A Russian girl serves in the American army and talks about how they eat there. I'll show you the famous MREs. MRE - Meal Ready to Eat - dry rations for a soldier of the American army. When we have exercises, MREs are given up to three times a day. But usually - breakfast and dinner - hot, for lunch - dry rations. MRE assembled. Breakfast in the field kitchen - powdered scramble omelet, bacon or sausages, corn grits, thawed pancakes with maple syrup, apple-pear-banana of your choice, and a poisonous energy drink, such as bright blue. I never drink this muck, even at basic training, there is enough water from a flask. Omelet and hot porridge are always welcome, because it is cold in the forest in the mornings, even in summer. For dinner, they give whatever God sends - rice, beans, mashed powder, boiled asparagus, pasta, fresh salad, milk, some cakes in a package, Energy Bars - very nutritious cereal bars with raisins, nuts, chocolate. Fish - never, meat - always, and several varieties - turkey, chicken, pork. I don't eat meat, but I always try to get an extra salad. MRE inside. Disassembled.
In a small pack, a lot of useful things - cold lemon tea in powder, a wet wipe, a regular napkin, salt, matches (once there was a cigarette, now only matches are left of it, not in our time of fighting smoking), hot Tobasco sauce, chewing . (By the way, a nuance - chewing gum - with a laxative effect, a dry ration is a dry ration)
Today we have Italian lasagna for lunch. You put it in a bag with a heating element, add two fingers of water. It starts to smell like chemicals. Closed. Set it aside to warm up. In the meantime, I eat crackers with peanut butter.
5 minutes - lasagna is ready. Rate it!
Dessert is pineapple. We drink cocoa. We eat pie.
And a bonus track! What I actually had for lunch. MREs across the throat, better than noodles.
MREs have an insane amount of calories. Cracker - 180 cals, peanut butter - 250, cocoa - 150, carrot cake - 270, main course - lasagna - 270, Vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron - all 15%. Canned Pineapple - 80 cal The soldier ate a little - and is already full, ready to continue the mission. No need to impose full plates of side dishes and meat. I ate a couple of crackers with peanut butter - that's 430 calories! Slice of Bread - 180 calories For one reception - 1200 cal. More than half of the daily value. At ranger courses, such a ration is one per day. Our drill sergeant told us at training, he has a RANGER badge. So they ate this dry ration from and to, including spices and Tabasco sauce. They generally had a lot of interesting things there - only an hour of personal time per day - and that's all - food, sleep, laundry. So of course it was not every day - sometimes without sleep at all, on another day - as much as 4 hours to rest. And all this in about 8 weeks. Look, it's damn hard! They go hiking all the time, in Georgia they go to the forest, in Florida they train in the jungle. Physical exercise with a rifle - until you throw up. Then you have to pick up the stuffed up (sorry) and put it in your pocket, tidy up. Meanwhile, charging continues. That's how thugs are raised. Well, did everyone have an appetite after my post?

Dry rations or individual rations (IRP) - a set of products intended for feeding civilians working on a rotational basis (for example, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations), tourists and military personnel who do not have the conditions for preparing hot meals.

Video training "Composition of American dry rations"

What is included in the IRP?

As a rule, it contains:

• crackers, crackers;
• vitamins;
• food additives (spices, sugar, salt);
• canned, freeze-dried, dried (cocoa, instant soups, milk powder) products.

In addition to food products, the composition of the American dry ration (MRE) without fail includes:

• hygiene products (napkins, sheets of toilet paper);
• matches;
• additives for disinfecting water, heating food (dry fuel);
• disposable tableware (plastic spoon, plate).

The individual ration is calculated for one meal per person.

Distinguish army ("Military") and civilian MRE.

Let's consider what they are.

Army American dry ration

"Military" MREs come in boxes labeled with a temp-thermal-sensor, which is presented as a "smart" sticker. Its purpose is to determine how much heat the product has absorbed.

A dry ration is considered fit for consumption as long as the outer circumference is darker than the inner circle. If the colors “equalize” or the indicator inside has darkened, the food in the container has deteriorated and is prohibited for consumption. Eating expired food can cause digestive disorders and poisoning.

