New Pakistan Army ration
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:43 pm
The Pakistan military recently adopted a new field ration. Although it is based on the US MRE, it is designed to provide one soldier with one days ration. Most food items are produced in Pakistan and the ration caters to Asian/Middle Eastern tastes.
Inside the heavy-duty plastic bag, measuring 35.5 x 22 cm and weighing 1300 g, are packed four complete meals for the day: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea and Dinner. All food items are Halal, meals are ready-to-eat retort pouch items, all items have a minimum 12-month shelf life, and the foods were selected with Pakistani preferences in mind. The ration provides 3085 calories, broken down as follows:
Breakfast (450 calories): 1 x paratha (whole wheat flat bread), tea bag, sugar, & tea whitener.
Lunch (1225 calories): 2 x parathas, main meal pouch, energy sachet (flavored glucose gel, which can also be used as a drink mix), & packet of dried fruit.
Evening Tea (150 calories): pack of biscuits (US = cookies), tea bag, sugar, & tea whitener.
Dinner (1250 calories): 1 x paratha, main meal pouch, & a sweet dessert item.
Each ration pack also contains: 1 x bag of roasted peanuts, 1 x roll of toffees, 1 pack of rewri (crisp sesame seed cakes), 1 x envelope of Tang instant breakfast drink mix, 1 x plastic envelope of chopped pickle, a couple of small plastic pouches of ketchup & chili sauce, small envelopes of salt & black pepper, 4 x solid fuel tablets, a disposable ration heating stand, a box of safety matches, a plastic spoon, 2 x toothpicks, and a pack of paper tissues.
Main meal choices are: Dhall Mash, Red Beans, Dhall Masoor w/Mutton, Dhall Chana w/Mutton, Mutton Pullao, Mutton Masala, Chicken Masala, Chicken Baryani, Chickpeas w/Chicken & spinach, Shami Kabab (small beef & chickpea meatballs), Chappali Kabab (sausage like grilled ground beef), Beef Haleem (thick stew with beef, lentils & barley) Minced Beef w/Capsicum Peppers, Beef Nihari (slow-cooked beef in marrow sauce), Egg Plant & Potato curry, Potato & Green Peas curry, Sarsoon ka Saag (curried mustard leaves), Spinach & Potato curry, , Egg Fried Rice, Mixed Vegetable Rice, Sheer Mall (rich, dense bread made with butter & milk) Mixed Vegetables, and Chickpea Pullao.
Dried Fruit packets include: apples, bananas, raisins, persimmons, apricots, candied citrus, peaches, and prunes.
The Pakistan Army also fields an Emergency Pack Ration, aka the "High Energy Biscuit" ration. The EP is small (9 x 7 x 9 cm) and lightweight (240 g), and provides about 1750 calories packed in 8 dense biscuits. The biscuits are made from sugar, glucose, white sesame powder, gram flour (made from chickpeas), puffed rice and coconut. The dough is mixed, pressed into form, and baked at low heat before being sealed.
Inside the heavy-duty plastic bag, measuring 35.5 x 22 cm and weighing 1300 g, are packed four complete meals for the day: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea and Dinner. All food items are Halal, meals are ready-to-eat retort pouch items, all items have a minimum 12-month shelf life, and the foods were selected with Pakistani preferences in mind. The ration provides 3085 calories, broken down as follows:
Breakfast (450 calories): 1 x paratha (whole wheat flat bread), tea bag, sugar, & tea whitener.
Lunch (1225 calories): 2 x parathas, main meal pouch, energy sachet (flavored glucose gel, which can also be used as a drink mix), & packet of dried fruit.
Evening Tea (150 calories): pack of biscuits (US = cookies), tea bag, sugar, & tea whitener.
Dinner (1250 calories): 1 x paratha, main meal pouch, & a sweet dessert item.
Each ration pack also contains: 1 x bag of roasted peanuts, 1 x roll of toffees, 1 pack of rewri (crisp sesame seed cakes), 1 x envelope of Tang instant breakfast drink mix, 1 x plastic envelope of chopped pickle, a couple of small plastic pouches of ketchup & chili sauce, small envelopes of salt & black pepper, 4 x solid fuel tablets, a disposable ration heating stand, a box of safety matches, a plastic spoon, 2 x toothpicks, and a pack of paper tissues.
Main meal choices are: Dhall Mash, Red Beans, Dhall Masoor w/Mutton, Dhall Chana w/Mutton, Mutton Pullao, Mutton Masala, Chicken Masala, Chicken Baryani, Chickpeas w/Chicken & spinach, Shami Kabab (small beef & chickpea meatballs), Chappali Kabab (sausage like grilled ground beef), Beef Haleem (thick stew with beef, lentils & barley) Minced Beef w/Capsicum Peppers, Beef Nihari (slow-cooked beef in marrow sauce), Egg Plant & Potato curry, Potato & Green Peas curry, Sarsoon ka Saag (curried mustard leaves), Spinach & Potato curry, , Egg Fried Rice, Mixed Vegetable Rice, Sheer Mall (rich, dense bread made with butter & milk) Mixed Vegetables, and Chickpea Pullao.
Dried Fruit packets include: apples, bananas, raisins, persimmons, apricots, candied citrus, peaches, and prunes.
The Pakistan Army also fields an Emergency Pack Ration, aka the "High Energy Biscuit" ration. The EP is small (9 x 7 x 9 cm) and lightweight (240 g), and provides about 1750 calories packed in 8 dense biscuits. The biscuits are made from sugar, glucose, white sesame powder, gram flour (made from chickpeas), puffed rice and coconut. The dough is mixed, pressed into form, and baked at low heat before being sealed.
