Best MREs | Veteran Ranked & Taste-Tested
As a veteran, I have had plenty of MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) in my lifetime. They toss you your first ones in basic training, and you get to sample the many types throughout the training, exercises, and deployments. They are compact, lightweight, and include a chemical heater. These make them great for bug-out bags and other survival kits.
There is a wide range of military and civilian MRE options, but some have a downright horrible taste. Others are shipped well past their inspection dates, leaving very little shelf life remaining.
My top recommendation is for the A Case of US Military MREs, which have the best taste, chemical heaters, and are available with long inspection dates.
If you want an even lower cost and don’t need the heaters, Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) are a great value. I also suggest a Spec Ops favorite designed by the military to be even more mobile.
Contents (Jump to a Section)
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Best MREs
MRE A Case
12-pack, Tight Seal, and Trusted
US Military MREs with current date codes are easy to come by from this reliable surplus reseller.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
74
OVERALL SCORE
These are the real deal MREs- the current menu with great date codes, flameless heaters, and accessory packs. Many times, you’ll find the stripped-down versions that are sold without the heaters or accessories, but not with this seller. Some resellers also sell older inspection date MREs (2020 and older, even!), but these are all recent to maximize your shelf life.
Specifications
- Case Count: 12 packs per case
- Variety: Case A or B with current menu items 1-12 or 13-24, respectively
- Calories: 1,250 calories per MRE
- Accessories: Flameless heaters and accessory packs are included
- Size: 16″ x 10″ x 9″ case
- Weight: 1.3 pounds (each)
My favorite MREs from the two different cases on the current menus are the Chili Mac and the Jalapeno Beef Patty, because of the main entrees’ taste and the assortment of sides they include.
One downside is that you can’t pick the case you’ll receive. I prefer the A case menus over the B case, but there are high and low points on the menu in each case.
Case A vs. Case B
If you are looking at either of the current cases, the decision on which to buy is purely based on taste and preference. They have the same calorie content, nutrition, shelf life, packaging, etc.
Here is how I rank the taste for each menu in the cases:
| Taste Rating | MRE Case A | MRE Case B |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | Chili, Chili Mac | Jalapeno Beef |
| Good | BBQ Beef, Beef Taco, Meatballs, Beef Stew | Beef Goulash, Southwest Beef, Pepperoni Pizza, Italian Sausage |
| Acceptable | Elbow Mac, Beef Strips, Spaghetti, Chicken w/ Noodles, Cheese Pizza | Maple Pork Patty, Tuna, Mexican Rice w/ Beans, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Mexican Chicken Stew, Beef Ravioli |
| Edible | Chicken Chunks | Cheese Tortellini |
It’s not a huge difference, but you can see that Case A is stacked just a little better when it comes to how good the MREs taste.
While we complained about them in the military, US MREs have come a long way over the years and have been studied and tuned for better nutrition and performance. They still taste better than international MREs and civilian MREs, plus they come with a wide variety of menu items in each pouch.
Pick up the real deal and see why the US Military Surplus MRE A Case tops the rest.
Budget HDR
Humanitarian Daily Ration
10-pack, Efficient, and Effective
Get more bang for your buck with ration meals packed full of calories, usually distributed by the US Military and FEMA.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
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OVERALL SCORE
If you’ve been issued an HDR, that means you’ve seen some tough times and needed military or FEMA assistance. Luckily, you can get hold of them without a federally declared disaster or emergency.
Specifications
- Case Count: 10 packs per case
- Variety: 15 possible menus
- Calories: 2,250 calories per pack
- Accessories: A basic condiment pack is included
- Size: 20″ x 16″ x 12″ case
- Weight: 2.0 pounds (each)
Humanitarian Daily Rations are a last-resort mobile MRE-style option. They drop many of the things that make MREs great (like the chemical heater), but are nearly impossible to beat in value.
The menu options vary between the three manufacturers, so while there are only 5 listed menus, it ends up being a variety of 15 available options. My favorite of the options is only available through Wornick: the red beans and rice. Still, while bland, all of these budget MREs can be choked down using the included small condiment pack’s salt and pepper.