There are 24 different dishes in the MRE military rations, each of which has its own number. Ordinal numbers from 1 to 12 are called "menu A", from 13 to 24 - "menu B".

To heat food, the set includes a container with a flameless heater.

American IRP flavors released in 2013

MRE serial number	Name of the product (dish)
01	Chili with beans
02	Tartilla, fried chicken with vegetables
03	chicken, noodles
04	Pork sausage in own juice
05	Braised chicken with olives, tomatoes
06	Shawarma with beef
07	Baked veal brisket
08	Meatballs in tomato sauce
09	Beef stew
10	Chili Pasta
11	vegetable lasagna
12	Penne pasta with sauce
13	Cheese Tortellini
14	Lecho with vegetables
15	Mexican chicken
16	Baked pork ribs with spices
17	Pork sausage with maple syrup
18	Beef dumplings
19	Bun with jalapeno peppers and beef
20	Spaghetti with sauce
21	baked tuna
22	Asian Beef
23	Braised chicken breast with vegetable seasoning
24	Beef with black beans

Every year the set undergoes changes: 2-3 dishes are updated. A single pack of Individual Meal contains between 1150 and 1300 calories, depending on the MRE product.

U.S. civilian dry ration

Unlike army rations, civilian rations come in 6 or 12 flavors. As a rule, they are identical to the military and are produced by factories, private companies.

Until 2000, 2 organizations were engaged in the production of civilian dry rations:

• Wornick;
• Sopakco.

In 2013, their number increased to five:

• Meal Kit Supply Civilian MREs;
• Ameriqual "APack";
• Wornick "Eversafe";
• Sopakco "Sure-Pak 12";
• MREStar.

Thus, a dry ration is a ready-to-eat set of products and dishes with a shelf life of up to 7 years, which allows you to saturate the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals “in the field” with minimal time and labor costs.

This time we will talk about delicious and healthy food. More precisely, about dry soldering.

You can carry canned food in cans on hikes, you can fill backpacks with fresh products, you can collect sublimates on the road. All of these options have their pros and cons. Canned food is too heavy. But, but cheap. And a purposefully thrown can can neutralize a gaping enemy. Fresh food- great for day hikes and picnics. Carrying whole tomatoes, cereals and fresh meat with you on a long trip is not the smartest idea. Sublimates- good and nutritious, but require the presence of hot clean water.

Based on all this, many cunning and lazy tourists choose food sets that are ready to eat. That is, dry rations.

In this particular case, we will consider the dry rations of the American army - MRE (Meal Ready-to-Eat). It is this tactical snack that helps the valiant troops of Uncle Sam bring peace, freedom and democracy to the most unexpected regions of the planet. It is this food that makes ordinary martinets well-fed and aggressive dogs of war.

MRE Menu #15: Mexican Style Chicken Stew

what, translated into the language of Lermontov and Shnur, means “Menu No. 15 - Mexican roast chicken«.

All contents are in a dense plastic bag, full of inscriptions. Including those who claim that the package is the property of the US government. Well, it will be doubly good to devour Obama's lunch.

The large bag itself is very convenient to use for garbage, which remains a lot after eating dry food. Incidentally, residents of roadside villages in Iraq, Afghanistan and other liberated states can tell about this. There, all roadsides are covered with these skins from democratic rations.

The package is opened simply by hand, without the help of a knife, scissors and the use of special skills.

Pulled in different directions - and opened.

In the package we find the following insides:

It looks like a lot of plastic, bags, sachets and packaging. If you lay it out beautifully on the table, you get a kind of harmony and understanding of what's what.

So, let's move on to the content.

Meals and snacks

Mexican Style Chicken Stew

Actually, it's hot. Tasty, convenient. Hot - really tasty. But - not enough. I don’t know about the American military, but as a civilian, I need two such packages.

Pears

Pears. Essentially jam. So-so to taste.

Cheddar Cheese Pretzels

Cheese pretzels, chips in short. Delicious, nutritious, full of carbohydrates to the eyeballs.

vegetable crackers

Vegetable cracker. Whatever that means. Vegetable cookie. Something vegetarian, apparently.

