There are many people that purchase MREs meals for a wide variety of different reasons. Some of them are going to stockpile this preserved food in case there is an emergency. Others may simply get this to use on camping or hiking trips. It is important that they spend some time comparing the different types of ready to eat meals that are available. People that purchase these products need to choose something that is going to be palatable for both them and family members. Here are a few tips on selecting ready to eat meals online that you can use to choose the best ones at affordable prices.
The Origins Of Ready To Eat Meals
MRE meals have been around for decades. They were originally produced by the American military back in the early 1980s. They originally had MCI meals instead, the meals that were provided to rangers and special forces units that were stationed in Vietnam. Today, there are not only meal ready eat packs that are used by military soldiers, but civilians that are purchasing these in mass quantities. They are almost always purchased as a backup food supply, yet the reasoning for purchasing them can vary depending upon the people that use them.
Why Do People Order These Meals?
The people that order these meals are typically individuals that are conscious of the fact that food could be in short supply if something catastrophic happens. It could be something as simple as a flood or hurricane that prevents trucks from getting to supermarkets. Other people are concerned that there could be some type of military events, one that would prompt them to stay in their homes for several weeks at a time. Regardless of the reasoning, these companies are producing and selling millions of meals every year to individuals that would like to have them.
What Is In An MRE Meal?
These meals can come in many different varieties. If you go to one of the stores online, such as XMRE, Eversafe, Meals Kit Supply or MRE Giant, you can quickly see that there are literally hundreds to choose from. They are sold in cases, including fall meals, entrées, snacks, and some of them come with flameless heaters. They are similar to a regular meal, however they are consumed out of the package. Therefore, many of the meals are going to revolve around things like soup, stew, and other meals that could otherwise be poured out of the package.
What Are Some Examples Of Modern MREs
Some examples of food that you will receive with these meals will include apple turnovers, brownies, beef stew, Tuscan beef, chicken noodle soup, lentil stew, and barbecue chicken. They will often have some type of powder drink which could be one with electrolytes, powdered milk, and coffee with cream. They also come with condiment packs, very similar to what is given out in the US military, with some notable differences.
What Is The Difference Between Military And Civilian MREs
When you compare the different meals, at least in regard to structure, they are very similar. They will come with a full meal, side dish, main dish entrée, dessert, cracker with spread, electrolyte beverage mix, and coffee with creamer. It is in the accessories pack that you are going to notice a subtle difference, and it has to do with what else is included with the condiment pack for the military packages. All accessory packs will include a spoon to eat the food with, salt, pepper, wet wipes, sugar, and a napkin. What is included with the military version is Tabasco sauce, chewing gum, and toilet paper.
History of MREs from XMRE on Vimeo.
How Are They Packaged?
Every MRE that is made is going to be packaged in a very similar manner. They will be self-contained, each meal in its own pack, with individual packages inside. Each individual package will contain the full meal, condiments, beverages, and desserts if those are included. By doing so, it keeps everything separate, and since everything is vacuum sealed, they can last for quite some time.
How Long Do These Meals Last?
These meals can last up to five years in most cases. Some of them will last longer, whereas others might last for less than a year. It just depends on which company you are purchasing them from. Those that are designed to last for several years may also last a much shorter time if they are stored in areas where there are higher temperatures. For example, military MREs that were used in areas of the world that were extremely hot would only last for several months. However, if they are stored properly, preferably in a cool basement, or something similar, they are going to last for many years to come.
What Is A Flameless Ration Heater?
These are often included with the packs that you will purchase. They are not heaters, per se, but packages that will go through what is called an exothermic chemical reaction. There are going to be several ingredients within each of the packs which, when water is added, will go through this chemical reaction. The ingredients will include magnesium, iron, and table salt. Once water is added, it will be brought to a boiling temperature, and this will allow people to warm their food. It is a pack that only has one use, so typically there is one for each meal.
What Sizes Can You Choose From?
