Have you ever wondered what soldiers eat while on duty? Feeding an army has always been a crucial task for military leaders. Throughout history, battles have been won or lost based on whether soldiers had enough to eat. Today, there are many ways to deliver food quickly to troops, and modern preservation techniques ensure that the food is nutritious and varied. However, this wasn’t always the case.
In ancient times, armies faced significant challenges in keeping their soldiers fed, especially when on the move. Without modern transportation and roads, armies had to carry their supplies, rely on local resources, or maintain long supply lines. Some civilizations with naval capabilities could stay near the sea for supplies. Traditional preservation methods like curing, pickling, and salting helped keep food edible, but meals were often monotonous and lacked nutrition.
For example, ancient Egyptian soldiers had to carry their own food and water, and their rations were often meager. Over time, their diet improved to include vegetables, meats, fruits, and legumes. In ancient Greece, hoplites (Greek soldiers) ate barley, salt fish, olives, and onions, and they were responsible for their own food, often foraging or buying from markets. They carried iron spits for grilling meat and were expected to bring three days’ worth of supplies for campaigns.
The Roman army was known for being well-fed compared to other ancient armies. The vast Roman Empire required efficient organization to supply its troops. Roman soldiers received regular grain rations and other foods like meat, vegetables, cheese, and olive oil. On campaigns, soldiers prepared their own meals, often making bread or porridge from their grain rations. When quick movement was necessary, they ate bucellatum, a type of hardtack that could last a long time.
In medieval Europe, armies were less organized than the Romans, but soldiers still received basic supplies at the start of campaigns. For instance, when Edward III invaded France in 1346, he brought large quantities of meat, cheese, peas, beans, and bread. However, during long campaigns, soldiers often had to buy or forage for additional supplies.
During the Peninsular War (1808-1814), British soldiers were supposed to receive daily rations of hardtack, meat, and spirits. However, these rations often fell short, and soldiers had to purchase or forage for more food. French soldiers had similar rations and were encouraged to forage, leading to common looting practices. Napoleon’s failed Russian campaign highlighted the importance of logistics and supply, as his army suffered from starvation due to poor planning and Russian tactics.
The early 1800s saw significant advancements in food preservation, with the invention of canning. Nicolas Appert discovered that food could be preserved in airtight containers, and Philippe Gerrard invented the tin can. This revolutionized military rations, allowing for longer-lasting and more varied food options.
By World War I, canned goods were a staple in U.S. military rations, with different types for emergencies and regular meals. Between the world wars, the U.S. army developed more comprehensive rations, leading to five standard types during World War II.
In 1986, the U.S. military introduced the MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) to address previous ration shortcomings. MREs are lightweight, easy to carry, and designed for taste and variety. They include a main course, side dishes, snacks, drinks, and an accessory pack. A significant improvement came in 1990 with the flameless ration heater, allowing soldiers to enjoy hot meals without an open flame. MREs are nutritionally balanced, providing around 1250 calories, and can last for at least three years.
From ancient times to the modern era, feeding soldiers has been a complex challenge. Innovations in food preservation and supply logistics have significantly improved the quality and variety of military rations, ensuring that soldiers are well-fed and ready for their missions.
Research the types of food that soldiers from a specific historical period consumed. Prepare a presentation that includes the challenges faced in food preservation and supply logistics during that time. Share your findings with the class, highlighting how these challenges impacted military campaigns.
Design your own Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) menu that could be used by modern soldiers. Consider nutritional balance, variety, and ease of preparation. Present your menu to the class and explain your choices, including how you addressed the needs of soldiers in the field.
Participate in a class debate comparing the logistics of feeding soldiers in ancient times versus modern times. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each era’s methods and technologies. Use examples from the article to support your arguments.
Choose a historical recipe from the article, such as Roman bucellatum or a medieval stew, and prepare it at home. Bring your dish to class for a tasting session. Discuss the ingredients and preparation methods, and compare them to modern military rations.
