TR Forums

Flatland_Spider wrote:

The more complicated the dish in the MRE, the worse it is. (Oh god, I just remembered the Country Captain Chicken. The horror, the horror.) I was vegetarian occasionally simply because the veggie MREs were tastier, and most people didn't eat them.

I once made the tactical error of stating that #4 Country Captain Chicken wasn't that bad. When they draft my epitaph, I hope they recognize my sacrifice that permitted members of my company to escape minor intestinal discomfort by opening new cases of MREs, on the basis that the dregs were being saved for me. The night shift was not briefed on the existence of a "bad box," and so we fought over the handful of non-#2/4s that were dumped in to make room for the next case. Dark days.

tanker27 wrote:

Nothing will replace the originals:


The CB Hash and, yes, Omelet were my favorite! All it needed was some Tabasco. Later they added Beef Frankfurters which were awesome. But looking over the new list, man have they come a long way since I was on Active Duty:

Omelet with ham was your favorite? Something is wrong with you. By far one of the most texturally vile things I've ever tasted. I wouldn't even bother if I got one. Chicken with rice was where it was at.

Texture is a very subjective thing. Some people have very specific textures that offend them.

Pettytheft wrote:

Omelet with ham was your favorite? Something is wrong with you. By far one of the most texturally vile things I've ever tasted.

When you broke it up added, salt, pepper, Tabasco and then heated it it was just like any other powdered egg or egg substitute concoction that you would find at any restaurant. It really was not that bad. If you super heated it, more than the MRE heater, it was even better. We used to put them on the exhaust of the M1A1 during morning Stand To, or on the HMMWV manifold to do this.

It was still better than some of the B-Rations/T-Rats that were being served to us.

Remember the function of the MRE: provide enough energy, vitamins and minerals to sustain an individual during intense physical conditions. It is generally assumed that women consume two and men consume three MREs per day. The average MRE contains 1,250 calories (13 percent protein, 36 percent fat and 51 percent carbohydrate) are low in fiber, high in calories, contain more than 30 percent fat and are high in sodium.

In a nutshell they provide you with energy and also stop you up from having a bowel movement. It's also because of this that you are never to eat MREs exclusively for a long period of time. They must be supplemented with A & B/T rations.

When I had long Field Problems (this is what its called when you train out in the field) and I knew we would have to have 2 MREs and 1 A ration daily that still wasn't enough to get my system working right so I always packed Metamucil. And the medics always carried a huge jar of Fiber supplements. Nothing is more uncomfortable than having to 'go' but cant.

Next month I should have Soylent in-house. That should illustrate the opposite end of the carbs/fiber spectrum.

I've always been curious about MREs, maybe I should get a couple. But the way you've described them makes me suspect that I already know how they'll taste.

I'm more interested on the taste of food since I haven't try MRE yet. Nonetheless, is it dangerous to your health if you often have it as your meal because of amount of sodium that it contain?

frayne wrote:

I'm more interested on the taste of food since I haven't try MRE yet. Nonetheless, is it dangerous to your health if you often have it as your meal because of amount of sodium that it contain?

If you are sedentary, probably over time. If you are active probably not. While people tend to think that any excess of sodium is expelled through sweating this is incorrect. Excess sodium not metabolized by the muscle during activity is actually expelled through the kidneys. Those sweat stains you see are actually trace amounts of minerals, lactate and urea (the comp of sweat).

frayne wrote:

I'm more interested on the taste of food since I haven't try MRE yet. Nonetheless, is it dangerous to your health if you often have it as your meal because of amount of sodium that it contain?

The salt is necessary for a couple of reasons. It replenishes electrolytes which are lost during physical activity, it acts as a preservative, and it gives the food some taste.

MREs aren't designed to be a well rounded meal. They have a specific goal and a specific target audience.

Wow, the military has come a long way since SoS. The omelet actually sounded like it had potential.

Joseph Wykowski: [at chow] I suppose you think you're funny, Jerome?