Cheese Spread

Cheese mass. Essentially melted cheese. The most delicious, in my opinion, part of the dry ration. Not serious. For such a pack of cheese, I am ready to sell the enemy a piece of his homeland.

Candy with peanut butter. Sweet lovers will appreciate it. And I would replace it with another pack of cheese.

Beverage Base Powder (Lemon Lime)

Lemon-lime drink with a natural and not very taste. Did you drink Jupi as a child? Here - that's what it is. Only democratic.

Auxiliary items

M.R.E Heater

Warmer package for the main course.
This is, in my opinion, the most valuable part of the whole package. The essence of the work is simple. You open the package, put the pack with the main course in it, pour water from the nearest swamp, close it and wait 5 minutes. The chemical element in the bag heats up upon contact with water and, emitting a vile smell, heats up the sealed bag with the main course.

An additional pleasantness of this heating pad is that in winter you can put the heating package in your bosom or in your boot, which will provide you with a few minutes of pleasant warmth. Well, or burn with boiling water - there is a choice, to whom what you like.

A collection of useful little things. Instant coffee, matches, salt, sugar, dry wipes, wet wipes and even chewing gum.

A spoon

Spoon combined arms model. Strong, conditionally disposable and lightweight. Fits perfectly behind MOLLE straps, quickly snatches. In short - a very useful thing.

Hot Beverage Bag

Sealed bag with instructions. The same lemon powder is poured into it, poured with water and placed in a heating pad. The taste is a rare abomination. But, if you have water treated with disinfection tablets, then the smell of bleach will be slightly less noticeable.

Cardboard for holding a hot main course. This is so as not to burn your hands on a hot main course. Convenient thing. After use, you can use it, for example, to inflate coals and fry normal food on a fire. Or not.

The MRE dry ration is quite high in calories.

Crackers - 180 kcal, cheese - 250, drink - 150, pears - 290, main dish - 200. Vitamins A, calcium and iron - 8% each, vitamin C - 15%. The soldier ate a little - and is already full, ready to continue the great mission. Full plates of side dishes and meats are a thing of the past!

A pair of crackers with cheese is already 430 kilocalories! Chips - 210 kcal. At one time - under one and a half thousand. More than half of the daily value.

Summing up, in general, the sensations from dry rations are very positive. One per day is clearly not enough for me, but I can live. The best option is two dry rations a day, and you can even take a tank with hostility.

The presence of auxiliary elements such as a chemical heating pad or a cardboard holder for a hot dish greatly simplifies life. The dishes are delicious, varied, and given the total number of options - there are about 25 menus - they turn life almost into a holiday.

Dry rations are a set of products that is designed to feed military personnel, as well as civilians, in conditions where there is no way to cook hot food on their own. As a rule, such a diet is designed for one person. It should also be noted that such a set may include products both for one meal and for the whole day.

Dry rations of the Russian army from a similar set of products in other countries can vary significantly. However, the general requirements for them are the same everywhere:

• Possibility of long-term storage. In other words, such a set should not include products that require special storage conditions (for example, fresh fruits, vegetables, mayonnaise, sour cream, etc.).
• Dry rations should include only easily digestible ingredients that are unable to cause allergic reactions, eating disorders, etc.
• The packaging of such a set should protect it well from any dirt and water.
• Foods that are part of dry rations should be easy to prepare or ready to eat.
• A civilian or military dry ration must have sufficient nutritional and energy value.

It should also be noted that in some cases special requirements are imposed on such a set. For example, for the nutrition of astronauts, dry rations should not include products that can form splashes and crumbs that are dangerous in zero gravity.

The composition of individual diets

What does a standard dry ration contain? The composition of such a set of products may be different. But most often it includes the following components:

• Freeze-dried and dried products (dry instant soups, instant coffee, milk powder, etc.).
• Canned foods (for example, condensed milk, stew, sprat, etc.).
• Biscuits (dry biscuits), crackers or crackers.
• Food additives and flavor enhancers (various seasonings, salt, spices, sugar).
• Vitamins.

Additional inventory

In addition to food, a civilian or army dry ration also includes such additional equipment as:

• disposable tableware;
• means which are intended for disinfection of water;
• hygiene products (chewing gum, disinfectant wipes, etc.);
• means for heating foodstuffs (for example, matches, dry fuel, etc.).

