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Why did the United States promote Meatless Tuesdays during World War I?

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Illustration of a vegan food pyramid divided into four sections: whole grains at the base, followed by vegetables, then fruit, and legumes at the top, with recommended daily servings and images of representative foods in each group. — vegetarianism A vegan food pyramid, which excludes meat and animal products.

The United States government promoted "Meatless Tuesdays" during World War I as a strategic measure to conserve food supplies.1

Under the leadership of U.S. Food Administrator Herbert Hoover, the government relied on voluntary cooperation from the American public to observe "meatless" and "wheatless" days. The primary objective of this initiative was to ensure that as much of the nation’s agricultural output as possible could be redirected to support soldiers fighting at the front. This effort was part of a broader humanitarian strategy to manage resources effectively during the conflict.23