MRE
Encyclopedia
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
or other field conditions where organized food facilities are not available. The MRE replaced the canned MCI or Meal, Combat, Individual ration
Meal, Combat, Individual ration
The Meal, Combat, Individual was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980.-Development and Packaging:...
s in 1981 and is the intended successor to the lighter LRP ration
LRP ration
The Food Packet, Long Range Patrol or "LRP ration" was a U.S. Army special field ration. It was developed in 1964 during the Vietnam War for use by Special Operations troops on long patrols deep in enemy territory, where the bulky canned MCI ration proved too heavy for extended missions while...
developed by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
and Ranger patrol units in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
History
The first soldier ration established by a CongressionalContinental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
Resolution during the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
consisted of enough food to feed a man for one day, mostly beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
, and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the military moved toward canned goods. Later, self-contained kits were issued as a whole ration, and contained canned meat, pork, bread, coffee, sugar and salt. During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, canned meats were replaced with lightweight preserved meats (salted or dried), to save weight and allow more rations to be carried by soldiers carrying their supplies on foot. At the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a number of new field rations were introduced, including the Mountain ration
Mountain ration
The Mountain Ration was a United States military ration developed for use by U.S. troops operating in high-altitude or mountainous regions of the European theater of operations during World War 2.-Origin, Development, and Use:...
and the Jungle ration
Jungle ration
The Jungle Ration was a dry, lightweight United States military ration developed by the U.S. Army in World War II for soldiers on extended missions in tropical regions.-Origins, development, and use:...
. However, cost-cutting measures by Quartermaster Command officials during the latter part of World War II and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
again saw the predominance of heavy canned C rations issued to troops, regardless of operating environment or mission. The use of canned wet rations continued through the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, with the improved MCI field ration
Meal, Combat, Individual ration
The Meal, Combat, Individual was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980.-Development and Packaging:...
.
Development
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
officials ultimately realized that simply providing a nutritionally balanced meal in the field was not adequate. Servicemembers in various geographic regions and combat situations often required different subsets of ingredients for food to be considered palatable over long periods. Moreover, catering to individual tastes and preferences would encourage servicemembers to actually consume the whole ration and its nutrition. Most importantly, the use of specialized forces in extreme environments and the necessity of carrying increasingly heavy field loads while on foot during extended missions required significantly lighter alternatives to standard canned wet rations.
In 1963, the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
began developing the "Meal, Ready to Eat", a ration that would rely on modern food preparation and packaging technology to create a lighter replacement for the canned Meal, Combat, Individual ration
Meal, Combat, Individual ration
The Meal, Combat, Individual was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980.-Development and Packaging:...
. This led in 1966 to the Long Range Patrol or LRP ration
LRP ration
The Food Packet, Long Range Patrol or "LRP ration" was a U.S. Army special field ration. It was developed in 1964 during the Vietnam War for use by Special Operations troops on long patrols deep in enemy territory, where the bulky canned MCI ration proved too heavy for extended missions while...
, a dehydrated meal stored in a waterproof canvas pouch. However, just as with the Jungle ration, its expense compared to canned wet rations, as well as the costs of stocking and storing a specialized field ration, led to its limited usage and repeated attempts at discontinuance by Quartermaster Command officials. In 1975, work began on a dehydrated meal stored in a plastic retort pouch
Retort pouch
A retort pouch is a type of food packaging created by aseptic processing, made from multiple layers of flexible laminate, allowing for the sterile packaging of a wide variety of food and drink, ranging from water to fully cooked, thermo-stabilized high-caloric meals such as Meals, Ready-to-Eat ...
. It went into special issue starting in 1981 and standard issue in 1986, using a limited menu of 12 entrees.
The number of entrées expanded to 16 by 1996 (including vegetarian options), 20 entrées by 1997 and 24 entrées by 1998. Today, servicemembers can choose from up to 24 entrées, and more than 150 additional items. The variety allowed servicemembers from various cultures and geographical regions to find something palatable. In 1992, a Flameless Ration Heater (FRH), a water-activated exothermic reaction
Exothermic reaction
An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of light or heat. It is the opposite of an endothermic reaction. Expressed in a chemical equation:-Overview:...
product that emits heat, allowed a servicemember in the field to enjoy a hot meal.
In 2006, "Beverage Bags" were introduced to the MRE, as servicemembers have begun to depend more on hydration pack
Hydration pack
A hydration pack is a type of hydration system built as a backpack or waist pack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic. The reservoir contains a capped mouth for filling with liquid and a hose that allows the wearer to drink hands-free...
s than on canteen
Canteen (bottle)
A canteen is a drinking water bottle designed to be used by hikers, campers, soldiers and workers in the field. It is usually fitted with a shoulder strap or means for fastening it to a belt, and may be covered with a cloth bag and padding to protect the bottle and insulate the contents...
s, thus denying them the use of the metal canteen cups (shaped to fit in a canteen pouch with the canteen) for mixing powdered beverages. In addition to having measuring marks to indicate levels of liquid for precise measurement, they can be sealed and placed inside the flameless heater.
