At the beginning of the conflict the Italian soldier's food ration included 750 grams of bread, 375 grams of fresh meat (however including an often abundant and not very nourishing waste), pasta, rice or pulses (about 150 grams), toasted coffee (15 grams), sugar (20 grams), as well as the necessary seasoning; chocolate was occasionally provided too in a variable size.
Alcoholic supplies could also be added to the daily ration of a quarter liter of wine. Later, even 15 cl. of marsala liquor, split into ten monthly rations, would be additionally supplied as comfort food.

The real situation was however subject to variations, depending on the availability of the food as well as on the possibility of reaching the soldiers in faraway places.
The mountain troops were also entitled to receive an additional ration of milk, bacon and dried fruit. For many soldiers, coming from the country-side and from the poorest regions, the calorie intake of the meal offered by the royal army was higher than the calorie intake of the meal they would consume at home.
Such portions were however soon reduced, above all meat, which was partially replaced with cheese and pulses. The colonel of administration Michele Farella, during his conference, declared that our army's rations were better than other armies'. 'Lately (Ministry Circular n. 3 of January 2nd, 1918)' – he declared 'the ration has been modified as follows: coffee 10 gr. if raw, 8 if toasted; sugar 10 gr.; bread 600 gr.; fresh beef 200 gr.; pasta 150 gr. or rice 120 gr., with additional pulses or vegetables; oil or fat 10 gr., salt, pepper or preserves, onions, etc.'.
The weekly diet included two daily messes, besides coffee in the morning, 200 gr. fresh beef and bread, or the equivalent substitute:
three times a week: 120 gr. of rice, with additional 5 gr. of pulses, or 100 gr. of potatoes or 150 gr. of vegetable;
twice a week: 150 gr. of pasta, with the same additional food, as above-mentioned;
twice a week: 200 gr. of pasta, without any additional food, but with 10 gr. of grated cheese.

Images' source: Almanacco Popolare Sonzogno (1915), Almanacco popolare Sonzogno (1916), La Guerra italiana (Milano, Sonzogno 1915-1920), La Guerra: dalle raccolte del Reparto fotografico del Comando supremo del R. Esercito (Milano, Treves, 1916-1921), Il vitto della truppa (Roma, Tip. Del Senato 1918), La razione alimentare del soldato in pace ed in guerra (Roma 1926), and L’illustrazione italiana (1915-1919).