Conduct an interview with a military veteran about their experiences with military rations. Prepare questions about the types of food they ate, how it was prepared, and any memorable experiences related to meals in the field. Share your interview findings with the class.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
What did soldiers eat throughout history? The logistical demand of keeping an army supplied with food has been a key consideration for military commanders. Battles and entire campaigns have been lost due to an underfed army. Nowadays, there are multiple methods by which food can be delivered to troops quickly, as well as innovative methods of food preservation and storage that ensure the food they receive is highly nutritious and varied. However, this has not always been the case.
Before mechanized transportation and the advent of proper roads, maintaining regular food rations for an army, especially one on the move, was a challenging task. Ancient armies either had to carry their supplies, live off the land, purchase or steal from local populations, maintain lengthy supply lines, or, assuming they were lucky enough to come from a civilization with naval abilities, remain close to the sea for supplies. Traditional methods of food preservation, such as curing, pickling, and salting, could keep meats and vegetables edible for long periods, but food was often monotonous, poor quality, and lacking in nutrition.
Surviving records of daily life for the average soldier in the earliest known armies are limited, but some information has been passed down. In ancient Egypt, for example, one contemporary writer described military rations as meager and unpleasant, while other sources tell us that each soldier was responsible for carrying his own supply of food and water. As time passed, the life of an Egyptian soldier, at least regarding food, seems to have improved, and they consumed a variety of vegetables, meats, fruits, and legumes.
In ancient Greece, the average hoplite had a diet consisting of barley, grouts, salt fish, olives, onions, and whatever else he could forage. He was responsible for his own food, which he would obtain from domestic stores or markets. Hoplites were accompanied by a slave who carried rations, cooking utensils, and bedding. They were also known to carry iron spits for grilling meat. For land campaigns, the hoplite was ordered to bring three days’ worth of supplies. Once these provisions ran out, they would resupply in a friendly or neutral city or forage for food in enemy territory.
Of all the armies of the ancient world, the Roman army was arguably the best fed. The vast territory of the Roman Empire required a significant organizational effort to keep troops supplied. From at least the 3rd century BC, Roman soldiers received a standard grain ration on a set day, although there was some variation in the military diet depending on location and available goods. A Roman soldier could expect to receive grain, meat (mainly salt pork), vegetables (such as lentils and beans), cheese, salt, sour wine, and olive oil.
Cassius Dio wrote about the Iceni revolt, quoting Queen Boudicca as saying that without bread, wine, and oil, Roman soldiers would perish, while the Britons could survive on grass, roots, and water. This quote, while likely apocryphal, highlights the comparatively high standard of food expected within the Roman army. While garrisoned, a Roman soldier could rely on a centralized kitchen for meals, but on campaign, each contubernium (a squad of eight men) was responsible for preparing their own food. The grain ration was typically used to make bread or, in a hurry, as porridge.
When the army needed to move quickly, soldiers were supplied with a pre-made ration called bucellatum, a form of twice-baked bread known as hardtack or ship’s biscuit. Hardtack has never been known for its flavor or texture, but its ability to keep for long periods means it has remained a staple of military rations up to the modern era.
Although the armies of medieval Europe were generally not as organized as the ancient Romans, a common foot soldier could expect some basic supplies, especially at the beginning of a campaign. For example, when Edward III arrived in France in 1346, he brought large quantities of mutton, beef, pork (both salted and fresh), cheese, peas, beans, oat and wheat cakes, bread, and dried fish. Surviving orders from Henry V also show efforts to increase output in preparation for the Agincourt campaign in 1415.
During lengthy campaigns, even the best-prepared army could not carry all the provisions needed, and soldiers often had to purchase supplies or forage from the surrounding countryside. Throughout the Peninsular War (1808-1814), the men of the Duke of Wellington’s army were supposed to receive daily rations consisting of one pound of hardtack, one pound of meat (usually beef), and one-third of a pint of spirits (most often rum). These rations were sometimes supplemented or substituted with other goods, although this was not always an improvement.