Most recently, MREs have been developed using the Dietary Reference Intake
Dietary Reference Intake
The Dietary Reference Intake is a system of nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The DRI system is used by both the United States and Canada and is intended for the general public and health professionals...
, created by the Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
(IOM). The IOM indicated servicemembers (who were classified as highly active men between the ages of 18 and 30) typically burn about 4,200 Calorie
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
s (kcal) a day, but tended to only consume about 2,400 Calories a day during combat, entering a negative energy balance. This imbalance occurs when servicemembers fail to consume full portions of their rations. Although manipulations to the food items and distribution of macronutrients to help boost the amount of kilocalories per MRE have been made, more studies are showing many servicemembers still do not meet today's standards of daily consumption, often trading and discarding portions of the ration. Researchers continue to study the habits and eating preferences of servicemembers, making constant changes that encourage servicemembers to eat the entire meal and thus get full nutritional value.
In addition, the military has experimented with new assault ration prototypes, such as the First Strike Ration
First Strike Ration
The First Strike Ration is a compact, eat-on-the move ration concept from the United States Army, designed to be consumed during the first 72 hours of conflict, created by the United States Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts...
and the HOOAH! Bar
HOOAH! Bar
The HOOAH! bar is an energy bar created by the United States military in 1996. It was originally provided to military personnel packaged within a field ration, such as the Meal, Ready-to-Eat, Meal Cold Weather, or First Strike Ration.The name comes from the word "hooah," a battle cry commonly used...
, designed with elite or specialized forces in mind. Lighter than the typical MRE, they require no preparation and allow servicemembers to eat them on the go.
In July 2009, 6,300 dairy shake packets of varying flavors were recalled
Product recall
A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence and to improve or avoid damage to publicity...
due to evidence of Salmonella
Salmonella
Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...
contamination
Foodborne illness
Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms.-Causes:Foodborne illness usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or...
.
Requirements
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
s (1,200 kcal or 5,000 kJ). They are intended to be eaten for a maximum of 21 days (the assumption is that logistics units can provide superior rations by then), and have a shelf life of three years (depending on storage conditions).
Packaging requirements are strict. MREs must be able to withstand parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
drops from 380 metres (1,246.7 ft), and non-parachute drops of 30 metres (98.4 ft). The packaging is required to maintain a minimum shelf life of three and a half years at 27 °C (80.6 °F), nine months at 38 °C (100.4 °F), and short durations from -51 °C to 49 °C (120.2 °F) must be sustainable. New forms of packaging are being considered to better meet these requirements including the use of zein
Zein
Zein is a class of prolamine protein found in maize. It is usually manufactured as a powder from corn gluten meal.-Commercial uses:Zein is one of the best understood plant proteins and has a variety of industrial and food uses...
to replace the foil, which can be easily punctured, conducts heat, and is reflective (which may give away a servicemember's position).
Each MRE weighs 510 to 740 g (18 to 26.1 oz), depending on the menu. Since MREs contain water, they weigh more than freeze-dried meals providing equivalent calories.
Resale status
As a result of earlier unauthorized sales to civilians, the Department of Defense requires thatbe printed on each case of MREs. Despite the disclaimer, there are no laws that forbid the resale of MREs. Although the government has attempted to discourage sellers from selling MREs, auction sites such as eBay have continued to allow auctions of the MREs because the Department of Defense has been unable to show them any regulations or laws specifically outlawing the practice. According to a spokesman for eBay, "until a law is passed saying you can't sell these things, we're not going to stop them from being sold on the site."
U.S. Government Property, Commercial Resale is Unlawful
The recent growth of MREs listed on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
(2005) has resulted in a government investigation of whether they were intended for Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
victims, and the news media nickname "Meals Ready for eBay." Some cases are being sold from Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and other Gulf states affected by Katrina. The internal cost of a 12 pack case of MREs is $86.98 (approx. $7.25 a meal) to the government, much higher than what is actually paid to vendors. That said, MREs can be purchased by civilians directly from the contractors who supply MREs to the United States Government. These MREs are very similar to genuine US Government MREs, differing only in minor details (i.e. design of case and bag or type of spoon).
Flameless Ration Heaters are prohibited on commercial airplanes unless sealed in the original MRE menu bag, because cooking with them releases flammable hydrogen gas.
MRE contents
- Main course (entreeEntréeAn entrée is a dish served before the main course, or between two principal courses of a meal.The disappearance in the early 20th century of a large communal main course such as a roast as a standard part of the meal in the English-speaking world has led to the term being used to describe the main...
