MRE stands for Meal Ready to Eat, which are self-contained, field rations. They are lightweight and easy to transport. These rations are issued by the military to service men and women when they are out in the field or during times of combat, when it is not possible for them to eat in a kitchen or similar facility. MRE’s were created to replace Meal Combat Individual Rations, which were canned, in the early 1980s.
The military found that issuing rations without concern for personal and regional tastes was a huge mistake. Soldiers who were forced to eat food which they didn’t like over and over again would eventually become unhappy and were less apt to eat. Famished soldiers would become ineffective ones. Subsequently, the Pentagon learned to create meals that were pleasing to the palate based on the region of the country in which the soldiers were from.
Meal, Ready to Eat rations were first developed in 1963. They were made as a lighter version of the Meal, Combat Individual rations. The latest technology was utilized in terms of packaging and food preparation. The LRP, Long Range Patrol was developed, in large part, because of what was learned and utilized during the development of MREs.
In 1993, the military decided to continue development on the MRE. Soldiers were surveyed and field tests were performed. Many soldiers stated that they would prefer bigger serving sizes and a greater number of entrée options. The military responded. In 1996, there were 16 entrée options, in 1997, that number increased to 20 entrees.
In 1998, there were 24, including vegetarian options. Today, those 24 entrees remain along with more than 100 additional items. This has been well received. The wide variety of entrees makes it possible to meet the individual tastes of a large range of soldiers. Meals can be heated with the Flameless Ration Heater (FRH).
Beverage bags were added to the MRE in 2006. This occurred at the same time that hydration packs began to replace canteens. In more recent years, Meal, Ready to Eat rations have been created with the Dietary Reference Intake in mind, which was created by the IOM (Institute of Medicine).
MREs have 1200 calories. They are designed to be eaten for 3 weeks or 21 days at most and can be safely stored for three years. In recent years, some people began to sell MREs to the public. This has since been made illegal.