Knowing the healthier and tastier alternatives to the standard MREs should rank top on the “to-know list” of every prepper. Because MREs taste awful — military MREs, I mean. They are the standard survival foods, isn’t it?
MRE stands for Meal-ready-to-eat. The military first ate the food during the war & it was indeed outstanding in serving its purpose: filling a lot of stomachs with the barest ingredients in the simplest possible way. These foods last very long on the shelf & are packed with the energy you need to fight all day when on the battleground.
Why Bother With Healthier And Tastier Alternatives to Standard MREs?
MREs are available in 2 forms: wet or dry. The wet forms can be eaten without heating them WHILE the dry forms are dehydrated & need water to be eaten. To be honest, nearly every wet MRE tastes very much like dog food (or horseshit) & the dehydrated version is only slightly better but still far from enjoyable. So, the thing is, if you’re camping with friends over the weekend, MREs can keep you alive but will most likely become tiring & hated if you eat them for a very long time.
However, I am not saying that military MREs are useless. No. They serve a very relevant purpose. They are the easy way to get the essential energy to keep living when SHTF. When you’re bugging out or in whatever unusual situation, MREs are quick & easy to make.
The Good Sides to MREs are…
- They provide you with rich amounts of energy through carbs, fats & sugars;
- They are easily made on the move. Who cares about stoves or whatever with MREs stocked in your go-bag?
However, there are Bad Sides too…
- They are filled with sugars & fats — only ideal for military-related conditions;
- There’s not a lot of varieties when exploring military MREs;
- They can be costly (if you have to buy them) despite their horrible taste.
This isn’t all…
There are Ugly Sides too…
- They are not recommended for long-term consumption due to their high fats & sugar contents;
- They will make you sick before you know it if they are all you’re eating.
Components of Standard MREs (in case of DIY projects)
Before we look at the tastier alternatives to standard MREs that you can buy in supermarkets, let’s look at the foods found in a typical ration pack. If you know these foods, I believe you may be able to use your creativity to whip up something tastier yourself instead of buying. Note though that your meal-ready-to-eat must keep you energized, no matter how it tastes.
Note that we are not saying that the alternatives to standard MREs (whether you buy or make yourself) will be tasty, but I guarantee that they don’t taste like horse dung & also contain more nutrients & can therefore be eaten for a long period.
Here are the items you’re likely to find in a 13000KJ 24-hour ration pack:
Breakfast Items:
- muesli & milk powder (only water would do, but tastes nicer if canned peaches are added);
- diced fruit peaches.
Lunch Items (what you may get usually falls among the following, but there’s no specificity):
- Beef- or chicken-flavored instant noodles;
- Crackers;
- Yeast spread, such as vegemite or any very salty spread;
- Jam spread, which could be marmalade or strawberry;
- Springwater tuna;
- Tuna in dried tomatoes;
- Cheddar cheese tin;
Dinner Items (typically 2x of the following):
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- BBQ Beef;
- BBQ Chicken
- Chicken Italiano;
- Chicken satay;
- Gravy meat lumps — braised beef & gravy;
- A type of Indian curry chicken;
- Dried mash potatoes.
Miscellaneous Provisions:
- Beef jerky;
- Chocolate bar — tastes like cooked chocolate;
- Chocolate spread — tastes like cake;
- Coffee;
- Sweetened condensed milk;
- Muesli bars;
- Sugar;
- Teabags;
- Salt or pepper.
2 Healthier And Tastier Alternatives to Standard MREs
It may be funny that we are listing just two alternatives to military MREs despite the repeated emphasis. Still, you have to understand that I selected brands considered tastier & healthier than what we are trying to stop eating.
Here are the two better MREs to eat than military-made survival foods:
Mountain House
Mountain House makes only dried foods, which means that you have to add water before eating. Believe it when I say that this brand has a wide range of meals to choose from, and has better tastes. Since your aim is a product that offers the calories provided by military MREs and better taste, texture & range to select from, Mountain House is the first place to check.
If you’re observant enough, I think you may have seen guys eating these in the field instead of the typical military ration packs. Before you stock up on Mountain House MREs, you may want to try out a few products first. I recommend starting with the Assortment Bucket — one of their commonest offerings.
Backpacker’s Pantry
Backpacker’s Pantry offers freeze-dried & dehydrated foods in a healthier manner than any other private competitor, much more military-standard MREs. Backpacker designs their meals to be gourmet backpacking meals. Therefore, they are very common eatables for climbers, hikers & other outdoor sports enthusiasts, especially due to their healthy, vegetable-filled meals.
Backpacker’s Pantry puts a lot of effort into ensuring that all products contain the maximum proportion of organic ingredients. In recent times, the brand has improved some products’ shelf-life, with some cans now having up to 25 years to spend on the shelf without any depreciation in quality.
Backpacker’s Pantry also serves vegans perfectly, as they are packaged specifically designed for them. Whatever your diet plan is, I’m sure that Backpacker’s Pantry fulfills it.
Concluding The Healthier And Tastier Alternatives to Standard MREs
Military MREs are useful but not for long. Plus, they are not even meant for ordinary SHTF situations. Eating them for long may cause you to fall sick in the wild where there’s no medical expertise. Shop for the healthier and tastier alternatives to standard MREs mentioned above, or just make yours at home — although you’d need to be sure of what you’re doing. Bugging out to the wilderness does not have to mean that you’re forgoing your sense of taste.