) - Side dish
- DessertDessertIn cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
or snackSnackA snack is a small portion of food eaten between meals. The food might be snack food—items like potato chips or baby carrots—but could also simply be a smaller amount of any food item.-Snacks and health:...
(often commercial candy, fortified pastry, or HOOAH! BarHOOAH! BarThe HOOAH! bar is an energy bar created by the United States military in 1996. It was originally provided to military personnel packaged within a field ration, such as the Meal, Ready-to-Eat, Meal Cold Weather, or First Strike Ration.The name comes from the word "hooah," a battle cry commonly used...
) - crackerCracker (food)A cracker is a baked good commonly made from grain flour dough and typically made in quantity in various hand-sized or smaller shapes. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, and/or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking...
s or breadBreadBread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened... - Spread of cheeseCheeseCheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, peanut butterPeanut butterPeanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts, popular in North America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and parts of Asia, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia. It is mainly used as a sandwich spread, sometimes in combination as in the peanut butter and jelly...
, or jelly - Powdered beverage mix: fruit flavored drink, cocoa, instant coffeeInstant coffeeInstant coffee, also called soluble coffee and coffee powder, is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans. Instant coffee is commercially prepared by either freeze-drying or spray drying, after which it can be rehydrated...
or teaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, sport drink, or dairyDairyA dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
shake. - Utensils (usually just a plastic spoonSpoonA spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
) - Flameless ration heater (FRH)
- Beverage mixing bag
- Accessory pack:
- XylitolXylitolXylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute. It is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks and sugar cane bagasse, and birch...
chewing gumChewing gumChewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle... - Water-resistant matchbookMatchbookA matchbook is a small paperboard folder enclosing a quantity of matches and having a coarse striking surface on the exterior...
- Napkin / toilet paper
- Moist towelette
- Seasonings, including saltSaltIn chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, pepperBlack pepperBlack pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, sugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, creamCreamCream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
er, and/or Tabasco sauceTabasco sauceTabasco sauce is the brand name for a hot sauce produced by US-based McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, Louisiana. Tabasco sauce is made from tabasco peppers , vinegar, and salt, and aged in white oak barrels for three years. It has a hot, spicy flavor...
- Xylitol
Many items are fortified with nutrients. In addition, DoD
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
policy requires units to augment MREs with fresh food and A-ration
A-ration
A-ration is a term used in the United States armed forces for a meal provided to troops which is prepared using fresh, refrigerated, or frozen foods. The use of fresh, refrigerated or frozen foods distinguish 'A' rations from 'B' rations, which use canned or preserved ingredients to enable them to...
s whenever feasible, especially in training environments.
MRE menus by era
In an effort to make MREs more palatable to servicemembers and match ever-changing trends in popular tastes, the military is constantly seeking feedback to adjust MRE menus and ingredients. In the following list, only main entrees are listed. Vegetarian menus are marked on their first appearance.Vegetarian menu, only first appearance marked| Menus 1981 to 1997 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | MRE I - MRE VII (1981–87) | MRE VIII - XII (1988–92) | MRE XIII - XIV (1993–94) | MRE XV (1995) | MRE XVI (1996) | MRE XVII (1997) |
| 1 | Pork Pork Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC.... Patty |
Pork w/Rice Rice Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies... in BBQ Sauce |
Pork w/Rice in BBQ Sauce | Pork w/Rice in BBQ Sauce | Beef Steak Steak A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole... |
Beef Steak |
| 2 | Ham Ham Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:... & Chicken Chicken (food) Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture.- History :... loaf |
Corned Beef Corned beef Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef products present in many beef-eating cultures. The English term is used interchangeably in modernity to refer to three distinct types of cured beef:... Hash Hash (food) Hash is a dish consisting of meat, potatoes, and spices, that are mashed together into a smooth, creamy consistency, and then cooked either alone or with other ingredients such as onions.... |