Colonel Jonathan Leach described one fortnight-long march where the only rations consisted of meat and a mix of bran, coarse flour, and straw. The standard ration often fell short of providing the caloric needs of a soldier on campaign, and supply delivery was frequently unreliable. Soldiers had two choices to make up the deficit: purchasing their own supplies or foraging. However, pay was often low, and plundering was punishable by death, although it was commonly overlooked by officers sympathetic to their men’s hunger.
French soldiers received similar daily rations to their British counterparts, but only a few days’ supply was carried at a time. Napoleon preferred quick-moving, self-sufficient armies, encouraging his men to forage or requisition goods. Looting was common enough that it became known as “la macrod,” and while often forbidden, it was not unusual for a blind eye to be turned.
The spectacular failure of Napoleon’s Russian campaign is largely attributed to poor logistics, a lack of supplies, and the Russian scorched earth tactics, leading to the starvation of tens of thousands of men. Interestingly, the basic diet of Western armies changed little over the centuries, with salted meat, bread or grain, legumes, salt, cheese, beer, and wine remaining staples.
In the early 1800s, major advances in food preservation occurred, with the development of canning revolutionizing military rationing. In 1795, during the French Revolution, the French government offered a prize for a new method of food preservation, which was claimed in 1810 by Nicolas Appert, who discovered that food could be preserved in airtight containers. The inventor of the tin can was Philippe Gerrard in 1810, and the first major commercial canning plant was established in 1813.
America’s canning industry was slower to develop, and canned goods were only available on a small scale during the Civil War (1861-1865). This began to change in the late 1800s when the U.S. military started providing individual ration packs. The first version, named the 1878 travel ration, was designed for transit and included canned meat and vegetables.
By World War I, canned goods made up the bulk of the standard U.S. military ration, with three basic types: the iron ration (an emergency ration), the trench ration (various canned meats and fish), and the reserve ration (a more substantial option). The period between the world wars allowed the U.S. army to develop a more comprehensive set of rations, leading to five standard rations during World War II.
The modern standard individual field ration, the MRE (Meal Ready to Eat), was introduced in 1986 to address the shortcomings of previous rations. MREs are lightweight, easy to carry, and designed with taste and variety in mind. They contain a main course, side dishes, crackers or bread, spreads, candy, dessert, drink mixes, and an accessory pack with basic necessities.
Since its introduction, the MRE has undergone continual development, with new menu items added and unpopular ones discarded. A significant change occurred in 1990 with the introduction of the flameless ration heater, allowing soldiers to enjoy hot meals in the field without the risk of an open flame. The MRE has been refined to be nutritionally balanced, containing approximately 1250 calories, and is designed to remain shelf-stable for a minimum of three years.
Soldiers – Individuals who serve in an army and are trained for warfare. – During the American Civil War, soldiers faced harsh conditions and fought in numerous battles to determine the nation’s future.
Food – Substances consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. – The scarcity of food during the Great Depression led to widespread hunger and the establishment of soup kitchens.
Preservation – The act of maintaining something in its original or existing state. – The preservation of historical documents is crucial for understanding the events that shaped our world.
Rations – A fixed allowance of provisions or food, especially for soldiers or sailors or for civilians during a shortage. – During World War II, civilians in many countries had to rely on rations to manage limited food supplies.
Ancient – Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence. – The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia is often credited with the invention of writing and the wheel.
Empire – An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress. – The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in history, spanning three continents at its height.
Logistics – The detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies. – Effective logistics were crucial for the success of the D-Day invasion during World War II.
Nutrition – The process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth. – Understanding the nutrition of early agricultural societies helps historians learn how these communities thrived and expanded.
Campaigns – Organized efforts to achieve a particular goal, often in a military context. – The military campaigns of Alexander the Great expanded his empire across three continents.
Supplies – The materials, provisions, or equipment necessary for a particular purpose. – Ensuring a steady flow of supplies was vital for the survival of troops during the harsh winters of the Napoleonic Wars.
