MRE Fishing Trip
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 10:28 am
Just got back from a three-day fishing trip during which I ate nothing but MREs and other ration items. Summary follows:
In general, I ate two MREs each day in the morning and evening, with snack items and other ration tidbits for lunch. I tried to stay at or below 2,000 total calories each day, which meant not consuming everything in the pouches. I ate five MREs and I used salt-boosted FRHs for all meals. Meals came from my oldest stock, dated 2013, 2014, and 2016. No photos taken; I was eating, not formally reviewing.
First evening, I had a Meatballs in Marinara Sauce. The side was scalloped potatoes, and I covered them with the meatballs. I rate this one as good but not outstanding. It's filling and tasty enough that extra hot sauce or pepper flakes aren't absolutely needed.
First morning breakfast was Hash Browns with Peppers and Bacon. I ate the Granola with Blueberries while the main heated, always a nice starter. The hash browns were a bit "starchy" but enjoyable with a decent portion size. I added a dash of hot sauce to this one, but it wasn't totally suitable. A squeeze of cheese would have been smarter.
Lunch consisted of MRE crackers, a packet of regular cheese, and a tin of Russian pate kindly sent to me by a board member. That stuff is fantastic. In between, I had a packet of nut/raisin mix and a canteen of orange MRE drink.
Dinner was Brisket in Gravy with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. I mixed the packet of butter buds in the potatoes and added the brisket meat on top. This one is a "DayuuuuM!" meal. Absolutely delicious. A splash of hot sauce perfected it. Nibbled the slice of white snack bread along with the main, and drank plain water. Saved all the snack items for later. Had the cocoa powder as a bedtime hot drink.
Second day breakfast was a Pork Patty, Maple Flavored. This one is a disappointment. The patty, the packet of syrup, and the maple muffin top combined are entirely too sweet. Cloyingly so.
Lunch was the same as the day before. Those Russkies sure know how to make pate! Creamy smooth, light liver flavor, porky goodness. A dollop of cheese on the cracker makes it complete. Lemon/lime powder in my canteen. I added a non-ration apple to this one as dessert.
Second Dinner was Asian Beef Strips with veggies and the side was fried rice. Piled one on the the other again for a complete bowl-full. Another really good meal, even though the beef "strips" are just chunks I again skipped the hot sauce on this one as unneeded. But a tiny squeeze of plain peanut butter made it a bit "Thai" and was perfect.
My final breakfast consisted of set aside items. Snack bread with PB & J, an oatmeal cookie, and a strawberry shake got me going. I came home with many side items and snacks. I'll eat the cookies, tootsie rolls, nut mix, and others as snacks on the golf course.
The major drawback to living on MREs, even for only a few days, is the lack of vegetables. I can see why folks complain of constipation. There is simply not enough fiber or vegetable matter in an MRE diet. And far too many carbs. MREs are not intended as a total diet, and are sugar-energy-intensive. That's realistic for intense combat, but is no way a balanced diet. You can't and shouldn't live on MREs alone. They can be quite tasty, fortunately.
In general, I ate two MREs each day in the morning and evening, with snack items and other ration tidbits for lunch. I tried to stay at or below 2,000 total calories each day, which meant not consuming everything in the pouches. I ate five MREs and I used salt-boosted FRHs for all meals. Meals came from my oldest stock, dated 2013, 2014, and 2016. No photos taken; I was eating, not formally reviewing.
First evening, I had a Meatballs in Marinara Sauce. The side was scalloped potatoes, and I covered them with the meatballs. I rate this one as good but not outstanding. It's filling and tasty enough that extra hot sauce or pepper flakes aren't absolutely needed.
First morning breakfast was Hash Browns with Peppers and Bacon. I ate the Granola with Blueberries while the main heated, always a nice starter. The hash browns were a bit "starchy" but enjoyable with a decent portion size. I added a dash of hot sauce to this one, but it wasn't totally suitable. A squeeze of cheese would have been smarter.
Lunch consisted of MRE crackers, a packet of regular cheese, and a tin of Russian pate kindly sent to me by a board member. That stuff is fantastic. In between, I had a packet of nut/raisin mix and a canteen of orange MRE drink.
Dinner was Brisket in Gravy with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. I mixed the packet of butter buds in the potatoes and added the brisket meat on top. This one is a "DayuuuuM!" meal. Absolutely delicious. A splash of hot sauce perfected it. Nibbled the slice of white snack bread along with the main, and drank plain water. Saved all the snack items for later. Had the cocoa powder as a bedtime hot drink.
Second day breakfast was a Pork Patty, Maple Flavored. This one is a disappointment. The patty, the packet of syrup, and the maple muffin top combined are entirely too sweet. Cloyingly so.
Lunch was the same as the day before. Those Russkies sure know how to make pate! Creamy smooth, light liver flavor, porky goodness. A dollop of cheese on the cracker makes it complete. Lemon/lime powder in my canteen. I added a non-ration apple to this one as dessert.
Second Dinner was Asian Beef Strips with veggies and the side was fried rice. Piled one on the the other again for a complete bowl-full. Another really good meal, even though the beef "strips" are just chunks I again skipped the hot sauce on this one as unneeded. But a tiny squeeze of plain peanut butter made it a bit "Thai" and was perfect.
My final breakfast consisted of set aside items. Snack bread with PB & J, an oatmeal cookie, and a strawberry shake got me going. I came home with many side items and snacks. I'll eat the cookies, tootsie rolls, nut mix, and others as snacks on the golf course.
The major drawback to living on MREs, even for only a few days, is the lack of vegetables. I can see why folks complain of constipation. There is simply not enough fiber or vegetable matter in an MRE diet. And far too many carbs. MREs are not intended as a total diet, and are sugar-energy-intensive. That's realistic for intense combat, but is no way a balanced diet. You can't and shouldn't live on MREs alone. They can be quite tasty, fortunately.