Corned Beef Hash | Chili Chili con carne Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included... w/ Macaroni Macaroni Macaroni is a variety of moderately extended, machine-made, dry pasta made with durum wheat. Macaroni noodles do not contain eggs, and are normally cut in short, hollow shapes; however, the term refers not to the shape of the pasta, but to the kind of dough from which the noodle is made... |
Tuna Tuna Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an... w/ Noodles |
Boneless Pork Chop Pork chop A pork chop is a cut of pork cut perpendicularly to the spine of the pig and usually containing a rib or part of a vertebra, served as an individual portion.-Variations:... w/ Noodles |
| 3 | Beef Beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in... Patty (nicknamed "Hockey Puck") |
Chicken Stew | Chicken Stew | Chicken Stew | Chicken Stew | Chicken Stew |
| 4 | Beef slices in BBQ Barbecue Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of... sauce |
Omelet Omelette In cuisine, an omelette or omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat , or some combination of the above... with Ham |
Omelet with Ham | Grilled Chicken | Ham Slice | Ham Slice |
| 5 | Beef Stew Stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used... |
Spaghetti Spaghetti Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour... w/ Meat Sauce |
Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Chicken w/ Noodles |
| 6 | Frankfurter Hot dog A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:... s w/ bean Bean Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed.... s (nicknamed "Four Fingers of Death") |
Chicken a la King | Smokey Franks | Smokey Franks | Smokey Franks | Smokey Franks |
| 7 | Turkey diced w/ gravy Gravy Gravy is a sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. In North America the term can refer to a wider variety of sauces and gravy is often thicker than in Britain... (nicknamed "Wild Turkey Surprise") |
Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Pork Chow Mein |
| 8 | Beef diced w/ gravy | Ham Slice | Ham Slice | Ham Slice | Chicken w/ Rice | Chicken w/ Rice |
| 9 | Chicken a la King Chicken à la King Chicken à la King is a recipe consisting of diced chicken in a cream sauce, and often with sherry, mushrooms, and vegetables, served over bread or pasta.-History:... |
Meatballs w/ Tomato Sauce | Pork Chow Mein Chow mein Chow mein is a Chinese term for a dish of stir-fried noodles, of which there are many varieties.-Etymology:... |
Pork Chow Mein | Pork Chow Mein | Beef Stew |
| 10 | Meatball Meatball A meatball is made from an amount of ground meat rolled into a small ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, minced onion, spices, and possibly eggs... s & BBQ sauce |
Tuna w/ Noodles | Tuna w/ Noodles | Tuna w/ Noodles | Chili w/ Macaroni | Chili w/ Macaroni |
| 11 | Ham slices | Chicken w/Rice | Chicken w/Rice | Chicken w/Rice | Pasta Pasta Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the... w/ Vegetable Vegetable The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant.... s |
|
| 12 | Beef ground w/ spiced sauce | Escalloped Gratin Gratin is a widespread culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind... Potato Potato The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species... es w/Ham |
Escalloped Potatoes w/Ham | Escalloped Potatoes w/Ham | Cheese Cheese Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms.... Tortellini Tortellini Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta. They are typically stuffed with a mix of meat or cheese. Originally from the Italian region of Emilia , they are usually served in broth, meat broth, either of beef, chicken, or both... |
Cheese Tortellini |
| 13 | Chicken loaf | Pork w/ Rice | Pork w/ Rice | |||
| 14 | Chicken Parmesan Parmigiana Parmigiana is a Southern Italian dish made with a shallow-fried sliced filling, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. Parmigiana made with a filling of aubergine is the earliest version... |
Chicken Parmesan | ||||
| 15 | Grilled Chicken | Grilled Chicken | ||||
| 16 | Escalloped Potatoes w/Ham | Tuna w/ Noodles | ||||
| 17 | Beef Ravioli Ravioli Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not... |
|||||
| 18 | Turkey Breast w/ Gravy & Potatoes | |||||
| 19 | Beef w/ Mushroom Mushroom A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that... s |
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| 20 | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | |||||
| Menus 1998 to 2003 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | MRE XVIII (1998) | MRE XIX (1999) | MRE XX (2000) | MRE XXI (2001) | MRE XXII (2002) | MRE XXIII (2003) |
| 1 | Beef Steak | Beef Steak | Grilled Beefsteak | Grilled Beefsteak | Beefsteak w/ Mushrooms | Beefsteak w/ Mushrooms |
| 2 | Boneless Pork Chop w/ Noodles | Boneless Pork Jamaican Jamaican cuisine Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavors, spices and influences from the indigenous people on the island, and the Spanish, British, Africans, and Chinese who have inhabited the island. It is also influenced by the crops introduced into the island from tropical Southeast... |
Boneless Pork Chop | Boneless Pork Chop | Jamaican Pork Chop w/ Noodles | Pork Rib Ribs (food) Ribs of beef, lamb, venison, and pork are a cut of meat. The term ribs usually refers to the less meaty part of the chops, often cooked as a slab .They can be roasted, grilled, baked, braised, or smoked.... |
| 3 | Chicken Stew | Beef Teriyaki | Beef Teriyaki | Beef Teriyaki | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli |
