Eat Me At: vegetarianism in the military

How realistic is it for the military to be vegetarian?
Іт мі ет: вегетаріанство на військовій службі
Author
Manana Glonti
352

We talked to Victoria, who continues to be a vegetarian while serving in the Armed Forces and feeds her vegetarian comrades-in-arms with vegetable meat Eat Me At.

How long have you been a vegetarian?

In November of this year, I will be a vegetarian for 10 years, I often consume non-animal products in my daily life, but I did not dare to become a full-fledged vegan.

Do many of your acquaintances at work remain vegetarians?

Somewhere between 50% and 50%. Some adhere, some are forced to eat meat, because, unfortunately, the conditions are quite harsh, and living on one salad or pasta is difficult when the body is physically exhausted in a day.

What is the diet of a military man who abstains from eating meat in combat?

In fact, it is very difficult to call it a diet, a surprise every day. Will there be at least something today that can be consumed or not. Since porridge / pasta is often cooked with meat, meat or seafood is added to salads, soups, even vegetables are cooked in meat broths, dumplings and potato / cabbage cakes brought by volunteers are often smeared with greaves. etc.

If we cooked everything the same, but served meat / fish / gravy / cracklings separately and everyone added what he wanted, there would be no problem, but, unfortunately, our country is still moving towards a vegan-friendly diet and hopefully we will come to this soon.

Personally, I always have with me nuts and dried fruits, stocks of vegetable soups and canned food, which were transferred from abroad to help our part. And recently in my diet and a few other vegetarian combat comrades eat vegetable meat eat me at, which has greatly improved and simplified nutrition.

Our military unit was also given vegan cheese, soy yogurts and vegetable milk. Therefore, we can say that for some time, almost all became a little vegan. I have breakfast about the same as in everyday life, I brew oatmeal and muesli separately, sometimes I like avocados, so you can make sandwiches. And the key point during the service is that you need to be on good terms with the kitchen staff, then eating will be a little easier.

I am personally grateful to the guys and girls from the kitchen who constantly dig up a vegan product for me in the humanities, give me the opportunity to come late in the evening to cook something the next day, give me access to a freezer and refrigerator to store food.

It is believed that during the war it is immoral to follow certain eating habits (if possible). What would you say in support of people who continue to be vegetarians?

It is immoral to say that eating habits are immoral. It's cool if a person has that opportunity. I'm not talking about besieged cities, where civilians and the military do not have the opportunity to choose, and in general there is a lack of food and water. In other cases, it is simply a person's choice and the willingness or unwillingness of others to assist the person in this choice (at the state level including developing balanced vegan biscuits, kitchen workers simply adding animal ingredients separately, etc.).

During the war, people continue to live, defecate, get sick. Yes, in such conditions it can be more difficult, but it does not mean that a person needs to give up everything.

For example, the military does not always have the opportunity to take a shower, but minimally do so under the tap with cold water, use wet wipes. Same with eating habits. You just adjust them to the conditions that exist.