Jerome: No, I think you're funny, Wykowski; you forgot to eat your aluminum tray. - Biloxi Blues

As far as food goes, MREs really aren't that bad. Some are actually quite good, and the military has tried really hard to introduce civilian type items into the ration to make it less of a GI affair. Where MREs fall short are they just aren't made for long term feeding. They really can't be, given what they are. They're jam packed full of calories, with a goodly percentage coming from fat (which makes sense for a field ration) which makes them sit heavy in the gut and also gives them their secondary name (Meals Refusing to Exit). After a few days of eating the same calorie filled, fat packed, salty processed pouch food, the body starts to crave something (anything) else, but specifically fresh food like fresh meat, fruits, grains, and vegetables.

In Iraq in 03-04, the first couple of months were mostly MREs and UGR heat and serve rations (read: MREs in a big tray-pouch designed to feed lots of people). In fact I remember eating the same UGR H&S module for breakfast and dinner three days in a row (beef with noodles, mixed vegetables, canned chocolate pudding). Once the contracted dining facilities got established things were better, but even after that MREs were usually what was on the lunch menu. I'm telling you, despite the whopping calorie counts, the things just don't put meat on a man's bones. My first trip to Iraq I left CONUS weighing a healthy 176 pounds. Upon my return a year later, I tipped the scales at 153.

Vrock wrote:

I'm telling you, despite the whopping calorie counts, the things just don't put meat on a man's bones. My first trip to Iraq I left CONUS weighing a healthy 176 pounds. Upon my return a year later, I tipped the scales at 153.

I have to ask, might that not be stress related from environment?

I can't speak to military experiences, but environments with heightened stress and anxiety have caused me to lose weight. Some from eating less, some from being on edge regularly (which caused my calorie usage to go up). I've been in places where 6-8 months caused me to lose 20-25 pounds. And that's with less physical work than you'd find in a military situation.

Maybe, but I was still pounding down 2800-3000 calories a day.

Vrock wrote:

As far as food goes, MREs really aren't that bad. Some are actually quite good, and the military has tried really hard to introduce civilian type items into the ration to make it less of a GI affair. Where MREs fall short are they just aren't made for long term feeding. They really can't be, given what they are. They're jam packed full of calories, with a goodly percentage coming from fat (which makes sense for a field ration) which makes them sit heavy in the gut and also gives them their secondary name (Meals Refusing to Exit). After a few days of eating the same calorie filled, fat packed, salty processed pouch food, the body starts to crave something (anything) else, but specifically fresh food like fresh meat, fruits, grains, and vegetables.

In Iraq in 03-04, the first couple of months were mostly MREs and UGR heat and serve rations (read: MREs in a big tray-pouch designed to feed lots of people). In fact I remember eating the same UGR H&S module for breakfast and dinner three days in a row (beef with noodles, mixed vegetables, canned chocolate pudding). Once the contracted dining facilities got established things were better, but even after that MREs were usually what was on the lunch menu. I'm telling you, despite the whopping calorie counts, the things just don't put meat on a man's bones. My first trip to Iraq I left CONUS weighing a healthy 176 pounds. Upon my return a year later, I tipped the scales at 153.

I respectfully disagree Vrock.

My unit spent 2 weeks bivouacked with MRE's every day for lunch and field rations for breakfast and supper. We worked hard every day and PT'd a couple of times, and I still gained 6 pounds. I really like MRE's, but they can pack on the weight if you're not careful.

Someone already mentioned, but Tabasco sauce is your friend.

I used to be partial to the Beef with Mushrooms MRE, with Tabasco. Quite tasty actually. The Jambalya Pork Chop was also a favorite of mine.

Is the term "rat f*ck" still used? We used to use that to describe what happened to a MRE when a soldier opened it, took out all the good stuff, and left everything else behind (usually the entrée and side).

I'm disappointed in the lack of pictures in this thread. I was in the Air Force, and the only time I ate MREs during my 4 years was during "Warrior Week" in basic training. /ducks