| 4 | Ham Slice | Ham Slice | Country Captain Chicken (nicknamed "KKK Ku Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically... ") |
Country Captain Chicken | Country Captain Chicken | Country Captain Chicken |
| 5 | Chicken w/ Noodles | Grilled Chicken Breast | Grilled Chicken Breast | Grilled Chicken Breast | Grilled Chicken Breast | Chicken Breast |
| 6 | Grilled Chicken | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Thai Sauce | Chicken w/ Thai Sauce | Chicken w/ Thai Sauce |
| 7 | Pork Chow Mein | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa |
| 8 | Chicken w/ Rice | Chicken w/ Rice | Chicken and Rice | Chicken and Rice | Beef Patty Hamburger A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll... |
Beef Patty |
| 9 | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew |
| 10 | Chili w/ Macaroni | Chili w/ Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni |
| 11 | Pasta w/ Vegetables | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce |
| 12 | Cheese Tortellini | Rice & Bean Burrito | Rice & Bean Burrito | Rice & Bean Burrito | Rice & Bean Burrito | Black Bean & Rice Burrito |
| 13 | Thai Chicken | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini |
| 14 | Chicken w/ Cavatelli Cavatelli Cavatelli are a type of pasta. It has two meanings: the most common meaning is small pasta shells that look like miniature hot dog buns. It is similar in shape to casarecci, but shorter in length. The name is less frequently used for a type of dumpling made with ricotta.In Italy, cavatelli... |
Pasta w/ Vegetables in Alfredo Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Alfredo Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Alfredo Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Alfredo Sauce | Manicotti Cannelloni Cannelloni are a cylindrical type of pasta generally served baked with a filling and covered by a sauce. Some type of cannelloni need to be boiled beforehand, for some others is enough to use runnier sauces/filling.... w/ Vegetables |
| 15 | Beef Franks | Beef Franks | Beef Frankfurters | Beef Enchilada Enchilada An enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.-Etymology:... |
Beef Enchilada | Beef Enchiladas |
| 16 | Bean & Rice Burrito Burrito A burrito , or taco de harina, is a type of Mexican food. It consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans or meat are sometimes the only fillings... |
Chicken w/ Thai Sauce | Thai Chicken | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Noodles |
| 17 | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli | Beef Teriyaki | Beef Teriyaki | Beef Teriyaki |
| 18 | Turkey Breast w/Gravy & Potatoes | Turkey Breast w/Gravy & Potatoes | Turkey Breast w/Gravy & Potatoes | Turkey Breast w/Gravy & Potatoes | Turkey Breast w/Gravy & Potatoes | Turkey Breast w/Gravy & Potatoes |
| 19 | Beef w/ Mushrooms | Beef w/ Mushrooms | Beef w/ Mushrooms | Beef w/ Mushrooms | Beef w/ Mushrooms | Roast Beef Roast beef Roast beef is a dish of beef which is roasted in an oven. Essentially prepared as a main meal, the leftovers can be and are often served within sandwiches and sometimes is used to make hash... |
| 20 | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce |
| 21 | Beef Teriyaki Teriyaki Teriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade... |
Chicken Stew | Chicken Tetrazzini Tetrazzini Tetrazzini is an American dish usually involving a non-red meat , mushrooms, and almonds in a butter/cream and parmesan sauce flavored with wine or sherry and stock vegetables such as onions, celery, and carrots... |
Chicken Tetrazzini | Chicken Tetrazzini | Chicken Tetrazzini |
| 22 | Chicken w/ Salsa Salsa (sauce) Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,... |
Pork Chow Mein | Pork Chow Mein | Jambalaya Jambalaya Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence. -Jambalaya varieties:Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meats and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. It is also a close cousin to the saffron colored paella found in Spanish culture... |
Jambalaya | Jambalaya |
| 23 | Meat Loaf Meatloaf Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan... w/Gravy |
Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli |
| 24 | Pasta w/ Alfredo Sauce | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy |
| Menus 2004 to 2009 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | MRE XXIV (2004) | MRE XXV (2005) | MRE XXVI (2006) | MRE XXVII (2007) | MRE XXVIII (2008) | MRE XXIX (2009) |
| 1 | Beef Steak | Beef Steak | Chili w/ Beans | Chili w/ Beans | Chili w/ Beans | Chili w/ Beans |
| 2 | Pork Rib | Pork Rib | Pork Rib | Pork Rib | Pork Rib | Pork Rib |
| 3 | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli |
| 4 | Country Captain Chicken | Cheese & Vegetable Omelet | Cheese & Vegetable Omelet | Cheese & Vegetable Omelet | Cheese & Vegetable Omelet | Maple Maple syrup Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then... Sausage |
| 5 | Grilled Chicken Breast | Chicken Breast | Chicken Breast | Chicken Breast | Chicken Breast | Chicken Breast |
| 6 | Chicken w/ Thai Sauce | Chicken Fajita Fajita A fajita is a term found in both traditional Mexican cuisine and in Tex-Mex cuisine, commonly referring to any grilled meat served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to the cut of beef used in the dish which is known as skirt steak. Popular meats today also include chicken,... s |
