PourinDiesel

For the first time in about 10 years or so I ate an MRE meal for lunch.

Just sitting here at home having trouble going to sleep since I am a night shifter I decided after having a beer and a shot of whiskey (liquid courage) that it would be interesting to try an MRE.

I have several cases put back for emergencies, and I decided that what the heck I should at least get an idea what I was in for if my family or myself ever actually needed to eat them.
Some history: I have actually ate an MRE or two in my late teens/early twenties for the fun of it.
I didnt really remember what it was like etc...

I expected today's meal of "Chicken Cavatelli" to be somewhat horrble to be honest with you..

To my surprise besides the main course title there was a side packet of liquid cheese w/bacon flavor (I'm 260lbs 6'2" you dont have to tell me that good stuff! LOL)
It was good!
There was also a piece of "bread" more like a thick tortilla but kind of powdery flavored...it also tasted good.

The next thing I tried was the pumpkin loaf...not to sound like a broken record but it tasted good and fresh. In fact none of the stuff that was in the MRE tasted old or stale. It all tasted like it was made yesterday.

Also included was a couple of fig newtons, they like the others were good too!

The main course meal of Chicken Cavatelli I used the supplied meal heater to heat up and it was reminicent of Chef Boy'r Dee...not bad. Had a good size chunk of chicken breast in it.

I also used the supplied orange "tang" drink powder and it was ok, nothing to write home about but beats tap water.

The nice little piece of it all was a tiny bottle of Tabasco which I really favor! and used in its entirety.

Just though I would share....

Ebay has some decent deals on MRE's. I bought 2 more cases today for $52 each shipped to the door (thats less than $5 per meal)

PS The MRE I ate today came out of a case that has an inspection date of 2008. That usually means they were manufactured 3 years prior. They should be inspected (one should be opened for freshness/tested/eaten).

drafalske

Used to bring them backpacking all the time. Usually cheaper and tastier than what you find in an outdoors store. You're right, they're not bad at all.

roughstock

I ate a lot of them when I went down to help the in-laws in SE Texas for Hurricane Rita. Not to bad, neat chemical reaction with the heating elemets. Also, did you try the milkshakes, pretty good when it was 100 degrees. My in laws still have some instorage(i think), FEMA or the National Guard was handing out TONS to each family. We only took a few, but they wanted to give us enough to feed 50 for a week.

joeairforce

there pretty good as long as you don't have to eat them all the time. i got sick of them pretty quick when i was in Iraq

Bob Wagner

Hey how about diinner at the Texas Roadhouse

Your lunch sounded grand

CTDinMT

Yeah, try eating them everyday for weeks at a time. Then you won't be so impressed...

mikmaze

last thing close to an mre I ate was for fun, it was dehydrated peaches, to be re-hydrated with water, well, sure looks like water, but 151 don't taste or act like it, but does a good enough job of makin them peaches sing a song in your mind !

wannadiesel

MRE's are definitely better than you expect them to be. Not something you want to have to eat every day for a month, but it's not like you have to choke them down while suppressing your gag reflex.

irocpractice

Dave now you need the main course........C Rations heh heh .So nice and heavy,clank when moving....unless you drop quickly then ouch, unh...and they even gave you your own very special can opener,once the can was opened your able to scrape the grease off the top,ah the good old days....NOT.

Colo_River_Ram

On extended river trips ice normally runs out on day 14-16 so it MRE's and canned items only. seams like I always float with people who can't fish!!
Have you tried the bread in a can? that was interesting.

Glad to see that you are prepared for an emergency.. perhaps we need to do a thread on emergency preparedness .

In the old days nature would cull out the idiots (if you did not put up enough fire wood for the winter you froze!) Now if theres a hurricane the idiots steal color tv's (while being videotaped for national news!) and shoot at the choppers sent to rescue them!

CD in NM

I have a supply of them for emergencies as well. I spent many a day eating them during disaster assistance in past years. I know of several people who live on them, or close to living on them as they supply about 50% of their weekly meals. They ARE healthy and DO provide the correct nutrients. They are where the carb diet stuff of today got their formulas for correct metabolics.

CD

Andy505

I've had a few MREs in my lifetime...and I am about to have a bunch more soon as I am planning on enlisting in the Army this Thursday.

ofcmarc

DNR hands them out by the case if your working on the fire line. Definately not bad for survival food but nowhere close to home cookin'.

joeairforce

your nuts... but good luck to ya

crobtex

Good luck, Andy. My nephew went in a couple of months ago. He said it's tough, but kinda fun.

There are a lot of us out here that are darn proud of you.