It should also be noted that neither Russian nor American dry rations include water. Drinking fluid is either provided separately or obtained locally.

What foods are prohibited from being included in dry rations?

There are a number of products that are strictly prohibited from being included in civilian or army dry rations. These include the following:

• Dishes containing hot spices or seasonings, nitrites over 0.03%, edible table salt over 0.8%, alcohol, apricot kernels, sodium pyrosulfate, natural coffee, confectionery and cooking oils.
• Unwashed foods, as well as rumpled vegetables and exotic fruits that can be easily spoiled.
• All perishable products that require special temperature conditions to maintain safety and quality.
• Confectionery containing cream fillers and high cocoa content.
• Food products that do not have documents confirming their safety and quality.

Scope of application

Today, both army and civilian dry rations can be found on free sale. The price of such kits varies significantly and depends on the products that are included in their composition.

It should be especially noted that the main consumers of such diets are military people. They are given dry rations for food in field conditions, when there is no way to deploy a full-fledged field kitchen.

Among other things, such a set of products is often used:

• People working on a night shift or on a rotational basis in conditions where it is impossible to cook hot meals for themselves.
• Flight crews that carry out long non-stop flights, as well as at reserve and alternate airfields.
• humanitarian organizations.
• Crews of surface and submarine ships.
• Rescuers.
• Geologists, tourists and members of various expeditions.

A set of daily allowances in the armed forces of the USSR for one person was approved by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Thus, from June 1, 1941, the dry ration of a Russian soldier included the following products:

• rye crackers - about 600 g (or brown bread);
• concentrated millet porridge - 200 g;
• concentrated pea soup puree - 75 g;
• something from the following list: semi-smoked Minsk sausage - 100 g, cheese (brynza) - 160 g, smoked/dried vobla - 150 g, dried fish fillet - 100 g, salted herring - 200 g, canned meat - 113 G;
• granulated sugar - 35 g;
• tea - 2 g;
• salt - 10 g.

Army dry ration kit in the 1980s

In the eighties, dry rations were used in the armed forces of the USSR, which consisted of canned meat (250 g), two cans of canned meat and vegetables - each 250 g (that is, rice or buckwheat porridge with the addition of a small amount of beef), a package of black crackers, a bag of black tea, as well as a large amount of granulated sugar.

Since 1991, the "Individual diet" has been used in the armed forces of the Russian Federation. There are two types of this set:

• IRP-B, that is, an individual diet - combat. It includes 4 cans (stew, minced meat or pate, rice or buckwheat porridge with pieces of beef and fish), 6 packs of army bread (most often unleavened crackers), 2 bags of instant tea with granulated sugar, dry concentrate of the natural drink "Molodets ”, fruit jam (usually apple), 1 tablet of multivitamins, 1 package of instant coffee, 4 sachets of sugar, tomato sauce, 3 Aquatabs tablets intended for disinfection of drinking water, 4 tablets of dry alcohol (portable warmer), spoon, can opener , 3 sanitary napkins and windproof matches.
• IRP-P, that is, an individual diet - everyday. This set has different numbers. It is calculated for a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and is not very different from combat. However, the presented ration is slightly less in calorie content and weight. Very often it is used in everyday activities when it is not possible to organize a field kitchen.

So, the IRP-P (No. 4) includes the following food products:

• army rye bread - 300 g;
• stewed pork - 250 g;
• amateur minced meat (canned) - 100 g;
• travel barley porridge with pieces of beef - 250 g;
• Slavic buckwheat porridge with pieces of beef - 250 g;
• concentrate for making a drink - 25 g;
• fruit jam (usually apple) - 90 g;
• granulated sugar - 30 g;
• instant tea with sugar - 32 g;
• warmer (set with dry alcohol tablets and wind-resistant matches) - 1 pc.;
• multivitamins in a dragee - 1 pc.;
• opener of packaging and canned jars - 1 pc.;
• paper and sanitary napkins - 3 pcs.

Depending on the dry daily ration number, its contents may vary. So, the seventh set includes salted herring, stewed meat with green peas, vegetable caviar, melted cheese, two types of biscuits, etc.