The sizes will vary depending upon the company that you are getting these from. Some of them will come with 12 in a case. Others will come with many more. You can request a certain size that is listed, and depending upon their price, it should be relatively affordable. You also have to consider the amount of room that you have at your house or facility where you are going to be storing these rations.
How Many Should You Purchase At One Time?
You should consider purchasing enough to feed your family for at least a week. When you are calculating this, you have to consider each person eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. Therefore, a case of 12 is enough for one person to eat for a total of four days. You would have to get 10 cases if you have a family of five that would be eating three meals a day.
How To Choose The Best Company To Purchase These From
You can purchase these from many different companies. There are quite a few to choose from. There are some people that will prefer buying them from a local company. Others are more concerned about the rating’s that a company has. For example, if a company that has exceptional ratings that is selling theirs online, or perhaps through Amazon, they will have no problem waging a few days for them to be shipped to their location. When you do receive them, you really do need to enjoy the food that you are going to be purchasing. That’s why you may want to consider ordering a smaller case just to try it out.
How Many Sample Cases Should You Purchase?
The sample cases that you purchase should come from at least three different companies. The companies that you choose to order from should be based upon evaluating 10 or more of them. You can find ratings online that have been left by people that have actually purchase these products from the different companies. Based on their reviews, and the ratings that they have given each business, you can make your decision. After trying out three of them, you will have a general idea of who is doing their best to make the food flavorful. Some of them are not going to be very good, whereas others will be just like having a home-cooked meal. It just takes a little bit of time, and a small investment, to find the right one for you and your family.
Where Is The Best Place To Store MREs?
The best place to store these would be in an area like your basement. If you have a barn outside, or some type of outbuilding, that’s also a possibility. However, if you do live in an area of the world where the temperatures can exceed 100°, you may want to only place these in your basement if you have one to use. The other possibility is that you could invest in a large freezer. You could also consider purchasing several refrigerators that would store all of these. As long as they are kept at a cool temperature, they are going to last for several years. There is no need to actually freeze them because they are vacuum packed.
How Can You Find Information About These Different Stores?
Finding information about these stores that sell MREs is easy to do. There are actually quite a few review websites on the Internet that are talking about these businesses. You should be able to find a couple of them that have stellar reviews of all of them that are currently very popular. Based upon their detailed reviews, and their personal accounts of trying out the meals, you can make your decision.
Is There A Way To Save Money When You Place Your Order?
There are a couple different ways that you can save money when you place your order. First of all, you may want to consider looking for promotional codes. These will either be part of an advertising campaign that they are using to sell their products. You may also find them on the website of each individual company that is selling MREs. There are actually websites that show promotional codes and coupons for thousands of different companies online. They will have a database of them along with a search function. You could simply type in the name of the product you are looking for, in this case MREs, and you should be able to find a couple different promotional offers that you can take advantage of.
What Type Of Guarantee Do They Have?
The guarantee that they typically give is 30 days, although they can be different depending upon the company. Some of them will expect you to at least try them out before sending them back. If you do try them out, and you believe that something is wrong with the meal, almost every company is going to offer you a full refund. However, if you wait to try these out several years from now, and they don’t taste good, it’s probably because you have had them for several years. Even though they are vacuum sealed, over time they can begin to change their flavor. They will still be edible, but they may not be as tasty as they would have been the first year or two.
What Are The Most Popular MREs?
The popularity of these meals will simply depend upon the personal taste of each person. There are some people that are going to prefer all of the meals that have chicken or beef. Many of these companies have kosher MREs, such as one here, that is consumed by people that do not believe in eating certain types of food or meat. They are trying to cater more to a wide audience. They understand that each person is going to have different preferences. This began with offering different meals that included meat, but they may even make ones that are designed for vegans or vegetarians.
How Will You Be Able To Tell How Old Each Package Is?
If you have had these for a few years, you may have forgotten when you actually made the purchase. Although these are typically good for half of the decade, it’s good to know how old they actually are. On the outside of the boxes, they are required to put some type of date in regard to when they were produced. Depending upon the country you are in, the date is going to be presented in a certain way. For example, in America you are going to see a two digit month, two digit day, and a four digit year. In other countries, this could be different. You may have to contact the manufacturer to ask where the date is, and how to read it, depending upon what area of the world you originally placed your order from.