Chicken Fajitas | Chicken Fajitas | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Noodles |
| 7 | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa | Chicken w/ Salsa | Meatloaf w/ Gravy | Beef Brisket Brisket Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the eight beef primal cuts. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. As cattle do not have collar bones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving... |
| 8 | Beef Patty | Beef Patty | Beef Patty | Beef Patty | Beef Patty | Beef Patty |
| 9 | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew | Beef Stew |
| 10 | Chili and Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni | Tuna | Tuna in Pouch | Chili and Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni |
| 11 | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce | Pasta w/ Vegetables in Tomato Sauce | Spicy Penne Penne Penne is a type of pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces. Penne is the plural form of the Italian penna, deriving from Latin penna . In Italy, penne are produced in two main variants: "penne lisce" and "penne rigate" , the latter having ridges on each penna... Pasta |
Vegetable Manicotti | Vegetable Lasagna Lasagna Lasagna is a wide and flat type of pasta and possibly one of the oldest shapes. As with most other pasta shapes, the word is generally used in its plural form lasagne in Italy and the U.K. Traditionally, the dough was prepared in Southern Italy with semolina and water and in the northern regions,... |
Vegetable Lasagna |
| 12 | Veggie Vegetarian cuisine Vegetarian cuisine refers to food that meets vegetarian standards by not including meat and animal tissue products. For lacto-ovo vegetarianism , eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese are permitted... Burger Hamburger A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll... w/ BBQ Sauce |
Veggie Burger w/ BBQ Sauce | Veggie Burger w/ BBQ Sauce | Veggie Burger w/ BBQ Sauce | Veggie Burger w/ BBQ Sauce | Veggie Burger w/ BBQ Sauce |
| 13 | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini |
| 14 | Manicotti w/ Vegetables | Manicotti w/ Vegetable | Manicotti w/ Vegetable | Spicy Penne Pasta w/ Vegetarian Sausage | Spicy Penne Pasta w/ Vegetarian Sausage | Spicy Penne Pasta w/ Vegetarian Sausage |
| 15 | Beef Enchiladas | Beef Enchiladas | Beef Enchiladas | Beef Enchiladas | Beef Enchiladas | Beef Enchiladas |
| 16 | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken w/ Noodles | Chicken Fajita | Chicken Fajita | Chicken Fajita |
| 17 | Beef Teriyaki | Sloppy Joe Sloppy joe A sloppy joe is an American dish of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun. Commercially made sauces are also available. Textured vegetable protein may be used as a vegetarian substitute for the meat... Filling |
Sloppy Joe | Sloppy Joe Filling | Sloppy Joe Filling | Sloppy Joe Filling |
| 18 | Cajun Rice Dirty rice Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish made from white rice cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, which give it a dark color and a mild but distinctive flavor. Similar to a pilaf, it also includes green bell pepper, celery and onion . Parsley and/or chopped green onions are common... , Beans & Sausage Sausage A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made... |
Cajun Rice & Sausage | Cajun Rice, Beans, & Sausage | Meatballs w/ Marinara Marinara Sauce Marinara sauce is a southern Italian tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs , and onion. However, there are many variations. Some of these include the addition of capers, olives, anchovies, and/or spices.... |
Meatballs w/ Marinara | Meatballs w/ Marinara |
| 19 | Roast Beef | Roast Beef w/ Vegetables | Roast Beef w/ Vegetables | Pot Roast w/ Vegetables | Pot Roast w/ Vegetables | Pot Roast w/ Vegetables |
| 20 | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce |
| 21 | Chicken Tetrazzini | Chicken Tetrazzini | Chicken Tetrazzini | Chili & Macaroni | Tuna in Pouch | Tuna in Pouch |
| 22 | Jambalaya | Jambalaya | Jambalaya | Chicken w/ Dumpling Dumpling Dumplings are cooked balls of dough. They are based on flour, potatoes or bread, and may include meat, fish, vegetables, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. They may have a filling, or there may be other ingredients mixed into the dough. Dumplings may... s |
Chicken w/ Dumplings | Chicken w/ Dumplings |
| 23 | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken w/ Cavatelli | Chicken Pesto Pesto Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy , and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano and Fiore Sardo... & Pasta |
Chicken Pesto & Pasta |
| 24 | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Meat Loaf w/ Gravy | Chicken w/ Salsa | Buffalo Chicken Buffalo wings A Buffalo wing, hot wing or wing is a chicken wing section that is traditionally fried unbreaded and then coated in sauce... |
| Menus 2010 to 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | MRE XXX (2010) | MRE XXXI (2011) |
| 1 | Chili w/ Beans | Chili w/ Beans |
| 2 | Pork Rib | Chicken Fajita |
| 3 | Beef Ravioli | Beef Ravioli |
| 4 | Maple Sausage | Maple Sausage |
| 5 | Mediterranean Chicken | Mediterranean Chicken |
| 6 | Chicken w/ Noodles | Beef Patty |
| 7 | Beef Brisket | Beef Brisket |
| 8 | Meatballs w/ Marinara Sauce | Meatballs w/ Marinara Sauce |
| 9 | Beef Stew | Beef Stew |