Despite the fact that different numbers of IRP-P include different foods, such field rations are quite high in calories. That is why, during a full-fledged marching breakfast, lunch or dinner, a soldier (or a civilian) is able to get enough to continue his mission after. Indeed, thanks to dry rations, there is no need to organize a field kitchen, which takes a lot of time and effort.

The military's dry rations are called MREs. This is an English abbreviation that stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat, that is, "Food ready to eat." As a rule, such a set is packed in a sand-colored bag made of thick plastic (its dimensions are 25 × 15 × 5 cm). It indicates the menu number (24 pieces) and the name of the main dish.

The American dry ration, like the Russian one, is quite high in calories (about 1200 kilocalories). Depending on the menu, it can weigh from five hundred to seven hundred grams. It should be noted that this set is designed for one meal. In addition to the main course, it has a hot instant drink (coffee or tea), as well as a cold one, which is powdered lemonade.

The MRE pack does not include the first one. However, there is a dessert in the form of cookies, sweets, muffins and biscuits. In addition, this set may include soft cheese and biscuits.

To reheat foodstuffs, Americans' rations include a special bag that contains a flameless chemical heater. In order for it to come into action, a small amount of water should be poured into it, and then a bag with a drink or food should be placed inside.

Composition of twenty-four American dry rations

Below you will find all types of individual diets for the US Army and some NATO countries. Dry rations, in addition to the listed products, necessarily include such components as two chewing gums, salt, several sheets of toilet paper, a box of matches, a plastic spoon and a wet napkin.

1. Peanut butter, mushroom steak, beef jerky, western beans, coffee, crackers, milk powder, candy or chocolate lemonade, sugar, and red pepper.
2. Baked apples, pork chops (with noodles), vegetable crackers, soft cheese, hot sauce, milkshake, sugar, coffee and milk powder.
3. Potato sticks, beef dumplings, wheat bread, soft cheese, chocolate biscuit, hot sauce, lemonade powder, sugar, coffee and milk powder.
4. Soft cheese, rustic chicken, crackers, butter noodles, hot sauce, biscuits with jam, cocoa mocha cappuccino, sweets, sugar, coffee and milk powder.
5. Wheat bread, fried chicken breast, chocolate biscuit, goulash, apple cider, tea with lemon and sweetener, jelly, cocoa, candies and spices.
6. Boiled rice, chicken with sauce, raisin-nut mix, soft cheese, spicy sauce, vegetable crackers, milk powder, fruit-flavored coffee, sugar and tea bag.
7. Mexican rice, chicken with spicy vegetables, soft cheese, biscuits, candy, vegetable crackers, sweetened lemon tea and hot sauce.
8. Beef tenderloin, soft cheese, cheese pretzels, barbecue sauce, wheat bread, hot sauce, lemonade, lemon tea with sweetener.
9. Beef goulash, vegetable crackers, soft cheese, hot sauce, milkshake, chocolate chip cookies, sugar, coffee and milk powder.
10. Soft cheese, pasta with vegetables, vegetable bread, cake, red pepper, cocoa, powdered milk, coffee, sugar, chocolate or sweets.
11. Spaghetti in tomato sauce with vegetables, dried fruit, hard candy, peanut butter, muffin, tea with lemon and sweetener, crackers, spices and apple cider.
12. Rice and bean patty, fruit biscuits, cake, crackers, dried fruit, savory and spicy sauce, peanut butter, lemon tea and sweetener.
13. Cheese dumplings, applesauce, muffin, peanut butter, hard candy, sweetened lemon tea, apple cider, crackers and spices.
14. Cake, spaghetti in vegetable sauce, peanut butter, salted roasted peanuts, crackers, dried fruit, tea with lemon and sweetener, spices and apple cider.
15. Mexican beef with vegetables and cheese, Mexican rice, lemonade, chocolate chip cookies, vegetable crackers, soft cheese, coffee, sugar, hot sauce and milk powder.
16. Soft cheese, candy, chicken noodles, vegetable crackers, raspberry-apple puree, fig cookies, hot sauce, cocoa, sugar, coffee and milk powder.
17. Chinese noodles, Japanese beef, jam, candy, peanut butter and cheese cookies, sugar, lemonade, wheat bread, milk powder, coffee, chocolate or candy, red pepper.
18. Turkey breast with gravy and mashed potatoes, chocolate bar, cheese pretzels, crackers, hot sauce, lemonade, sugar, peanut butter, coffee and milk powder.
19. Boiled wild rice, crackers, jam, cocoa, oatmeal cookies, beef with mushrooms, coffee, hot sauce, milk powder and sugar.
20. Peanut butter crackers, wheat bread, soft cheese, hot sauce, milkshake, hard candy, spaghetti with meat sauce, coffee, sugar and milk powder.
21. Cupcake, hot sauce, baked chicken with cheese, jelly, crackers, sugar, tea bag, milkshake and milk powder.
22. Rice with vegetables, chocolate covered oatmeal cookies, sugar, sweets, soft cheese, lemonade, wheat bread, coffee, hot sauce and powdered milk.
23. Pretzels, hot sauce, chicken pasta, peanut butter, muffin, lemonade, wheat bread, sugar, coffee and milk powder.
24. Mashed potatoes, baked beef with gravy, jelly, filled cookies, cocoa, vegetable crackers, sugar, coffee, milk powder, candy or chocolate, red pepper.

