The US Military is the latest to join the vegan ranks. Impossible Foods, arguably one of the most well-known plant-based meat brands, has partnered with the US Army to offer meat alternatives.
Serving the Country
Plant-based meats for the military corps is nothing new, with Impossible Foods being available to troops across multiple operations for a few years already. But, in their latest move, they are working directly with the US Army Central and the central food service coordination.
Thanks to this expansion, Impossible Foods will be available to US troops worldwide. The company’s CEO Peter McGuinness stated on LinkedIn “our troops in North Africa, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia will be able to enjoy our nutrient-dense and delicious Impossible Beef and Impossible Burgers that provide high-quality protein, fiber, and iron, with no cholesterol,” Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness said on LinkedIn.
How Many Soldiers are Vegan?
According to a survey carried out in 2022 by Mercy for Animals, out of 226 American military personnel 3.5% identified as vegan. This is representative of the wider US where approximately 3% of Americans identify as vegan – a figure which is increasingly growing.
Meanwhile, 42% stated they didn’t eat meat, were trying to decrease consumption of animal products or adopted a flexitarian diet. A vast majority (70%) said they would choose climate-friendly food options if available while 63% recognised the sustainability of plant-based foods compared to animal products.
No Longer Impossible
Up until now, the US army has widely lacked vegan options and up until 2019, when a soldier campaigned for a plant-based main at each meal in a US Army dining facility, veganism was not a priority. In fact, vegan soldiers have long struggled with their dietary requirements in the military as no US military branches were offering vegan meals ready to eat. Even vegetarian meals didn’t appear until 1986.
Since then, the 2023 2023 National Defense Authorization Act was passed by the US House of Representatives in July 2022 requiring the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to produce a report on plant-based ready-to-eat meals for troops in the US.
Other global armies are already ahead of the game. For example, the Israeli army boasts over 10,000 vegan soldiers with help from Vegan organizations to prepare plant-based meals.
Thanks to Impossible Foods, US military troops based all over the world have access to delicious, nutrient-dense plant-based meals. It will be interesting to see if, now that these meals are available, many non-vegan soldiers follow suit with their dietary choices.
