Meal Ready-to-Eat

Everyone is discussing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have been going on longer than most expected, and every news agency has reported on the many sacrifices our men and women in the field must make. A recent article I read (I believe it was Time Mangazine), claimed that one of the things soldiers miss most is good food. MREs (Meals Ready-to_Eat) can become a dreaded prospect during long missions. I wanted to know what our troops on the front line were eating.
This is the first in a series of food reviews were I'll prepare a hot battlefield-ready feast, straight out of a brown bag. Here I will pick one MRE, show you how to prepare and eat it, and
let you know what I think.
The MRE is a lightweight, individual food ration that is intended for use in combat or other conditions that make organized food preparation impossible. The criteria for the MRE are strict. They must be able to withstand parachute drops of 380m or non-parachute drops of 30m. The packaging is required to maintain a minimal shelf life of three and a half years in 80 degrees F, or nine months at 100 degrees. There are also requirements for shorter durations at more extreme temperatures. Each meal provides approximately 1,200 calories, high-starch crackers, a cheese, peanut butter, or jelly spread, a powdered beverage, a desert, one plastic spoon, accessory pack, hot beverage bag, and a flameless ration heater (FRH).
I chose MRE #3: the beef ravioli meal. Here is what it includes:

Specifically, mine had the ravioly pouch in a box, apple sauce pouch in a box, cheese spread and crackers, chocolate chip brownie, orange drink powder. The accessory pouch contained the following:
Taster's Choice instant coffee, artificial creamer, Domino sugar, matches, napkins, moist towelette, Chicklet-like gum, and a small bottle of McIlhenny's Tobasco Sauce.
Considering this was my first MRE, I had to read the instructions carefully. I decided to start with the main course. I removed the food pouch from the box, careful to preserve the box, as I was going to need it for the next step. The FRH is a long green plastic bag with dryer sheet-like pouches containing a substance that heats when exposed to water.

So, I put the food pouch side by side with the heating pouch, and held them halfway up on the inside of the bag. I poured water, careful not to let it rise above the lines on the bottom of the bag. Then I dropped the food and heater into the water, folded over the top of the bag, and turned the whole thing horizontal, with the heating chemicals on bottom. I held the bag this way until I could feel the heat, which became intense, quickly.

I then placed this in the box the meal came in, and let it rest at an angle for 10 to 15 minutes.

While the main course was cooking, I decided to make a drink. I took the orange drink packet, opened it, and poured the powder into a cup. The instructions said to add a half canteen cup of water to the powder. Well, I didn't have a whole canteen cup, certainly not half of one! I decided a canteen cup couldn't be any larger than my tobasco sauce coffee mugs. So I took a little more than half of the water that it would take to fill my coffee mug and added it to the orange drink. I was surprised at how quickly the powder dissolved. I didn't really have to stir it; although, I did.
It was good. Like Tang.

Since it can take up to 15 minutes to prepare the ravioli, I figured the cheese and crackers must be the hors d'oeuvres. I was looking forward to this. When I was a kid I loved those cheese and crackers that came in the plastic tray and had the red plastic bar to spread the cheese. My thoughts were that this cheese should be like that. The crackers impressed me. They were in a vacuum pouch and I was certain they would break when I broke the seal. They didn't. As a matter of fact these crackers were quite durable and tasty. The cheese, however, may have been durable, but palatability has nothing to do with longevity. The cheese oozed out of the packet, clumpy and oily. I used my spoon to spread it. I only wish I hadn't used my mouth to taste it.

I'd like to try those crackers with peanut butter next time.

When the meal was ready, I considered serving it on a plate and eating with a fork, but decided against it. MREs are meant to be eaten in the field, with only what is provided in the pouch. So, I opened the pouch and chowed down.

I must admit: I liked it. It reminded me of the canned ravioli I loved as a kid. Nostalgia with every bite. I ate the whole pouch.
The applesauce wasn't bad. It was... applesauce. I've never really had applesauce that tasted better or worse than any other applesauce. So, They got that right too.

The chocolate chip brownie was a big hit with my daughter and me. It was chewy and moist and chocolate chip-filled. I might have even made it tastier had I placed it in the FRH before opening it.
The coffee was a disaster. And this is the one part of this whole meal where experience comes in. You see, had I prepared an MRE before I would have figured out that you need mix the Taster's Choice in the beverage bag and place that in the FRH prior to eating the main course. This way the coffee will be hot when you are done with your meal. The instructions say the coffee takes about 6 minutes to heat. I botched this. I didn't think to make the coffee until after my meal was eaten. By this time the FHR was no longer hot. If I were in the field I would have had to down some lukewarm instant coffee.

It might do... in the field. But since I'm home, I decided on some Kona coffee.

All in all, I like the MRE. I'm determined now to try them all. I can even see myself taking MREs on short, overnight hiking trips, and leaving the camp stove and gas at home. The garbage is minimalized and compactable. I also like that the MRE is not designed for consumption in one sitting. You can eat most of the stuff while on the go. The MRE is a winner in my book, but I've only had one. For my next entry, I've chosen a meal that seems very likely to be a disaster: Jambalaya.