Everyone in the Military Has an MRE Story

Ask any Veteran about Meals Ready To Eat [MREs], and you’ll get one of the following reactions: a laugh, a grimace, or a long story about the one meal they refused to eat. In my personal experience, I automatically think of our “field hot sauce”. As the Senior Medic in 3-15 Infantry Battalion, I never left garrison without an extra-large bottle of Cholula to share with my squad. One of my Junior Medics even came up with a special storage area for it in the back of our M113 Ambulance. It could turn the most disgusting mystery meat into something tolerable- at least for a week or two.

With such a large amount of Veterans on our staff, I decided to conduct a survey to not only rate some classics, but to hear more of their best (or worst) stories.

What are MREs?

For anyone lucky enough to have never experienced these delightful treats, an MRE is a Meal Ready to Eat. They are used by Service Members in the field when regular kitchens are not available. They are designed to be shelf-stable and calorie-dense for intense weather, rigorous missions, and on-the-go fuel during trainings and deployments. Fun fact: many MREs contain 1,200+ calories per meal!

One meal comes in a vacuum-sealed brown package and generally contains an entrée, a few sides, snacks, a drink mix, and a water-activated heater. Some meals have better snacks than others, and if you’re lucky, you may even get some candy.

The Ratings: Which MREs Survived the Survey?

Fan Favorites (Based on ratings and comments)
1. Chili Mac
2. Cheese Tortellini
3. Beef Ravioli
4. Spaghetti

One respondent even admitted, “I may be a different breed because I enjoyed most of them…”

Controversial Picks (Meals some people liked… and others definitely didn’t)
1. Maple Pork Patty
2. Mexican Chicken Stew
3. Beef Goulash

I like to think of these meals as the pineapple-on-pizza. Some are die-hard fans, and others would rather go hungry.

The Ones People Avoid (Some meals clearly didn’t win the popularity contest)
1. Beef Patty, Jalapeno Pepper Jack
2. Maple Pork Patty
3. Chicken Chunks

One blunt response summed up the entire menu as, “They are all trash. I would rather eat plain bread.”

The Real MRE Culture: Trading, Hacks, and Survival

In hindsight, the survey showed that MREs are less about the food and more about the experience. Many stories were shared about trading meals or using the snacks as currency. “Trading MREs added to the camaraderie… sometimes they were bargaining chips” one participant added describing the way he got out of doing a couple guard shifts.

A few common MRE trading items include:
– Candy
– Crackers
– Cheese Spread
– Hot Sauce

It also turns out that hot sauce was the great unifier. Multiple survey participants left comments discussing the importance of a little spice. “If you had the right amount of Tabasco sauce, though, it made everything somewhat edible,” says Amy Palmer, President and CEO of Soldiers’ Angels. Perhaps this feedback should be sent up to the manufacturer.

MREs Mean More Than Just Food

In Basic Training, we had one important mantra above all else: Take it one meal at a time. For many Service Members in training or deployed situations, meals are the one pleasurable thing they have to look forward to. MREs become associated with comfort, routine, and connection with each other.

Soldiers’ Angels Mission

While MREs are a part of military life, Soldiers’ Angels works to provide something just as meaningful to deployed Service Members in the form of care packages. When deployed troops receive a care package, it often includes things like snacks, coffee, comfort food, and treats not found in MREs. So while MREs keep Service Members fueled with the nutrition they need to keep going, care packages from organizations like Soldiers’ Angels serve as a reminder that the people waiting for them back home still care.

Learn more about how you can help our deployed troops here.

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