Meals Ready to Eat (Or 'Meals Rejected By Ethiopians'?)

Fox News ^ | 3/31/07

[Mr. Brightside]

Meals Ready to Eat

By David Mac Dougall

Fox News

Sadr City, Baghdad — This was the final day of our Sadr City embed, and we realized we've become experts on military rations, or MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). They're full of calories and carbs, a Dr. Atkins nightmare. But they do the job, sustaining soldiers (and journalists!) in tough times. Inside, there are usually crackers and peanut butter or cheese spread; a main dish; a cookie or cake; and powdered drinks. After just a week, we have already decided which MREs are our favorites.

I like the pasta. Cameraman Michael Pohl likes the spare rib (which curiously contains no actual ribs — just a meat patty). Producer Nicola Sadler likes the beef enchiladas. We do a lot of swapping. I take Nicola's peanut butter; she prefers the cheese spread. Michael swaps chocolate mint cake for strawberry milkshake powder. It's really obvious which MREs the soldiers don't like; Cajun rice with beans, and jambalaya remain unopened.

[Mr. Brightside]

[EQAndyBuzz]

"They're full of calories and carbs, a Dr. Atkins nightmare. "

IIRC each MRE is somewhere between 5000 & 7500 calories.

[Petronski]

The funniest one I heard is "Meals Resisting Excretion."

[SoldierMedic]

There is an MRE called "Veggie Omelette". It is absolutely gross. Most MRE's have one or two thing you can't eat, while the rest remains edible. Nothing is worth eating in the Veggie Omelette.

Chicken Tetrazini is by far the best MRE out there.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Cameraman Michael Pohl likes the spare rib (which curiously contains no actual ribs — just a meat patty).

The rib bones are not edible and would only add to the weight and size of the package. So, boneless.

[Dog Gone]

It's really obvious which MREs the soldiers don't like; Cajun rice with beans, and jambalaya remain unopened.

I lived in Cajun country for a couple of years. I had to get relatives to mail me food rations.

[Non-Sequitur]

I'm old enough to remember the old C-rations. These can't be any worse.

[mylife]

and thats the truth

[jagusafr]

Must be made by McDonalds: I could never figure out why the ubiquitous "McRib" was called so, since it ain't got no ribs in it.

[eXe]

Being that I keep them around for emergencies.. I have developed a taste for them.. Some of the newer ones are REALLY Decent.

I have yet to have any "issues" with them.. lol but I don't eat them day in day out.. just when they need to be rotated which I do every once and a while.. especially the ones I keep in the vehicle for emergencies.

Some real life experience with them. Don't be shy about keeping a few extra in your cars folks.. you get stuck somewhere at LEAST you have some food. Don't worry about heat either. Out here in Nevada my in car temps probably reach well over 140, I rotate mine out yearly and have NEVER had one go bad on me.. even in that kind of heat. They keep pretty well in super hot conditions as long as you rotate them out every year or so.

[Vision]

I ate one of these in the 80's, during a Boy Scout trip to a navel base. I remember it being good.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

"I like the pasta. Cameraman Michael Pohl likes the spare rib (which curiously contains no actual ribs — just a meat patty). Producer Nicola Sadler likes the beef enchiladas. We do a lot of swapping. I take Nicola's peanut butter; she prefers the cheese spread. Michael swaps chocolate mint cake for strawberry milkshake powder. It's really obvious which MREs the soldiers don't like; Cajun rice with beans, and jambalaya remain unopened."

Sounds like lunch at any elementary school in the country, but the real meat of the story is as one reads further at Fox News.

There does appear to be progress in Iraq.

[Grizzled Bear]

They need to bring back the Meatballs in BBQ sauce!

[Pox]

C-rations were much better than the bulk of the first MRE's that were dumped upon us back in the early 80's, IMO (in spite of the green eggs). Those dehydrated strawberries were something that could be considered a war crime if you were forced to eat it.

I sure hope the current batches are better than the first run!

[WorkingClassFilth]

I can take FOX embeds, but I don't think they ought to be there just the same. Other presstitutes should be give MRE's marked D-CON.

[Grizzled Bear]

How about the eggs in the "T-Rations?" I think that's what they were called. It's the big cans they used in the field kitchen.

Nothing like brownish-orange scrambled eggs that have been in a can for 7 years!

[joebuck]

"C-rations were much better than the bulk of the first MRE's"

Even the dreaded Ham and Lima beans?

[martin_fierro]

[aft_lizard]

You remember incorrectly, the average MRE only contains about 1500 calories. You have to realize the average person should consume around 1800 calories a day, the avaerage athlete around 4500 when he is in training and doing excessive excercise.

Either way my favorite was Chicken Tetrazini and the Enchilada, but way back when I loved egg omelettes with ham and the corned beef hash one.

[Mr. Brightside]

They keep pretty well in super hot conditions as long as you rotate them out every year or so.

If that is all you are looking for, I will have my grandmother send YOU the Christmas poundcake this year.