These Are The Foods You Could Find In The Very First US MREs

MREs, or Meal, Ready-to-Eat, were first issued in 1981. They replaced the MCI or Meal, Combat, Individual that soldiers had been using since 1958. The MCI itself replaced the earlier C-Rations. Each iteration was meant to provide soldiers in the field with energy and nutrition to sustain themselves. Acts of Congress as far back as 1861 prescribed what foods and specifically what rations soldiers needed and were required to have. By the time the first MREs were issued, 12 different offerings included a meat entree, a side dish, coffee, snacks, and candy.

Every MRE came with a pack of crackers and some type of spread (peanut butter, jelly, or cheese). A hot beverage such as cocoa or coffee was included. A fruit or dessert was also included, options like applesauce, freeze-dried fruit, a cookie, fruit cake, or a brownie. Entrees offered the greatest variety. Some meals included freeze-dried pork or beef patties. Others offered thermostabilized meat which could be eaten right out of the pack, even though heating was a better option. This is the same way astronauts cook in space.

Thermostabilized entrees came in a wide variety. Examples included chicken loaf; ham and chicken loaf; meatballs or beef slices in barbecue sauce; beef stew; diced turkey or beef in gravy; chicken a la king; sliced ham; and frankfurters or ground beef in spicy sauce. On paper, they all sound pretty good. In practice, few soldiers enjoyed them.

MREs were developed to meet specific nutritional standards. Every meal needed to offer at least 1,300 calories. That would be provided through 170 grams of carbs, 45 grams of protein, and 50 grams of fat. The U.S. Army Surgeon General determined this to be exactly the right proportion of nutrients to keep soldiers healthy and able to perform on the battlefield. 

A field study was conducted in 1983 on soldiers who had been eating MREs three times a day, according to MREInfo. While they all said the food was fine, they were only eating about 60% of the calories required. As a result, nine of the 12 original MREs were replaced in the second wave.

Unofficially, troops came up with names to express their dissatisfaction with the meals, including "Meals Rejected by Everyone" and "Meals, Rarely Edible." They even called the frankfurters in one MRE "the four fingers of death." A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry indicated that a diet of MREs was bad for soldiers' gut health and led to digestive issues, confirming what many soldiers already knew.

 MREs have evolved since they first debuted, changing based on soldiers' feedback. Modern menus include things like hot sauce and more dishes inspired by other cuisines like Mexican and Italian. Meatballs are still present, though, indicating some classics never go out of style. Beef stew in the other original offering, which can trace its origins back to 14th-century France. The most highly rated MRE? Chili macaroni.