The Florida National Guard has been distributing food, water and tarps in areas impacted by Hurricane Milton.
Food boxes distributed Saturday in Okeechobee County contain MREs, aka Meals, Ready to Eat.
Many people in South Florida consumed MRE’s 20 years ago after Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne hit the Sunshine State just weeks apart or in 2005 when Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma left thousands without power. MREs have changed since then.
Twenty years ago, MREs contained enough calories – about 2,400 to 2,800 -- to sustain a field combat soldier who may not have the chance to eat more than once a day. That was too many calories for the average civilian, especially if they consumed more than one MRE per day. Today’s MREs contain about 1,250 calories per packet.
“We’ve come a long way from opening your c-ration cans and putting them on the hot exhaust manifold of a jeep to heat them up,” said one local veteran who explained he had decades of experience consuming combat rations, including C-rations, K-rations, and various forms of MREs. He said those earlier rations were high in sodium and other preservatives. “The new stuff is really good. It’s healthy food.
“Everyone needs to understand MREs are not intended as normal meals for civilians who may have dietary and health issues. They are designed for physically fit young men and women in combat support missions where kitchen prepared food is not practical or cost-effective,” he explained.
MREs now come with “flameless ration heaters” which produce heat by chemical reaction.
The Defense Logistics Agency website states: “The Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) is designed to sustain an individual engaged in heavy activity such as military training or during actual military operations when normal food service facilities are not available. The MRE is a totally self-contained operational ration consisting of a full meal packed in a flexible meal bag. The full bag is lightweight and fits easily into military field clothing pockets. Each meal bag contains an entrée and a variety of other components.”
There are 24 different varieties of MREs. According to the National Guardsmen handing out supplies at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center on Oct. 12, the Chili Mac entrée is the most popular.
Case A entrées include: Chili with beans, beef shredded in barbecue sauce, chicken with egg noodles, spaghetti with beef and sauce, chicken chunks, beef taco, beef strips in tomato sauce, meatballs in marinara sauce, beef stew, chili mac, cheese pizza slice and elbow macaroni in tomato sauce.
Case B entrée include: Cheese tomato sauce, Mexican style rice and bean bowl, Mexican stye chicken stew, chicken burrito bowl, pork sausage patty, beef ravioli in meat sauce, jalapeno pepper jack beef patty, Italian sausage, lemon pepper tun, beef goulash, pepperoni pizza and southwest beef and black beans.
The packets also contain things like trail mix, cookies, crackers, and powered drink mixes.
For example, the Chicken Burrito Bowl packet contains the entrée, trail mix, a chocolate chip toaster pastry, tortillas, cheese spread, powered hot sauce, electrolyte beverage powder, a spoon and the flameless ration heater.
Each MRE also contains an accessory packet. Accessory packet A contains chewing gum, hand wipes, salt, toilet tissue, coffee, creamer, sugar substitute and sugar. Accessory packet B contains chewing gum, hand wipes, salt, toilet tissue and safety matches.
According to the Defense Logistics Agency, “the contents of one MRE meal bag provides an average of 1,250 calories (13 % protein, 36 % fat, and 51 % carbohydrates). It also provides 1/3 of the Military Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals determined essential by the Surgeon General of the United States.”
MREs have a long shelf life. When your power is restored, if you have MREs left over, you can save them for the next hurricane season or donate them to a local food pantry.