Also, just because you can eat these cold doesn’t mean you should. I found that heating the various stews and sauces makes them taste much better. Another saving grace is that all of the various menus include the vitamin-fortified peanut butter spread and some type of cracker to put it on.
In the military, the peanut butter pouch was one of the harder MRE components to swap for. I had one friend who would swap his entire meals (except for the peanut butter pouches) for more peanut butter. Not exactly smart nutrition, but soldiers will always swap and trade their gear and food.
HDRs vs MREs
The main difference between HDRs and traditional military MREs is that the humanitarian rations don’t include the chemical heater or accessories. This may not matter if you have an emergency stove because these have significantly more calories and cost less. Another downside is that the menu options are not very appealing when compared to other options. With meals like “Peas in Tomato Sauce” and “Lentil Stew”, you won’t exactly be looking forward to meal time unless you are truly starving.
HDRs used to be yellow, but were changed to ‘salmon’ color in 2001, because the yellow rations matched unexploded ordinance when the US military dropped millions of HDRs over Afghanistan. At this point, if you come across yellow rations, it would be best not to risk eating them.
If you are looking for an inexpensive MRE and don’t need the chemical heater, these Humanitarian Daily Ration HDRs are the best option.
Upgrade FSR
First Strike Ration
Efficient, High-Energy, and Effective
Trade the chemical heater for more mobility with rations optimized for combat.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
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OVERALL SCORE
Developed in 2007 as a response to MRE field stripping, the FSR (First Strike Ration) is a compact ration that lets soldiers eat while staying mobile. It is of lower weight and size compared to equivalent calories of MRE packages, and the food is mostly finger food that doesn’t require heating. Packages in the FSR that do require prep are just water-added drinks.
Specifications
- Case Count: 9 packs per case
- Variety: 3 menu types
- Calories: 2,900 calories per pack
- Accessories: Condiments and a resealable stash bag
- Size: 16″ x 10″ x 9″ case
- Weight: 2.4 pounds (each)
The First Strike Ration has plenty of great food options in all of its menus that are easy to eat on the go. The cranberries, trail mix, and first strike bar all taste great and are highly portable. The MRE fan-favorite peanut butter spread is included as one of the easy foods to eat out of a pouch. It’s hard to pick a favorite out of all of the nuts, dried fruit, and jerky included, but I’d have to say the trail mix stands at the top.
The major downside here is the cost. FSR surplus is not as widely available as MREs, so the price reflects their relative scarcity. While they are an excellent option for those who need to eat on the move, the price can put these upgraded MREs out of range for most people.
If you need a highly mobile MRE solution that special forces rely on, the First Strike Ration FSRs are Spec Ops’ favorite and are great for mobile sustenance.
Comparison Table
| MRE Type | Recommendation | Price* | Calories | Weight | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRE A Case | Overall Best | $3.83 | 1,250 | 1.3 lbs | Better Taste |
| Humanitarian Daily Ration | Best for Budget Emergency Food | $3.20 | 2,250 | 2.0 lbs | Inexpensive Calories |
| First Strike Ration | Best for Bug Out Bags | $19.99 | 2,900 | 2.4 lbs | Mobile Efficiency |
| Sopakco Sure-Pak | $2.92 | 1,058 | 1.4 lbs | Low Sodium | |
| Ameriqual APack | $3.50 | 1,222 | 1.3 lbs | Large Spoon | |
| MRE B Case | $3.75 | 1,250 | 1.3 lbs | Flameless Heater | |
| Meal, Cold Weather | $12.90 | 1,200 | 1.3 lbs | Cold Weather | |
| XMRE 1300XT | $15.00 | 1,150 | 1.4 lbs | Packaging |
How I Tested
Our research narrowed the field down to a few meal kits that we compared: US Military Surplus, HDRs, Nutrient Survival, Wornick, Ameriqual, Sopakco, Baxters, MRE Star, and more.
You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.
We considered a wide range of ready-to-eat meals from all over the world. There are cultural differences that may make some prefer their native country’s MREs, but I wasn’t particularly impressed with any international MRE that I tried. Plus, international MREs are expensive. Shipping made many not feasible for us to test, and we’re certain the value wouldn’t be worth it outside of the novelty.