| 10 | Chili and Macaroni | Chili and Macaroni |
| 11 | Vegetable Lasagna | Vegetable Lasagna |
| 12 | Veggie Burger w/ BBQ Sauce | Spicy Penne Pasta |
| 13 | Cheese Tortellini | Cheese Tortellini |
| 14 | Spicy Penne Pasta w/ Vegetarian Sausage | Ratatouille Ratatouille Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice. The full name of the dish is ratatouille niçoise.- Origin :... |
| 15 | Southwest Cuisine of the Southwestern United States The Cuisine of the Southwestern United States is food styled after the rustic cooking of the Southwestern United States. It is also known to be very popular in the west coast state of California... Beef & Black Beans |
Southwest Beef & Black Beans |
| 16 | Chicken Fajita | Pork Rib |
| 17 | Sloppy Joe | Pork Sausage w/ Gravy |
| 18 | Beef Patty | Chicken w/ Noodles |
| 19 | Beef Roast w/ Vegetables | Beef Roast w/ Vegetables |
| 20 | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce | Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce |
| 21 | Tuna | Lemon Pepper Lemon pepper Lemon pepper is a seasoning made from granulated lemon zest and cracked black peppercorns. The lemon zest is mashed with the pepper to allow the citrus oil to infuse into the pepper. This mix is then baked and dried and can be used on meats and pasta, although it was originally used primarily for... Tuna |
| 22 | Chicken and Dumplings | Sloppy Joe |
| 23 | Chicken Pesto Pasta | Chicken Pesto Pasta |
| 24 | Buffalo Chicken | Buffalo Chicken |
Criticism
Some of the early MRE main courses were not very palatable, earning them the nicknames "Mr. E" (mystery), "Meals Rejected by Everyone", "Meals, Rarely Edible", "Meals Rejected by the Enemy", "Morsels, Regurgitated, Eviscerated", "Mentally Retarded Edibles", "Meal Ready to Expel", "Meal, Ready to Excrete", "Materials Resembling Edibles", "Morale Reducing Elements", and even "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians". Some meals got their own nicknames. For example, the frankfurters, which came sealed in pouches of four, were referred to as "the four fingers of death". Although quality has improved over the years, many of the nicknames have stuck. MREs were sometimes called "Three Lies for the Price of One": it's not a Meal, it's not Ready, and you can't Eat it.
Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber, dietary fibre, or sometimes roughage is the indigestible portion of plant foods having two main components:* soluble fiber that is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts, and* insoluble fiber that is metabolically inert, absorbing water as it...
content could cause constipation
Constipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
in some, so they were also known as "Meals Requiring Enemas","Meals Refusing to Exit", "Meals Refusing to Excrete", or "Massive Rectal Expulsions". While the myth that the gum found in MREs contains a laxative
Laxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
is false, the crackers in the ration pack do contain a higher than normal vegetable content to facilitate digestion. In December 2006, comedian Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
(on his 8th USO tour at the time) joked to troops in Iraq that he had had his fifth MRE so far and "none of them had an exit strategy".
A superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
exists among troops about the Charms
Tootsie Roll Industries
Tootsie Roll Industries is a manufacturer of confectionery in the United States. Its best-known products have been Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops....
candies that come with some menus: they are considered bad luck, especially if actually eaten. Some attribute this to a case of a joking dislike becoming a superstition (i.e. not eating them 'just in case' or because it might make one's comrades uneasy).
In March 2007, The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
invited three gourmet chefs to taste test 18 MRE meals. None of the meals rated higher than a 5.7 average on a scale of 1-to-10, and the chicken fajita meal, in particular, was singled out for disdain, rating an average score of 1.3.
The National Guard has provided MREs to the public during national disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
. The large number of civilians exposed to MREs prompted several jokes during the recent New Orleans Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival celebration well-known throughout the world.The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany . It is a season of parades, balls , and king cake parties...
, with revellers donning clothing made of MRE packets with phrases such as "MRE Antoinette" and "Man Ready to Eat".
The use of rations for noncombat environments has been questioned. While the nutritional requirements are suitable for a combat environment where servicemembers will burn many calories and lose much sodium through sweat, it has been provided as emergency food or even as a standard meal. The high-fat (averaging about 52 grams of fat, 5 grams trans fat
Trans fat
Trans fat is the common name for unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid. Because the term refers to the configuration of a double carbon-carbon bond, trans fats are sometimes monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, but never saturated....
s) and high-salt content are less than ideal for sedentary situations. The HDR and TOTM account for this nutritional need.
