Meal Ready to Eat (aka MRE)

A memory to send shivers down the back of many US veterans.

Somehow for the past 40 years of my life I have always had a case or two or three of them.

During the Cold War many places I worked in had whole closets stuffed with them. Some LRRPs (Long Range Recon Patrol) & RCW (Ration Cold Weather) too. Early on the C rations had those wooden crates that unfolded into a desk and which were stuffed with C rations. I saw some of those C rat desks get moved out and replaced by MREs. <Those desks are considered prized collector's items BTW by those who collect such military exotica.>

So anyway not very long ago I was issued some new MREs. This led to a decision that the time had come to start rotating out my Vietnam/Cold war stockpile.

NRE content has always been a source of controversy. A natural result of trying to please all the people all of the time.

Back in WW2 the C ration was basically some crackers and spread, a can of apple sauce and some cigarettes and toilet paper and matchs. It was intended to provide a lunch for soldiers on the line. It was not intended for long term sustenance. The meals evolved, becoming more nutritionally complete with each incarnation. A K ration came into being. LRRP meals had more calories and protein. Cold Weather Rations had more calories.

Eventually what we call the MRE emerged. A broad variety of freeze dried meals in an airtight sack stuffed into boxes labeled A or B or C.

There also exists a meal type called Humanitarian Ration. Made without meat (except chicken) so as to not offend some like them, some hate them. Originally in yellow bags, I believe the current color is pink.

Well my MREs were way, way, way past their shelf date and two weeks ago I decided it was time to eat them or dispose of them.

Tang from a vintage 1970s MRE compared to a contemporary MRE bag.



Cold War era MRE vs contemporary MRE



Commercial knock off copies of an MRE usually using a mix of true MRE components and commercial equivalents.



MREs usually come with a heating pouch. Just put the food in the bag and add a half inch of water. A chemical reaction then produces lots of heat to heat the food.



Most MREs come with deserts of one kind or another. They can be bags of fruit cocktail, apple sauce, brownies, cookies, skittles, or (my favorite (no longer issued) oatmeal cookie bars. They usually also come with crackers of one kind or another and a spread. Grape jelly, peanut butter, cheese, jalepeno cheese spread, etc.

As you can imagine there is usually some trading going on with soldiers for the different components. Trade you my jalepeno cheese spread for your peanut butter, etc.



I love the old Oatmeal cookie bars.



Right after Hurricane Katrina some countries donated their own military rations to the folk of New Orleans. Similar to US Aid to Haiti being blocked by Haitian Customs, US Customs seized the shipments of aid to the US. I am happy to report while I was there some of the foreign military MRE equivalents fell off the back of the truck into my hands. The French include wine in theirs! The British meals were so so, but wow, that is some excellent coffee in those little silver packets.

More info on MREs is at


What is your experience with MREs?