We’re always looking for new and better supplies, so if you have MREs you use in the field and love, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested gear annually, so we can try to get it in the next roundup and see if it will beat out our top picks.
Why Trust TruePrepper
MREs, HDRs, and FSRs are all designed as rations to be used in extreme circumstances when lives could be on the line. When you are depending on supplies to help you survive, you want to be sure you can trust that they are the best.
I’m Sean Gold, and I’m a USAF veteran who has eaten countless MREs in the field. Whether it was SERE training, Red Horse exercises, or just grabbing a meal during tech school, I’ve always found MREs to be fast and reliable.
Now I also store them for my own preparedness purposes. As a Unit Deployment Manager in the military, I also grew very familiar with the shelf life, storage, and logistics of MREs.
MREs are more than nostalgia for me. I appreciate how they have been continuously improved over the years and rely on a few cases in my long-term food storage plan.
What to Look For
The best MREs have a few features to look for:
- Value
- Calories – 40% of the overall score weight
- Nutritional Content – 20% weight
- Taste – 20% weight
- Versatility – 20% weight
When you get the right blend of these, you can find the perfect ready-to-eat meals. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the menus that truly set themselves apart.
What is the Best Value?
The amount of money you spend on something like an MRE shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. There are less expensive options for survival food and calories, even on the go.
*Price at time of latest update.
Some older and international MREs can be marked up since collectors have lately sought them out.
You never want to spend too much money on one resource, even when it comes to food. It’s better to diversify your spending to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.
Calories
The target calories for US military MREs are 1250, which is pretty good for most people if you eat two per day, which we usually did. That’s a total of 2,500 calories for someone usually operating in a physically taxing environment.
As I compared the various MREs, calorie content is still king. We carry and eat MREs for energy first and foremost, so the number of calories in a kit swayed the overall score the most.
The Department of Defense has conducted tests and found that when compared to other meals, soldiers lost weight when on MRE diets, mainly because they didn’t eat the entire MRE. In an emergency, you’ll need to keep this in mind and prioritize calories over your palate.
Nutritional Content
MREs aren’t the most nutritious food source you can find and have been proven to cause constipation despite their inclusion of fiber. Meal, Refusing to Exit is caused by a lack of good gut-feeding bacteria in the heavily processed food.
They can also run low on key nutrients and minerals, with studies highlighting low levels of magnesium and potassium. The nutrition score is based on macronutrition (protein, fat, carbs) of a typical MRE and how well it meets long-term vitamin and mineral requirements. None of them are perfect, but they can all get you through short emergencies and disasters.
Taste
Taste is subjective, but I’ve found most people agree with my favorites. In the military, I’d have to barter sometimes to get my favorite MREs, so they were always in demand.
Other MREs over the years are avoided like the plague. These have included:
- Veggie Omelet – earning the name ‘vomelet’ due to its taste and texture, this menu at least came with some brand-name candy.
- Chicken a la King – a mushy, putrid mess.
- Veggie Burger – palatable, but usually selected from the case last.
- Beef Enchilada – it sounds like it wouldn’t be bad, but the taste and texture are way off the mark.
Some people complain that MREs are bland and not palatable, and that this gets worse as you continue eating the same ones. Sometimes, boxed batches would only include a single type of MRE, which made eating them a bland task. Even some of the most popular MRE options will be unexciting if you are sitting down to eat them for the 10th time in a row. William Cowper put it best in a poem he wrote: “Variety is the very spice of life.”
Versatility
One of the biggest parts of the MRE, besides the food, is the chemical heater. The flameless heaters use a water-activated chemical to cause an exothermic reaction to get very hot.
Set a pouch of whatever you are trying to heat against this heater, and you’ll have a hot meal in less than 15 minutes. They typically do not like to pack these heaters in MREs sold to civilians because they off-gas and present a dangerous explosion hazard if they are not stored properly. They can also put off enough hydrogen gas to be a hazard in a confined space, so be sure to use them with plenty of ventilation.
Civilian-style MREs that do include heaters use a slightly different heater. The civilian heater does not heat up as quickly or as hot as the original MRE heater.
