Meal, Ready-to-Eat facts for kids

Two MREs: Menu 2, Shredded Beef, and Menu 13, Cheese Tortellini (2019 edition)

The contents of MRE Menu 2, Beef Shredded

The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) is a special, ready-to-eat meal for soldiers. It comes in a lightweight package. The United States military buys MREs for soldiers to use when they are in combat or in places where there are no kitchens. MREs do not need to be kept in a refrigerator. They replaced older types of military food in 1981. MREs have also been given to people during natural disasters.

The Story of MREs

Early Military Meals

The very first food for U.S. soldiers was decided during the American Revolutionary War. It was enough food for one person for a day. This usually included beef, peas, and rice. During the American Civil War, the military started using canned foods. Later, soldiers received full meal kits with canned meat, bread, coffee, sugar, and salt.

In World War I, heavy canned meats were replaced with lighter dried meats. This helped soldiers carry more food when they walked long distances. For World War II, new field meals were made, like the Mountain ration. But to save money, the military often used heavy canned C rations. This happened even if the soldiers were in tough environments.

How MREs Were Created

A pair of flameless ration heaters. The instructions advise that they should be rested against a "rock or something."

Meritorious Civilian Service Award presented to Dr. Abdul Rahman, father of the modern day MRE

A vegetarian bean and rice burrito MRE

After many years of giving prepared food to soldiers, military leaders learned something important. They realized that just giving soldiers healthy food was not enough. Soldiers in different places and situations needed different kinds of food to enjoy eating it for a long time. Also, giving soldiers food they liked would make sure they ate the whole meal and got all the nutrition.

It was also important to make meals lighter. Special forces often had to carry heavy gear on long missions. Lighter food was a big help. In 1963, the Department of Defense started working on the "Meal, Ready to Eat." This new meal would use modern food science to create a lighter replacement for canned meals.

Early MRE ideas included freeze-dried foods. Dr. Abdul Rahman helped develop these. He later received an award for his work. But the military needed a meal that didn't need water added to it. Dr. Rauno A. Lampi then worked on improving a special pouch. This pouch could hold wet food and keep it fresh for three to ten years. This food could be easily shipped, carried, and eaten right from the package. The first MREs were given to soldiers in 1981. They became standard for all soldiers in 1986.

What MREs Need to Do

U.S. Army soldiers load MREs onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in September 2005.

Each MRE meal gives a soldier about 1,200 calories. They are meant to be eaten for up to 21 days. By then, soldiers should get fresh food. MREs are designed to last at least three years if stored correctly.

The packaging for MREs must be very strong. They need to survive being dropped from a parachute from 380 meters (about 1,247 feet). They also need to survive drops of 30 meters (about 98 feet) without a parachute. The packaging must keep the food good for three and a half years at 27°C (80°F). It must also last nine months at 38°C (100°F). And it needs to handle short times in very cold or very hot weather.

Each MRE weighs between 510 and 740 grams (about 1.1 to 1.6 pounds). This depends on what's inside. Because MREs contain water, they weigh more than freeze-dried meals with the same calories.

Selling MREs to the Public

MREs are marked with a warning: "U.S. Government Property, Commercial Resale is Unlawful." This means they are not supposed to be sold to the public. The government wants MREs to go to soldiers and authorized groups. If MREs are sold to the public, it means they are not reaching the people they were made for.

Sometimes, MREs sold online are older and closer to their expiration date. They might have been found at yard sales or even in dumpsters. The government pays about $7.25 for each MRE. However, regular people can buy similar MREs directly from companies that make them for the government. These are very much like the official military MREs.

In some countries, like the Philippines, the government has stopped MREs from being sold in local markets.

What's Inside an MRE?

An MRE contains a main course, side dish, bread, dessert, and flameless ration heater

A typical MRE includes several items:

• Main course (the "main" dish)
• Side dish
• Dessert or a snack (like candy or a special bar)
• Crackers or bread
• A spread like cheese, peanut butter, or jelly
• Powdered drink mix (fruit drink, cocoa, coffee, or tea)
• A plastic spoon (sometimes a full set of utensils)
• A flameless ration heater (FRH) to warm the food
• A bag for mixing drinks
• An accessory pack with:
  • Chewing gum
  • Matches
  • A napkin or toilet paper
  • A moist towelette
  • Seasonings like salt, pepper, sugar, creamer, or Tabasco sauce
  • Freeze-dried coffee powder

Many items in MREs have extra nutrients added. Also, the military tries to give soldiers fresh food whenever possible, especially during training.

How MRE Menus Have Changed

The military always tries to make MREs taste better for soldiers. They ask for feedback to change the menus and ingredients. Here are some of the main dishes that have been in MREs over the years:

How to Read MRE Dates

MRE cases usually show the production date like this: Month/Day/Year (e.g., 11/24/1996 for November 24, 1996). After this, there's a 4-digit "Lot Number." This number is also on the individual items inside the MRE. The first digit is the last digit of the year (so '1' could mean 2001 or 2011). The next three digits show the day of the year (from 001 to 366). For example, "1068" means the 68th day of 2001 or 2011 (March 9).