Are There Any Criticisms Of MREs?
There are some people that have criticized the production of these meal ready eat packages. Many of the negative comments are about the flavor of the food. When they are creating this food, they are designing it to last which means they may have additives or preservatives which may cause the food to taste different than it normally would. That is why it’s so important to test out different products from the wide variety of companies that are out there. Another criticism is how long they actually last. There have been some companies that have stated they will last for five years, yet after a year, many people have complained that they do not taste as good as they did the first time they tried them out. Although some of these complaints can be subjective, people have to remember that they are providing them with a backup source of food which should be the whole point of placing these orders.
What Other Reasons Would You Order MREs For?
There are several other reasons that you may want to order these. For example, there are many hunters that will order them so that they will have food they can easily bring along with them on a hunting trip. Not only are they convenient, but they are also easy to pack. They can put these in duffel bags, backpacks, and they will be ready to spend a few days in the wilderness. The same is true for people that will go on long hiking trips. They might be hiking for several days, or even several weeks. When they have these with them, they are able to sustain themselves for quite some time. These meals are easy to store, open, and eat.
What About People That Are Religious?
Some of the companies that produce these are going to cater to as many people as possible. For example, people that are Kosher or Halal can only eat certain types of meat, such as one here. When these originally came out, they were only providing people with choices such as salmon, chicken and beef. However, there are now meals that include lamb, vegetarian dishes, and those that are strictly made of pasta. These are perfect for people that are not only religious, but those that are following a strict diet which might be vegan or vegetarian. These companies understand that they must provide these different choices in order to attract what could be thousands of additional customers to their company.
Can They Be Frozen?
Although they can be frozen, it is not recommended. There are some people that have reported that after defrosting the meals, and attempting to eat them, they did not taste good at all. This was even with meals that were only a few weeks old. That is why it is important to always consider the recommendations or directions that are provided with these different meal packs. If it states that they must be refrigerated, but not frozen, there is a reason for that.
How Many Calories Do They Have?
Depending upon the company that you are purchasing these from, the total calorie count can vary significantly. For example, on average, each meal is going to have about 1200 cal. In some cases there will be more or less depending upon the contents. If it is a meal that is primarily vegetables, this is obviously going to be less. Meals that include a substantial amount of pasta or desserts are going to have more calories than all of the others.
What Are The Packaging Requirements?
The packaging requirements are actually very strict. They need to conform to regulations in regard to how they are put together. For example, some of them are required to withstand a drop of over 1200 feet. This is a non-parachute drop, meaning it is simply dropped that far to the ground without the package breaking. This was likely started back in the military when they were dropping rations to soldiers. If they were not able to survive the impact, the soldiers would not have any food. The same stipulation is typically applied to most of the MREs that are produced today. They are simply following what has always been that particular guideline.
Can These Be Used By Children?
Another question that is often asked is whether or not these are going to be safe for small children. After all, they may use certain additives or preservatives that may not be good for kids that are young. Another concern is whether or not they have been properly prepared, preventing bacteria from developing. Most of them are going to be boiled for a specified period of time to ensure that all organisms inside are killed, preventing them from multiplying. Almost all of these are going to be appropriate for kids. They have taken that into account when they were designing them for the general public. The assumption is that parents are going to provide their kids with food just like them, and therefore they are going to be completely safe.
This overview of ready to eat meals that you can purchase online should motivate you to at least try them out. Some of them are going to be fantastic, whereas others may leave a lot to be desired. As with anything that you purchase, there are going to be superior companies that will deliver an excellent product. Conversely, there are going to be businesses that may not put a lot of attention into the quality of the food that they are producing. Those that tend to taste better are prepared in a manner that is very similar to how you would prepare a regular meal. Therefore, not much care and attention has been placed into their preparation, and the ingredients are also going to be high quality food products that should taste good whether you eat them now or years later.
