Survival Foods: MRE's and Other Ready to Eat Meals

At one time, the only available ready to eat meals were the military issue MRE's, or Meals Ready to Eat. They were cold, tasteless, and sometimes indistinguishable from one another. Modern technology, however, has allowed the creation of heatable, nutritionally balanced and easily edible ready to eat meals. These modern meal pouches are a great alternative to the old MRE's, freeze-dried, and canned survival foods for your emergency and disaster storage.

There are many companies making ready to eat meal pouches today. You can buy them online, or even at stores like Rite Aid or Target in the camping aisle. I've even occasionally seen them sold at grocery stores. There are a variety of breakfasts, entrees, full meals, snacks and drink pouches to choose from. You can find meal pouches with macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, vegetable beef soup, spaghetti, Shepard's Pie, and various casseroles.

Some ready to eat pouches contain full meals, including a meat or other protein, a carbohydrate, and vegetable. They might also come in a meal package with a main entree, plus side dishes like fruit cups, cheese and crackers, pudding, cookies, and protein bars. Some also contain a pouch of drinking water or other beverage.

The self heating pouches are the best of all, and a feat of modern technological genius. There are self heating meal and drink pouches available. The drinks pouches include coffee, hot chocolate, and even water for heating tea or soup. The self-heating pouches are easy to use. All you do is add water. The mixture of powdered iron, magnesium and salt causes a chemical reaction that creates heat and steam when the water comes into contact with it. The food or drink is heated in minutes, never exceeding 100 degrees, so it won't burn the user.

Ready to eat meals can be kept in your car for unexpected emergencies and breakdowns. You should also keep a small supply in your bug-out-bag. This is your backpack or other type of bag that can be easily carried in the necessity of a quick get-away, like in the event of an earthquake or terrorist attack. Larger amounts can be stored along with your other emergency or disater supplies at home. And, of course, you can take ready to eat meals along on camping and hiking trips too.

MRE's and other ready to eat meals can be a great addition to your emergency survival food supply. Their benefits of easy storage, taste and variety can make a huge difference in your happiness and comfort level if you ever have a real emergency situation.