Each country develops its own individual dry ration for its army. Ukraine issues IRP similar to Russian ones. This set is designed for three meals (that is, breakfast, lunch and dinner). As a rule, it consists of wheat flour biscuits, canned meat and vegetable, meat broth concentrate, canned fish or meat, jam, granulated sugar, instant tea, fruit drink concentrate, Hexavit multivitamin preparation, plastic tablespoon, caramel, paper and sanitary napkins.

Dry rations for children

According to sanitary and epidemiological requirements, dry rations for children should include the following food products that do not require special storage conditions:

• non-carbonated mineral water (bottled) - up to 500 ml;
• fruit nectars and juices, as well as natural vegetable juices - up to 500 ml;
• ready-made fortified drinks of industrial production - 250 ml;
• non-alcoholic juice drinks - 200 ml;
• hard cheeses in vacuum packaging - 60-100 g;
• unsalted and unroasted nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts) - 20-50 g;
• dried fruits washed in vacuum packaging - 50 g;
• dry biscuits, crackers, biscuits, dryers or crackers;
• dark or bitter chocolate with a high cocoa content;
• canned fruits, vegetable and fruit purees - 250 g;
• jam, jam and jam - up to 40 g;
• rye bread, wheat and cereal bread;
• fortified instant baby cereals - 160-200 g;
• dry breakfasts;
• beef goulash in tomato sauce:
• concentrated chicken broth, beef;
• dry low-fat cream;
• vegetable and cereal side dishes (canned);
• condensed milk - 30-50 g;
• tea bags, cocoa and coffee drink.

In our previous article, we talked about what MRE (U.S. Army Ration Pack (American RTI) is. Today we will take a closer look at each of its types.
Initially, MREs were produced exclusively for the US Army and were not sold to the side - strict accounting and control was maintained. Then, gradually, at the end of the Vietnam War, all severity gradually faded away. Without delay, the cunning military immediately began to sell strategic stocks from under the floor. This is how the first "market" MREs appeared - the original army ones (in other words - state-owned, state), "decommissioned" or stolen from military warehouses. The product turned out to be surprisingly popular: demand exceeded supply by almost three times (after all, it was not always possible to steal MRE from warehouses).

Seeing this situation, private firms began to manufacture "civilian" versions of food rations. Today they are so diverse that it is quite easy to get confused, because the differences are in many ways minimal. However, they are.

Army or "Military" MRE.

There are a great many names: army, military, military, state, state. MRE data is the progenitor of many individual food rations, both within the United States (civilian versions) and in other countries (military dry rations). For example, in our last article about "" we talked about how the armies of many countries make their IRP in the manner of MRE, releasing an almost identical analogue.
In free sale, army MREs in theory “should not be encountered” - this is clearly stated on their packaging. The inscription reads: " US government property. Commercial sale prohibited by law.»