Variants and similar rations
The MRE has led to the creation of several similar field rations.For servicemembers with strict religious dietary requirements, the military offers the specialized Meal, Religious, Kosher
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
/Halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
. These are tailored to provide the same nutritional content, but will not contain offending ingredients. There is also a special meal certified for Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
requirements.
The Humanitarian daily ration
Humanitarian daily ration
Humanitarian daily rations are food rations intended for humanitarian crises.Each is intended to serve as a single person's full daily food supply, and contain somewhat over 2,200 calories...
is a self-contained Halal meal designed to be given to refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and other displaced people. It is designed to feed a single person for a full day, and the menus were intended to be palatable to many religious and cultural tastes around the globe. It is created and packaged much like MREs.
The Meal, Cold Weather provides a ration similar to the MRE designed for lower temperatures than the MRE can withstand. Clad in white packaging, it offers a freeze-dried entree designed to be eaten with heated water, the same side ingredients as the standard MRE, and additional drink mixes to encourage additional hydration. The MCW replaced the Ration, Cold Weather.
The Meal, Long Range Patrol is essentially the same as the MCW, but with different accessory packs. The MLRP is designed for troops who may receive limited or no resupply, and weight of the ration is critical. The similar First Strike Ration
First Strike Ration
The First Strike Ration is a compact, eat-on-the move ration concept from the United States Army, designed to be consumed during the first 72 hours of conflict, created by the United States Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts...
is along the same lines, but requires no preparation and may be eaten on the go.
The Tailored Operational Training Meal provides a lower calorie count for less intensive training environments, such as classroom instruction. The TOTM allows troops to become familiar with the MRE and its contents without providing an excessive amount of calories to troops who will not necessarily burn them.
The Unitized Group Ration
B-Ration
B ration is a term used in the United States military for a meal provided to troops which was prepared using canned or preserved ingredients...
is a ration much like the MRE, but expanded to feed large groups.
The Food Packet, Survival, General Purpose, Improved is given to pilots and other servicemembers that may require a small, extremely portable food ration for emergency situations. It contains food bars and a drink mix. Similarly, the Food Packet, Survival, Abandon Ship and Food Packet, Survival, Aircraft, Life Raft are fitted into the storage areas on lifeboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
s.
See also
- C ration
- Combat rationCombat rationA field ration, or combat ration, is a canned or pre-packaged meal, easily prepared and eaten, transported by military troops on the battlefield...
- Food and Brand LabFood and Brand LabThe Food and Brand Lab is a non-profit research facility at Cornell University which focuses on why people buy and eat the foods they do in the quantities they do...
- History of Military Nutrition
- Humanitarian Daily RationHumanitarian daily rationHumanitarian daily rations are food rations intended for humanitarian crises.Each is intended to serve as a single person's full daily food supply, and contain somewhat over 2,200 calories...
- Individual Meal PackIndividual Meal PackThe Individual Meal Pack or IMP is one type of field ration used by the Canadian Forces and Canadian cadets. The IMP is designed so that a continuous diet provides all the nutrition needed to sustain a soldier in the field...
- Jungle rationJungle rationThe Jungle Ration was a dry, lightweight United States military ration developed by the U.S. Army in World War II for soldiers on extended missions in tropical regions.-Origins, development, and use:...
- Long Range Patrol (LRP) rationLRP rationThe Food Packet, Long Range Patrol or "LRP ration" was a U.S. Army special field ration. It was developed in 1964 during the Vietnam War for use by Special Operations troops on long patrols deep in enemy territory, where the bulky canned MCI ration proved too heavy for extended missions while...
- Meal, Combat, Individual rationMeal, Combat, Individual rationThe Meal, Combat, Individual was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980.-Development and Packaging:...
(MCI) - United States military ration
External links
- Operational Rations of the Department of Defense, 7th Edition
- How MREs Work
- NPR All Things Considered, mentions the new MRE menu for 2004 (at 5 minutes 02 seconds)
- Military Packages Put Technology to the Test
- MRE taste test: Airman staff goes tactical to spill the beans on meals, ready to eat
- Military buys special meals for Jewish, Muslim troops
- MREInfo.com - Complete source of information on MREs both in US and International
- Sopakco US Government contractor - MRE assembler
- The Wornick Company US Government contractor - MRE assembler
- Ameriqual - US Government contractor - MRE assembler
- Meal Kit Supply Canada - Canadian Government contractor - MRE distributor
- Inspection of Meal, Ready-to-Eat Rations - Food Content pictures and PDF files