Ancel Keys on the K ration. This emergency ration was named after Dr. Keys because of the pioneering work he did in getting our country conscious of the fact that a ration of this type would be surely needed if we became embroiled in war.| doi = 10.1093/jn/131.2.205 | doi-access = free }}</ref> The K-ration became such a success that it was often used for more than temporary sustenance, becoming a major staple of military nutrition.<ref name=Hoffman1979/><ref name=Buskirk1992/>