Updated: March 2024 – Before we delve into answering the question of which is the best MRE, we should explain exactly what an MRE is for those who are new to the world of survival rations.
What’s an MRE?
MRE stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat. They have been the standard self-contained field ration provided to the US military since 1986.
An MRE is something that, for those who have served in the military, will either rekindle fond memories or, as is more often the case, reignited their passion for fresh food!
Now, although military rations have been around in one guise or another for quite some time. MREs are still pretty new, relatively speaking.
Back when they were first issued there were only a limited 12 entrées (main meals to me and you!) and if the opinions of the soldiers were anything to go by, they weren’t that great!
However, over the years MREs have improved greatly and there are now 24 different menus.
That’s the history lesson over with here but if you’re interested in learning more about the development of MRE you could check out more information over at Wikipedia.
Why would you need an MRE?
Food is one of your most important basic survival needs. Irrespective of whatever type of SHTF situation you find yourself in.
Whether your stomach agrees with you or not, food is further down the list of importance than both finding shelter and water when it comes to survival situations.
However, that doesn’t mean that food is any less important when you are putting together your survival pack or bug out bag in advance of, or in preparation for an emergency situation.
Ensuring you have a supply of food to eat will not only guarantee you receive all the nutrition and minerals you need for your body to function correctly. It also helps to maintain a good state of mind, so decision-making processes are not negatively affected. Which is an often overlooked but extremely important factor in life and death situations.
Eating fresh food should always be the first choice. Unfortunately, that is not always possible during a crisis, especially if you’ve bugged out urgently. This is why making sure you always have emergency rations packed in your kit is just common sense. By doing so you will always have food that you can rely on for sustenance whenever you need it.
Food that WON’T Spoil!
Obviously, you need to pack your emergency bag with foods that will not spoil. Whilst there are multiple ready-to-eat foods available to the backpacker or prepper, few can outdo MRE for both shelf life and choice.
MRE does not require cooking and you can even eat them directly from the packet if necessary. They do taste better when heated though.
The packages are well-sealed and tightened to prevent moisture from penetrating or escaping. This prevents rotting or drying out.
Now, Which is the Best MRE!
The question is actually a little ambiguous and could either be asking, who produces the best MRE, or which is the best MRE meal or menu?
Let’s tackle the first of those;
Which is the Best MRE brand?
You can either buy a military issue MRE produced by one of these military contractors: Ameriqual, Sopacko, or Wornik, it doesn’t matter which of these companies make the rations, the MRE’s are identical, bar the branding on the outer carton and individual menu wrappers!
Alternatively, you can check out one of the growing numbers of Civilian MRE producers.
(Note: Ameriqual, Sopacko, or Wornik, all offer Civilian versions of their military MRE. They are available under the product names; APack, Sure-Pak, and Eversafe, respectively.)
In fact, all the MRE producers mentioned above will, in all probability, follow pretty much the same production methods as each other.
They will also provide very similar, if not the exact same menus as each other too.
Taking the above factors into consideration choosing one brand over another is pretty hard!
How to Choose the Best MRE
The main factors we at Alpha Survivalist consider when choosing which MRE to buy are;
- How old it is
- How much shelf life does it have left, and,
- Is it going to cost me a lot!
When you purchase a civilian MRE you’ll be receiving it directly from the manufacturer, where it has been stored at the perfect temperature and for a relatively short amount of time.
On the contrary, the vast majority of military MRE that is made available to the general population is often surplus stock. Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to check the history of surplus.
Before being sold on as surplus, military issue MRE may have traveled around the world, shadowing troop deployments. In doing so it has possibly been stored in a non-temperature controlled warehouse for a period of time. That’s just the full cases of MRE! Trying to trace the history of a single MRE meal that is being sold on eBay or in a local military surplus store is nigh on impossible!
Consider this, even before you receive your recently purchased, individual military issue MRE pack it may have already traveled more miles than your car! During which time it may have ventured out into the hot Middle Eastern sun, snuggled nicely into the side pocket of a soldiers’ pack! Hardly what we would call a temperature controlled environment!!
So the question is….
Is it Worth the Risk buying Military Issue MRE?
Personally, we at Alpha Survivalist don’t see the point in taking risks with emergency food rations.
We consider it prudent to choose an MRE that has been perfectly stored and delivered directly from the manufacturer over one that has an uncertain history!
As for price, we don’t like spending more than we need to so we’d always look for the best deal irrespective of the menu.
Understandably, some people might think that it’s better to spend a little more and buy an MRE you’ll actually enjoy eating. That is a fair point and everyone has their own take on it.
Our take is this…
To us, MRE is survival food that will keep us alive when there is no other food to eat.
If we are being 100% honest, we’d prefer never to have to eat our MRE survival rations. However, if we have to then we’re not going to start worrying about whether we like the menu or not. Especially if we are eating when others haven’t got anything to chow down on!
Which is the best MRE menu or meal?
We’re not very keen on subjective questions at Alpha Survivalist.
We may have a liking for a specific MRE menu that somebody else detests, and vice versa.
Everybody’s taste is different and therefore so is their preference.
There may be MRE menus that sound great, almost gourmet, but when you start to eat you quickly realize it is anything but!
That being said, we will go on record by saying that the Chili and Macaroni is pretty darn good.
It certainly seems to be a hard and fast favorite with many MRE users. We suppose that makes it as close to a sure thing as you are going to get, unless you hate chili!
Chili and Macaroni is currently menu 10 by the way.