Size and Weight
Lastly, for an MRE to be versatile, it has to be portable. Packing calories in a small package is the name of the game, so calorically dense food, reduced packaging, and less filler-type food improve how you can use MREs. Lighter-weight supplies that take up less space in a survival kit are always preferred.
You can somewhat affect this on your own by field stripping MREs to remove extra packaging, food you won’t eat, and condiments you don’t care for.
MRE Contents
MREs are constantly having their menus updated for taste preferences, nutrition, and calorie count. When ordered and stored by Logistics, they are usually packed with a specific variety in each case. When popping a case, many soldiers choose and trade MREs to find the menus they want.
Here are the latest menu options (MRE 41 2021), in order and broken up by case:
Case A
My personal favorites include Menu 10: Chili Mac, Menu 1: Chili with Beans, and Menu 19: Jalapeno Beef. I prefer to stay away from anything chicken since it is a little chewy after being dehydrated. Personal preference is a big factor here since there are so many to choose from, but I prefer the menus in Case A to Case B.
- Chili with Beans
- Shredded Beef in Barbeque Sauce
- Chicken, Egg Noodles, and Vegetables in Sauce
- Spaghetti with Beef and Sauce
- Chicken Chunks
- Beef Taco Filling
- Beef Strips in Tomato Sauce
- Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
- Beef Stew
- Chili and Macaroni
- Cheese Pizza Slice
- Elbow Macaroni
Case B
The title entrée for each MRE menu item may drive your choice, but it is important to consider the items that come with it as well. Many times in the field, bland MREs became savored meals with peanut butter or cheese spread. If you aren’t splitting up a case with others, you may want to eat your least favorite first to get it out of the way.
- Cheese Tortellini
- Mexican Rice and Bean Bowl
- Mexican Style Chicken Stew
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Maple Pork Sausage Patty
- Beef Ravioli
- Jalapeno Pepper Jack Beef Patty
- Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions
- Lemon Pepper Tuna
- Beef Goulash
- Pepperoni Pizza Slice
- Southwest Beef and Black Beans
I have tried everything on this list. Notably missing are the Scrambled Egg MRE and Vegetarian Omelet, which both used to get a strong reaction from people.
Field Stripping an MRE
Most people in the military are familiar with field stripping their MREs to remove unwanted items and packaging. If you do this, you’ll need to note the individual components’ calories. You can reduce weight slightly and bulk by a lot when you strip your MREs, since some packaging traps a lot of air.
Typically, you re-wrap or replace the plastic packaging and secure it with 100mph duct tape (check it out in our best duct tape review). I don’t remove as much as most people when I field strip MREs since I’m calorie-conservative, like my hot sauce, and think the bag is useful for trash.
Shelf Life
MREs are not straightforward in listing their shelf life, but there is instead a code you have to decipher. They don’t last as long as bulk food storage, but that’s usually okay since they are meant for mobile kits and loadouts.
To be sure you don’t sit on one for too long, check the code printed on the MRE and rotate them through before they get several years old.
We’ve made a whole calculator to help you figure out how old your MREs are and how much time you have left on their suggested shelf life.
MRE Date Code Calculator
Enter the 4-digit Julian Date code (YDDD) found on MRE cases or individual pouches to calculate the production and expiration dates.
Excel Calculator
If you’d like to factor in storage temperature, our Excel calculator does so in a similar manner to the calculator above.
You can find it over on our Patreon page for download.
Everyone who’s a member gets it for free (it’s a zip download with a formula-only Excel sheet). Otherwise, you can spend the $3 to download it (sorry, Patreon forced us to put a price on it).
How to Read MRE Codes
The first number represents the year manufactured.
It represents the single digit at the end of the year (ex: 2023 will show up as 3). As you can see above, this can cause issues with older MREs manufactured after 2003 but before 2013. To further examine those, you’ll need to compare specific MRE Menus with the years they were available.
The next three digits represent the days since the beginning of the year.
This kind of date is commonly called the Julian date. 313 days into the year happens to be November 9th in the example above.
You should be able to find date codes on MRE boxes, pouches, and individual ingredients.
