British military rations during the French and Indian War

To avoid this, local spruce beer began to be used to supplement the rations (it provided the soldiers with additional vitamin C) .

[7] During field conditions, the soldiers often went hungry as the supply chains could not be maintained due to long distances, primitive transportation and difficult terrain.

[3] In garrison the regular ration was supplemented with vegetables from gardens tended by the soldiers during their spare time.

Soldiers in towns could also buy food in the civilian marketplace, but at border forts or in the field, they were limited to what the sutlers sold.

The margin for such purchases was limited, however, due to the many stoppages taken from the soldiers' pay, among them the cost for the issued ration.

[8] While marching through populated areas, the soldiers frequently resorted to foraging, often a euphemism for theft and robbery of food from the citizenry.