An Introduction To The MRE And Its Components by XMRE

FEBRUARY

XMRE

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MRE AND ITS COMPONENTS

2018

|Â ISSUE

NO.

An Introduction To The MRE And Its Components

An MRE is a “Meal, Ready to Eat. As the name implies, it is an entire meal and everything needed to consume it all in a single package. A single MRE is a single self-contained meal and contains all of the nutrients needed to fuel the body. An MRE is typically placed inside of heavy duty packaging so that it can withstand tough environments or climates. They are

BY SAUL

MISHKIN

designed to last several years at a time. The average MRE will contain around 1,250 calories. A little more than half of those

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will be carbohydrates. Around 36 percent

food ration for the US Army when

will be fat, and the rest will be protein. A

soldiers are away in combat. The

single MRE should contain 1/3 of the

Department of Defense began producing

recommended daily amount of minerals

MREs as food rations in the mid-1970's,

and vitamins. Therefore, three MREs

and they became commonplace in 1981.

would be considered a full day's worth of

Prior to that, the army relied on

meals.

something referred to as C-rations or Krations.

MRE For The Military MREs went through decades of testing MREs are primarily designed for the

and improving before they reached the

military. They are the fundamental

point where they are today.

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For example, in 1983, an infantry division

something new. They also added a new

was tasked with eating only MREs for a

portion of a desert, cold beverages, and

period of 34 days. The rations were rated

new condiments.

as acceptable at the time, but the food itself wasn't amazing. Three years later

Once again, shortly after Operation

the food had improved, and consumption

Desert Storm, the MREs were changed

of MREs increased.

dramatically. This arose because the packages were designed only to be

In 1988 the MREs were changed

consumed for ten days at a time.

significantly. The entree portion was

However, during Desert Storm, soldiers

nearly doubled, and 9 of the primary

were forced to eat the MREs for 60 days

entrees were replaced with

or more. Their contents were improved

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afterward just in case such an event

What does it take to be labeled as an

happened again.

MRE? Every package should come with 10 essential items. There are those that

Though not originally intended for the

include extra and some that include less,

civilian population, MREs eventually

but the following list is considered the

made their way to the public. Those were

norm. Of course, when purchasing an

labeled as “Civilian MREs”, but were

MRE package, you're advised to read the

essentially the same thing. They

contents to see exactly what is included.

contained many of the same food choices, nutritional values, and lifespan.

1. Entree. This is the most important part of an MRE. The entree can make or break

The Contents Of An MRE

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the entire dish. Some entrees are

considerably better than others. Beef

because they take up little space, last for

stew has become a favorite among

a long time, and are full of nutrients.

civilians and soldiers alike. Other common options include chicken noodles,

3. Bread. Actual bread is rarely seen in a

spaghetti, chicken, and chili. You may

civilian MRE. Instead, most

need to try them all until you find the one

manufacturers will choose to use

that you like the most.

crackers. It's smaller, cheaper, and can last a lot longer than bread can. Bread is

2. Side dish. The side dish could be

sometimes seen in military MREs, but

mashed potatoes, corn, or some type of

even then it is rare.

fruit. Raisins are an extremely common side dish in civilian MRE packages

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4. Spread. This is some topping to be

applied to the bread or crackers. It is

cookie type, the most common is an

usually cheese, but could also be peanut

oatmeal cookie, but there are some

butter or jam. Once again, most suppliers

alternatives.

go with cheese because it has a longer shelf life and is easier to store in the

6. Candy. Candy is one of the few

packaging.

additions that were made to the MREs during the late 1980's. Military MREs

5. Dessert. What's a meal without a

typically include candy purchased from

dessert? MRE desserts aren't exactly your

big name brands like M&Ms or Skittles.

grandma's cooking, but they can make a

Civilian MREs may or may not, depending

difference. They usually feature pound

on any deals they've worked with

cakes, fruit bars, or cookies. As for

suppliers. They may only include an

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off-brand candy, but it's a candy

contain tubes of juice instead. It's also

nonetheless. Candy tastes great and

possible for it to contain a soda, coffee, or

provides a brief burst of energy that

tea. It depends entirely on the menu.

could be beneficial in an emergency situation.

8. Seasoning and condiments. Many MREs include seasonings like salt and pepper.

7. Beverage. Beverages were another

They may also include condiments. The

addition to the MRE that was not