Szwedo t1_ix6v1hw wrote
Reply to comment by Northstar1989 in what was the population of ancient Mesopotamia? by Omastnar
Weren't humans smaller back then too so they needed less calories, let alone meat protein being far less consumed in general up until the 20th c?
imperialus81 t1_ix6xevy wrote
Right, which is why I went for 2500 calories. For reference, a modern MRE averages at 1250 calories per meal, or 3750 calories per day.
Thuis001 t1_ix7dft9 wrote
Soldiers would also need to eat far more calories to stay in fighting shape as they expend more energy than your average person.
Szwedo t1_ix7dsa0 wrote
Armies back in this time were barely professional
Thuis001 t1_ix7n4li wrote
That has no bearing on how many calories an individual needs though. Just on how capable an army would be at ensuring the soldier has access to those.
imperialus81 t1_ix816ic wrote
You'd be surprised.
We do for example have records of what 'in theory' Napoleon was giving his troops in the early 19th century and it isn't far off the numbers I listed. This is the 'ideal' situation, not when they were marching home from Moscow:
24 oz of bread, 8 oz of meat, 2oz legumes.
My own numbers were more bread focused with less meat, but on that note you saw how pissy some folks got when I suggested half that quantity of meat upthread.
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