However, as is often the case, they are quietly pushed out from under the floor. The most important thing when buying is to pay attention to the expiration date and storage conditions. Army mre-shki are so army! Who knows where they were lying before the “write-off” for sale? Maybe in military warehouses in Alaska, in the cold, in ideal storage conditions, or maybe in Iraq, in the sweltering heat and under the scorching sun. However, there is a way to determine this.
Military MRE boxes come labeled with a special Time-And-Temperature Indicator, or Time-Thermal-Sensor. It is a "smart" sticker that shows at what temperature the product was stored and how long it lay in warm conditions (literally, "how much heat it absorbed"). It looks like this:

MREs are considered usable as long as the inner circle is lighter than the outer circle. If the circle inside has darkened, then the food has completely deteriorated.
In total, mre military rations contain 24 different types of taste (24 different dishes) in a single package. Each has its own serial number: sets from 1 to 12 are called "set A", from 13 to 24 - "set B". Also, instead of the word set, “menu A” and “menu B” can be used. Each year, the set of flavors changes slightly - as a rule, manufacturers replace 2-3 dishes with others in order to update the assortment line.

Army MREs - flavors released in 2013
01 - Chili with Beans	01 - Chili with beans (beans)
02 - Chicken Fajita	02 - Chicken fajita (grilled with vegetables and flatbread (tortilla))
03 - Chicken with Noodles	03 - Chicken Noodles
04 - Pork Sausage w/ Gravy	04 - Pork sausage with gravy sauce
05 - Mediterranean Chicken	05 - Mediterranean chicken (with tomatoes, olives and spices)
06 - Beef Taco Filling	06 - Shawarma with beef (beef with tortilla, vegetables and sauce)
07 - Beef Brisket	07 - Beef brisket
08 - Meatballs w/Marinara Sauce	08 - Meatballs with Marinara sauce (tomato paste with garlic and herbs)
09 - Beef Stew	09 - Beef stew
10 - Chili and Macaroni	10 - Pasta with Chile
11 - Vegetable Lasagna	11 - Vegetable lasagna
12 - Spicy Penne Pasta	12 - Spicy Pasta with Penne pasta (short feather pasta tubes)
13 Cheese Tortellini	13 - Cheese Tortellini (small dumplings with meat, cheese and vegetables)
14 - Ratatouille	14 - Ratatouille Ratatouille (lecho with vegetables (meat with pepper, eggplant and zucchini))
15 - Mexican Style Chicken Stew	15 - Mexican Chicken Stew
16 - Pork Rib	16 - Pork ribs
17 - Maple Sausage	17 - Pork sausage with maple syrup
18 - Beef Ravioli	18 - Beef Ravioli (beef with dough and sauce (dumplings with beef))
19 - Jalapeno pepperjack beef patty	19 - Pie with beef and Jalapeno peppers
20 - Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce	20 - Spaghetti with meat sauce
21 - Lemon Pepper Tuna	21 - Tuna with pepper-lemon seasoning
22 - Asian Beef Strips	22 - Asian beef strips
23 - Chicken Pesto Pasta	23 - Chicken with pasta (feathers or spirals) and vegetable seasoning
24 - Southwest Beef & Black Beans	24 - Beef with black beans (with black beans) according to the Southwestern

And finally, a moment of tenderness:

________________________________________________

Civilian, or "Civilian" MRE

This category includes almost all other rations that are not the property of the army (i.e., the state). The main difference is the number of species. In civilian MRE, instead of 24 types of tastes, either 12 or 6 are presented. In terms of quantity / quality of content, civilians can be larger / smaller and better / worse. Otherwise, as a rule, these are almost identical military mre-shki, produced by private companies, or by the same factories that produce military MREs. Until 2000, only 2 companies were involved in the production of civilian MRE rations: Sopakco and Wornick. Then, after 2005, after the Katrina panic, several more companies entered the market. Today (2012-2013) there are five main such companies:
Ameriqual "APack"
Menu C(obsolete, no longer produced)
MREStar
Sopakco "Sure-Pak 12"
Wornick "Eversafe"
Meal Kit Supply Civilian MREs

Ameriqual APack MREs

Ameriqual is the largest company (there are 3 such large companies) that manufactures MREs for the military. Initially, he produced rations only for the US Army, then expanded the range with civilian options. The brand name is "APack", or "APack Ready Meals". By a-pack, apparently, Army-packages (or rather, packages) are meant.
It differs from the army A-pack in only a few minor things:
a) there is no powdered drink in it,

c) no napkins
d) accessories are not packed in a separate bag all together, but are put each separately,
e) The flameless heater uses salt water instead of regular water (included in the a-pack).

