MREs (Meals Ready To Eat)

MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat)
http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mres.html

MRE stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat and is currently the main individual operational ration for the U.S. military. MREs are meant to be completely self-contained meals that provide all the nutrition a solider-on-the-go needs to sustain him/herself. Typical contents include entree, side dish, crackers, peanut butter/cheese spread, dessert, instant coffee/tea, matches, toilet paper, spoon, and a heater to heat the main entree. While everything in an MRE can be eaten cold, it usually tastes better warm.

MREs have been under development for the past twenty years. As a result, many changes have been made to the contents, packaging, and appearance of MREs.

About MREs
https://longlifefood.com/index.php/about-mres/

  MREs were born on Earth, but grew up on Apollo flights to the moon. Then they served in Skylab floating workshops and on every US space Shuttle flight from Enterprise to Challenger.

In the 1970’s, retort pouches (the popular name for thermostabilized, laminated food pouches named after the retort steam cooker) were put to their first real test by the U.S. Space Program.

NASA was looking for delicious, easy to prepare, “normal” food that wouldn’t increase human stress the way that freeze dried and “toothpaste tube food” sometimes did.

More than any other technology, retort pouches have satisfied the program’s needs.

And so, over 30 years ago, retort pouches found a home at NASA, where all their unusual characteristics were much appreciated. They have been successfully feeding astronauts on the moon and in flight ever since.

What are MREs?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-mres.htm

Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) are packaged food rations created by the US military which are used to aid soldiers who may not have access to food preparation facilities. MREs may also be distributed as part of aid packages to people in disaster areas, as was the case with victims of Hurricane Katrina. They may also be part of supplies sent to refugee camps.

Typically MREs contain an entrée, a side dish, either crackers or bread, margarine or spread for bread, a ration of coffee and creamer, dessert and required utensils. They also contain a ration heater, which tends to work by adding a little water to the MREs. This effectively heats the entrée and the coffee. Most MREs contain about 1200-1500 calories. --- CONTINUED---

MRE Shelf Life
http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-shelf-life.html

  So you have an MRE and you're wondering...is this thing still good? Or you're wondering...how long do these things last? There are official answers and there are practical answers. I'll run through through the official answers real fast and then we'll get down to some more practical answes (like taste-tests).
Offical Answers

Officially, how long MREs last depends on .... --- CONTINUED ---

How to Make Delicious MREs at Home
http://www.askaprepper.com/make-delicious-mres-home/

  When it comes to emergency food supplies a lot of people think military-style MREs are the gold standard. They do have some advantages – they’re rugged, easy to prepare and can be eaten cold in a pinch – but they have drawbacks too. They’re not designed with food intolerances or other special dietary needs in mind. They don’t always taste great. And, to get good ones with a lot of life left, you can end up spending a lot of money.

One way to get the advantages of MREs without the drawbacks is to make your own. This isn’t all that hard, and gives you a lot of options. Military MREs come in a couple of dozen menus, but if you’re making your own the choices are almost infinite. --- CONTINUED---

DIY MRE Alternatives
https://www.theprepperjournal.com/2019/05/01/diy-mre-alternatives/

  MRE’s enjoy unending popularity within prepper folds, although sometimes the issues – weight, waste, size, and expense – lead us to looking for alternatives. Palatability is another common kicker for many, and the lack of fiber also gets some attention. Happily, we have plenty of options for DIY alternatives.   ---CONTINUED---

FAQs for MREs
https://www.thereadystore.com/featured/330/faqs-mres/

  Military MREs (Meal Ready to Eat) are a must-have in your emergency food storage. The U.S. Military relies on MREs to give them the nutrition and energy they need to survive in the most extreme conditions. MREs are great to use during any disaster and are excellent for a “grab and go” emergency. They provide you with a warm meal that is packed with nutritional value to help you through any situation. Today, we will be doing a FAQ for MREs:   ---CONTINUED---

MRE Comparison: MRE Star Vs Western Frontier Warfighter
https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/mre-comparison-mre-star-vs-western-frontier-warfighter/

There is a lot of interest in MREs. I am going to try to compare a few over the next few months so that you can see a little more of what you might get. This post is going to show you the vast difference between actual military MREs and ones that are made for the civilian market. ---CONTINUED---

How To Use the MRE Heater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu6txjwIOzU

Sensible Prepper Presents: How To Use the MRE Heater

5 Ways to Heat your MRE
https://beprepared.com/blogs/articles/5-ways-to-heat-your-mre?_pos=1&_sid=4bd488adc&_ss=r

  On a campout, on-the-go, or in an emergency, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) are a great way to get the nutrition and energy you need while you’re away from home. MRE’s are great because you can eat them absolutely any way you want.

MREs are pre-cooked meals making them safe to eat straight from the package—warm or cold.

But if you’re just not into eating your food cold (when you’ve got the choice), here are five ways you can heat up your MRE to satisfy your taste buds.   ---CONTINUED---

Civilian MREs VS. Military MREs
https://www.thereadystore.com/mre/17/is-there-a-difference-between-my-mres-and-the-military-mres/

  We have been getting a lot of questions lately about whether or not there is a difference between MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and the Military MREs.

In short, not really. Both civilian MREs and Military MREs are made for the purpose of being used by the Department of Defense (DOD). After comparing civilian MREs and Military MREs, the only real difference is with the packaging. DOD MREs use very specific packaging that indicates it is specifically for the U.S. military and not for resale. --- CONTINUED---

Making Your Own MREs at Home
https://www.askaprepper.com/making-your-own-mres-at-home/

  A great alternative to canned and preserved foods is MRE packs (Meal ready to eat). They are compact and often lightweight, making it much easier to store, as well as pack and carry.   ---CONTINUED---

MREs: Too Much of a Good Thing?
https://patriotauthority.com/mres-too-much-of-a-good-thing/

  Meal, Ready-to-Eat rations (or MREs) have been described as “three lies for the price of one,” and it’s been said that MRE really stands for “Meal Rejected by Everyone.” Part of this, in the past, may have been true—some of the earlier forms of MREs were awful by all accounts. The truth is, these days, they aren’t too bad.   ---CONTINUED---

How To Make Your Own MREs
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/how-to-make-your-own-mres/
  (SNIP) ... Making your own MREs allows you to choose the ingredients and make meals you know you’ll enjoy. MREs are quite expensive, but you can make the same, if not better, product at just a fraction of the cost when you do it yourself. It is easy to collect items on store shelves to make your very own MREs that are shelf-stable and lightweight.

Learn more about how to make your own MREs with these tips.   ---CONTINUED---