US Army To Replace All Vegetarian MREs With Plant-Based Options By 2027

The US Army has announced plans to replace vegetarian MREs (meal, ready to eat) with plant-based options by 2027, in response to feedback from service personnel.

Despite demand for plant-based options, this marks the first time they will be included on the menu. The update means that four out of 24 MREs will be vegan-friendly, improving soldiers’ access to nutritious, ethical, and animal-friendly food.

The US Department of Defence, recently named as the “Department of War,” announced the news in a statement last month. The US Army regularly updates military rations based on their popularity, weight, and nutritional benefits in order to add new items and phase out others.

“One service request was to include more plant-based items,” explained Julie Edwards, a registered dietitian and the US Army’s Combat Feeding Division senior technologist. “For snacking, the Combat Feeding Division has developed plant-based animal crackers, a new recovery bar, a protein bar, and fruit-flavored cereal.”

The introduction of plant-based MREs follows years of advocacy by Mercy For Animals. The animal advocacy nonprofit noted that the US military issues more than 37 million MREs annually, and this menu update could result in 6.5 million new vegan options served per year.

In 2022, Mercy For Animals surveyed 226 active-duty service members and found that 81 percent believed that the military should provide plant-based options. Sixty-nine percent said plant-based MREs should be available, and over half of those surveyed said that they would choose them over animal-based options.

Plant-based MREs, vegan uniforms, and the military

Photo shows a pile of sachets from military rations, including roasted peanuts and raisins — Adobe Stock Better MREs improve morale as well as health and nutrition

The number of vegans in the military has not been officially quantified, but those serving believe that there is an increasing number of plant-based personnel.

Speaking to the Guardian back in 2019, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Shearin, a mechanic in the US Coast Guard, said, “It seems like every unit that I go to and visit, I come across people that are vegan, or who want to go vegan and they’re just not sure how to do it.”

In September, those serving in the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) finally won the right to wear vegan uniforms at work following a campaign by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Vegan and Vegetarian Network. Vegan food options are also widely available.