A single Mre A-Pack contains an average of 1,222 calories.
Packing-box (12 single pieces (2 pieces of each flavor, 6 * 2) - 14,660 calories.
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Menu C MREs

One of the youngest brands on the market. The closest in appearance / content to the army mre-shki. The name, at first given as a joke, gradually caught on: since the army mre has "menu A" and "menu B", then why don't we make a "menu C"? Along the way, the company trades in other "survival" food, and related products, gradually increasing the range.
Menu C does not differ from the army ones in any way - the composition is completely identical. The only differences are the silver packaging of the food itself (instead of the traditional marsh-brown) that sometimes appears on the menu, and also the packaging itself. At the moment (10\2013) it is not produced, but it is still very common and ubiquitous on sale.

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M.R.E. Star

Unlike others, the company was not originally engaged in the production of rations for the army. However, she is a certified mre-nik supplier for a couple of defense departments (Department of Defense/Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia).
In the photo above, last year's and the year before last's rations. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that NEW MPE STAR comes in such packages, similar to civilian ones:

From the army Mre Star differs in only a few minor things:
a) 4 out of 6 tastes are innovative, absent in the army,
b) the spoon is a little shorter (but wider) than the army one,
c) the remaining 2 flavors (Beef Stew, Cheese Tortellini) taste much better than in military mre,
d) the packaging of accessories has been expanded and contains a spoon, wet wipes, napkins, instant coffee, cream, sugar, salt and pepper.
e) are sold in two types: With flameless heater and WITHOUT it
The flameless heater uses ordinary water.
A single pack of Mre Menu C contains an average of 1,150-1300 calories.
Packing-box (12 one-time pieces (2 pieces of each flavor, 6 * 2) - from 13,800 calories.
By assortment: there are only 6 types of tastes.

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Sopakco Sure-Pak MREs

Just like Ameriqual, it is a large company (second of 3) producing MREs for the military. In the photo above (green) - the old appearance of the package, in the photo below (red) - the new one.
It differs from the army Sopakco Sure-Pak in just a few minor things:
A) a slightly different spoon
B) fewer accessories

A single Mre Sure-pack contains an average of 900-1250 calories, with an average of 1060.

Packing-box (12 pcs one-time (2 pcs of each flavor, 6 * 2) - from 12,700 calories.
By assortment: types of tastes in total 6

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Wornick Eversafe MREs

As well as Ameriqual and Sopakco, it is a large company (the last of 3) producing MREs for the military. In the period from 2001 to 2009, they could not decide on the design / shape of products, releasing all new types. It should be especially noted that boxes of 10 pieces are OLD and the expiration date has already expired. A new line of products started after 2009 and now their mre are available in boxes of 12 pieces like this:

It differs from the army Sopakco Sure-Pak in just a few minor things:
A) a slightly different spoon
b) Accessory package contains napkin, spoon, salt and pepper, instant coffee and cream

A single pack of Mre Eversafe contains an average of 1000-1150 calories, with an average of 1090.

Packing-box (12 pcs one-time (2 pcs of each flavor, 6*2) - from 13,000 calories.
By assortment: types of tastes in total 6

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Meal Kit Supply Civilian MREs

Meal Kit Supply, or Kit-For-Dinner, is the only company that produces custom MPEs. At the moment they produce (!) 2 times more flavors than other manufacturers: in a box of 12 they put 6 different mre with meat ("meat" mre), 2 different vegetarian mre, and 4 mre for breakfast.
A single pack of Mre Meal Kit Supply contains an average of 1300 calories.

They differ from other MREs by a higher price (more expensive), but more calories (more satisfying) and a larger number of dishes. An exceptional feature is that they are the only MRE certified by the Food Industries Canada, i.e. the only MREs that are quietly importing.

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That's all for now. Bon Appetit)
If this article has worked up an appetite for you, then we remind you that you can order in our store, in the "" section.