MRE cases also have an "Inspection / Test Date." This is like the packing date. For example, "10/94" means October 1994. MREs should be kept in a cool, dry place. If they are stored at 80°F (27°C) for three years in a row, they reach the end of their shelf life. Military food experts check them. Their shelf life can sometimes be longer than the inspection date. MREs are thrown away after five years.

MREs for Everyone

MREs have been given to people during natural disasters. The National Guard has provided MREs to the public during hurricanes like Katrina, Ike, and Sandy. They were also used during the 2011 Super Outbreak of tornadoes. Because so many people got MREs, some jokes were made during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. People even wore clothes made from MRE packets!

Some people have wondered if MREs are good for people who are not in combat. MREs are designed for soldiers who burn a lot of calories and sweat a lot. They have high fat and salt content. This might not be ideal for people who are not very active. For these situations, other special meals are available.

What People Say About MREs

New Orleans Mardi Gras revelers in 2006 dressed in coats made from MRE packaging

Some of the first MRE main dishes were not very tasty. People gave them funny nicknames like "Meals Rejected by Everyone." Even though the quality has gotten better, some of these nicknames have stuck. One joke was that MREs were "Three Lies for the Price of One... it's not a Meal, it's not Ready, and you can't Eat it."

MREs have a low amount of fiber. This can sometimes cause tummy problems for some people. So, they were also called "Meals Requiring Enemas." There's a myth that the gum in MREs has a laxative, but that's not true. However, the gum is sweetened with xylitol, which can be a mild laxative. The crackers in the MRE do have extra vegetables to help with digestion.

There's a funny belief among soldiers about the Charms candies that come with some MREs. Soldiers think they are bad luck, especially if you eat them. Some say this started because people just didn't like them.

In 2007, a newspaper asked three expert chefs to taste 18 MRE meals. None of the meals scored higher than 5.7 out of 10. The chicken fajita meal was especially disliked, getting an average score of 1.3. In the early days of the war in Afghanistan, soldiers would trade MREs. A single French 24-hour combat meal could be traded for at least five American MREs.

The vegetable cheese omelet MRE, introduced in 2005, is often called the worst MRE ever. Soldiers called it the "Vomelet" because of how it looked and tasted. It was stopped in 2009.

Other Types of Military Meals

Halal ration

Humanitarian Daily Ration

Tailored Operational Training Meal

Aircrew Build to Order Meal Module

MRE Tabasco sauce bottle

The MRE has led to other similar military meals.

• Aircrew Build to Order Meal Module (ABOMM) are special MREs for flight crews and tank operators. They are made to be eaten easily without utensils while operating vehicles.
• Meal, Religious, Kosher/Halal are for soldiers with special religious food rules. These meals have the same nutrition but do not contain forbidden ingredients. They come in special packaging.
• The Humanitarian Daily Ration (HDR) is a meal for refugees and people who have been displaced. It is designed to feed one person for a whole day. It avoids animal products and alcohol to fit many cultures and religions. These meals are often air-dropped.
• Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) is for very cold places. Regular MREs can freeze solid in extreme cold. The MCW has freeze-dried food that needs hot water. It also has more calories and fat.
• Meal, Alternative Regionally Customized (MARC) meals are vegetarian. This helps avoid conflicts with different food rules. Many of these meals have a Southeast Asian or Indian style.
• Meal, Long Range Patrol (LRP) is like the MCW but lighter. It's for troops who might not get new supplies often.
• Modular Operational Rations Enhancement (MORE) are extra supplements for troops in very tough training or operations.
• Tailored Operational Training Meal (TOTM) is a lower-calorie meal for training that is not as intense. It helps troops get used to MREs without eating too many calories.
• Unitized Group Ration (UGR) is like an MRE but for large groups of people. It comes in metal trays that are heated and then opened.
• Food Packet, Survival, General Purpose, Improved (FPSGPI) is a small, easy-to-carry meal for emergencies, like for pilots.
• The "Jimmy Dean" is a pre-packaged sandwich meal sometimes given to soldiers as an alternative to MREs.

Images for kids

• 

  Two MREs: Menu 2, Shredded Beef, and Menu 13, Cheese Tortellini (2019 edition)

• 

  The contents of MRE Menu 2, Beef Shredded

• 

  A pair of flameless ration heaters. The instructions advise that they should be rested against a "rock or something."

• 

  Meritorious Civilian Service Award presented to Dr. Abdul Rahman, father of the modern day MRE

• 

  A vegetarian bean and rice burrito MRE

• 

  U.S. Army soldiers load MREs onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in September 2005.

• 

  An MRE contains a main course, side dish, bread, dessert, and flameless ration heater

• 

  New Orleans Mardi Gras revelers in 2006 dressed in coats made from MRE packaging

• 

  Halal ration

• 

  Humanitarian Daily Ration

• 

  Tailored Operational Training Meal

• 

  Aircrew Build to Order Meal Module

• 

  MRE Tabasco sauce bottle

• 

  A Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) and a Meal, Long Range Patrol (LRP).

See also

In Spanish: Meal, Ready-to-Eat para niños