Having supplies is one of the most significant problems during extending hiking or operations. But everything changed when MREs, also known as Meals-Ready-to-Eat, was invented. These military meals have gone through rigorous testing and development over the years. Until they reach today's allowed nutritional standards, troops can have peace of mind when hungry and not worry about finding the wood or ingredients to prepare their food. This military food for Soldiers is sometimes given to civilians for consumption during disasters or calamities.

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A Brief History of Ready-to-Eat Military Meals

The first personalized meals were created during the Revolutionary War in the 18th century. Troops carried essentials like peas, beef, rice, and cooking utensils. However, during the Civil War, the military's ready-to-eat meals were improved. Canned goods, sugar, salt, and bread were included. After another fifty years, Soldiers carried a lighter food supply in World War I, including preserved foods.

However, the most significant innovation in military meals happened during World War II. Various types of food were developed depending on geographical locations. Also, Spam was dominant in rations, and "wet" food was a prominent MRE in the Vietnam War.

A Nutritional Change in the Military Meals

After World War II, the Pentagon started meticulously examining the nutritional contents of the Meals-Ready-to-Eat in the military. These foods needed specific calories to sustain Soldiers through fatigue situations and battles. This led to the development of a military meal containing sugar, proteins, and fats.

Most importantly, military meals need to be tasty enough. Hence, so that Soldiers will eat them and not lose strength and concentration in battle. Creators of the MRE have also developed a way to make them lighter so that Soldiers could carry more supplies. This would ease the bulky food rations being carried at war zones.

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Top 6 Tasty MRE's

With many developments in the Meals-Ready-to-Eat for the military, they can now also be given to civilians. Here are some of the military foods you can try:

1. Chili With Beans

This is a meal in the military that comes with cheddar cheese, pepperoni pizza cheese-filled crackers, vegetable crackers, and snack bread. If you're not a fan of snack bread, then you better trade that out with someone who does. But the chili in this MRE is good.

2. Maple Sausage

This is a military food best consumed during breakfast time. When heated, the sausage tastes better. However, there is no entire maple muffin top in there. Also, it comes with smoked almonds, peanut butter, crackers, and grape beverage powder.

3. Cheese Tortellini

It is always best when heated but can also be eaten cold. One of the military meals, with the good stuff, includes an instant pudding, vanilla, crackers, chocolate peanut butter, and beverage powder. This food pack also comes with hot sauce on top of the tortellini.

4. Beef Ravioli

When heated, it's a decent meal with a chocolate banana nut muffin top, cheddar cheese spread, snack bread, M&Ms, and a tropical punch beverage powder.

5. Meatballs in Marinara

This is one of the decent military meals that has a lot of nice stuff. It is packed with meatballs in marinara sauce, teriyaki beef sticks, chocolate chip cookies, Italian breadsticks, cherry blueberry cobbler, jalapeno cheddar cheese spread, and beverage powder.

6. Chili and Macaroni or ChiliMac

The best part of a meal in the military is the ChiliMac. This has a pound of cake, cheese spread jalapeno, crackers, candy, teriyaki beef sticks, and a beverage powder.

Today, these military meals are being used by the government when natural disasters occur, where access to food is limited in civilian areas. With their convenience and nutritious benefits, these food packs are not just specifically for military personnel. But with their innovation, they were able to reach more people who are in need.

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