Although I love both coffee and food, I would definitely give up coffee because food gives us the healthy energy we need as human beings. While reading the article, Civil War Cooking: What the Union Soldiers Ate, I learned that soldiers did not have the best quality food. Soldiers had to eat whatever was given to them. Due to the fact that cooking was a female’s responsibility during that time, men had no idea how to put together a meal. Once soldiers did learn how to cook, the food was often tasteless because the main focus while cooking meals was to avoid hunger. If soldiers faced hunger and starvation, they would lose strength and would be unable to perform their duties. One interesting fact from the article that caught my attention was that when there was a food delay due to bad weather, soldiers had to supplement their weak diets. I could only imagine how soldiers went along their journeys and missions without proper meals. In order to function and go about my day, I need some sort of food to keep me going whether it’s a snack bar or a fruit. Overall, the Union Soldiers unhealthy food conditions has led me to realize that food is a necessity in my current diet and although coffee is a great refresher, I would chose to keep food as my choice.