MRE Shelf Life – How long does an MRE last?
The official line is that all MREs have a minimum shelf life of 3 years. However, shelf life will depend upon the storage of the MRE, particularly at what temperature.
Storing MRE in excessive warmth 120°F/49°C can reduce shelf life down to just an estimated one month, whereas it isn’t uncommon for 10-year-old MRE to be perfectly fine with absolutely no degradation when stored at the perfect temperature of 50°F/10°C although 5 years is the suggested maximum.
The TTI is a black circle with a red center, as long as the center is lighter than the outer ring the MRE is good to use, if not then they should not be!
It has also been documented that certain elements of an MRE degrade quicker than others, especially when stored incorrectly; the main two items are the cheese spread and applesauce.
The safest option, in our opinion, should you decide to try MRE for your emergency rations, would be to rotate your supplies on a 3-year basis.
Understanding the MRE date code
Knowing the exact production date of an MRE is extremely important, without that information you have no way of knowing how much shelf life your rations have.
Thankfully there are a number of ways you can check this.
Cases of MRE will often have two dates on them, the packaging date and date of inspection which is typically around three years after the packaging date.
The packaging date will take one of two forms, either a straight forward date format, “10/12/12” (12th October 2012), or a four-digit Julian date code, 2286, the first ‘2’ will be for the year 2012, and the last three digits will be the number of days into that year, ‘286’ which again equates to the 12th Oct.
Prior to 2003 individual MRE packs were not date stamped although each item inside the pack was individually stamped. However, since we are now in 2022, we would advise to only use individual MRE menus that are dated because if they’re not, they are probably way too old!
How Many Calories are there in an MRE?
An MRE provides between 1250 and 1500 calories depending on the menu. Note that this is not what a very active person would burn in a day. There again, you can always eat more than one MRE menu a day!
Remember that an MRE ration is not a substitute for a normal diet and that is why the military advises against them being used for any longer than 21 days max, and will always try to provide their troops with fresh food in the field of operations whenever possible.
For a more detailed breakdown of calories and nutritional facts for each menu visit the HPRC site.
How Much Does an MRE Weigh?
A single MRE weighs between 18 and 26 ounces depending on the menu. This means they are heavier than a freeze-dried meal of an equivalent calorific value.
MRE tastes a whole lot better when eaten hot.
Unfortunately, it may be the case that for one reason or another you can’t heat up your MRE using conventional methods.
No problem!
That is where the flame-less ration heater proves to be invaluable.
The FRH uses a heat-generating chemical reaction between water and a certain mix of chemicals, (magnesium, iron, and sodium to be exact), to heat through an 8-ounce entrée up to a belly-warming 56°C!
What Does an MRE Consist Of?
Each MRE consists of the following:
- Side Dish – mashed potatoes, corn, rice
- Cracker or Bread
- Spread – Cheese, peanut butter, or jelly
- Dessert – pound cake or cookies
- Candy – Tootsie rolls, skittles, M&M’s
- Beverages – Coffee, tea, cocoa, Gatorade type drink powders
- Hot Sauce or seasoning – depending on the menu
- Accessories – toilet paper, spoon, gum, creamer, sugar, salt, waterproof matches
- Flameless Ration Heater
Should You Consider MREs for Your Emergency Food Preps?
MRE meals are not cheap!
When building an emergency food store, MREs should NOT be your first choice.
There are much more affordable and better options available, such as canned, dehydrated, and freeze-dried food.
In all fairness, MREs should not be considered as part of a long-term food plan anyway. They are designed to provide an individual with a meal that is ready to eat, that requires no cooking. Perfect for use in a combat zone, or in a disaster scenario.
It is our opinion that MREs are not the best choice as an addition to a long term food storage but are an essential emergency ration that should be renewed on a regular basis.
If you have an MRE in your bug-out bag or inch bag it is the perfect emergency ration.
If you are giving serious consideration to buying MREs then our advice is to buy them solely for use as an emergency ration and not to buy too many of them.
FAQ
Where can I buy MRE Meals?
You can buy MREs in any number of places nowadays. eBay and Amazon are two of the best places to find deals online. If ordering online is something you’re not into, then Army surplus stores will almost certainly sell MREs.
Can Civilians Buy the Best MRE?
Yes. Military-issue MREs are not for distribution to the civilian population. However, it is relatively easy to buy them.
Civilian MREs, made specifically for the general population, are more expensive but will be fresher as they are supplied direct from the manufacturer. Surplus military MRE is not fresh and may have been in storage for a long time and in hot or cold temperatures.
Why are MREs so Expensive?
The cost of processing and packaging MREs is typically what makes them expensive. The packaging is extremely tough and durable and can withstand a lot of heavy treatment without splitting open and the food is highly processed, more so than your normal store-bought processed food. Hence the cost and why you shouldn’t eat them for an extended period of time.
Are Even the best MRE Bad for You?
Yes, and No! Use MREs as emergency rations and there won’t be too much of an issue. Eat nothing but MREs for an extended period of time and you’ll definitely start to have problems with your digestive system.
MREs are highly processed, highly calorific rations that are high in sodium content and contain very little if any, fiber. This means prolonged use will cause your digestive system to either back up causing constipation (lack of fiber), or the flood gates will unceremoniously open (too much processed food).
Example: Military MRE Menu list variations over a period of 4 years
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Check Out the MRE’s Below:
Ameriqual, Sopacko, or Wornik
MRE STAR
XMRE