MRE Expiration Times Affected by Temperature
Higher temperatures, especially over 80°F, drastically reduce the shelf life of modern MREs.
Today’s MRE meals are less reliant on freeze-dried food (likely due to the cost of freeze-dryers and the freeze-drying process). However, this added moisture content makes them more volatile with temperature changes.
If you use our handy calculator above, you can see just how drastically the shelf life can fall off when temperatures get over 80°F. On the other hand, you can extend the shelf life beyond the military-expected three years by lowering the storage temperature.
Some specific menu items with higher moisture content can have a tough time with shelf life, specifically applesauce and cheese spread. You’ll want to inspect all items for bulges and signs of spoiling, like off colors and smells out of the pouch. On the other hand, items like crackers and peanut butter aren’t as adversely affected by temperature.
Storing for the Best MRE Shelf Life
To maximize the MRE shelf life, store the MREs in a cool, dark place. I like to just store them with my other emergency food storage. As long as you have room, you should put them in a temperature-regulated room or closet.
Storing MREs in your car or another environment with higher temperatures will make them expire very quickly. Racks to keep them off the ground are ideal- the carton and plastic pouches are sturdy, but are not rodent-proof like a bucket.
MRE Alternatives
MREs are somewhat of a novelty and well-known, but they aren’t always the optimal solution for your survival kits. For starters, their shelf life isn’t the best. Once you decode their cryptic MRE code, you’ll find that you’ll need to rotate your supplies quicker than you think.
Secondly, freeze-dried food has become much cheaper over the last several years, making camp food pouches and emergency food much more affordable. These don’t include the iconic chemical heater, but camp stoves have become lighter and more efficient over the years as well.
If you are open to MRE alternatives, I suggest:
- Emergency Food Bars – These straddle the middle ground between boat rations and a Snickers bar, with a ton of portable calories that you don’t have to cook, but don’t taste bad either.
- Freeze-Dried Food Pouches – Emergency food suppliers offer a wide variety of food that works well in the pantry or on the go. The shelf life simply can’t be beaten, stretching past 25 years.
- DIY MREs – You don’t need a military to make a ready-to-eat pouch. If you get some mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and your favorite dry food to store, you can make your own Meal, Ready to Eat.
Usually, the best answer is never just one thing but a variety. Don’t just get MREs, and don’t just settle for MRE alternatives- get a mix to have a variety available.
Who Needs MREs?
MREs are widely recognized for their use in wartime forward deployments, and they can give you the same food security with the bonus of having your meal hot.
We have them as essential items in a variety of mobile survival kits:
They are suggested for an even wider range of kits and lists:
If you find yourself with extras, they are useful for camping and hiking, plus they make great novelty gifts. My mother-in-law even leaves them as gifts for her Airbnb guests.
Sources & References
All of our experience and taste testing we do to determine the best MREs are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:
Feagans, J., et al. (2010). Meals Ready to Eat: A Brief History and Clinical Vignette With Discussion on Civilian Applications. Military Medicine. Volume 175. Issue 3. Pages 194 – 196. (Source)
Flavin, W. (2004). Civil Military Operations: Afghanistan. US Army Peacekeeping Institute Report; US Army War College. (Source)
Hirsch, E., et al. (1984). The Effects of Prolonged Feeding Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE) Operational Rations. United States Army Natick Research and Development Center. Report TR-85/035. (Source)
Edwards, J., et al. (1991). The Influence of a Calorie Supplement on the Consumption of the Meal, Ready-to-Eat in a Cold Environment. Military Medicine. Volume 156. Issue 9. Pages 466 – 471. (Source)
Conclusion
MREs aren’t just reserved for warfighters; anyone and everyone can pick them up for their survival kits, bug out bags, or emergency food storage.
Here are a few other gear reviews and guides our subscribers have found helpful:
- Top 10 Military Surplus Suppliers Online
- Best Survival Utensils and Sporks
- Bug Out Bag List | 44 Essentials
See more of our expert-written guides, resources, and reviews in your search results – add TruePrepper as a preferred source.
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The best MRE’s are foreign! Ours are mediocre on there best day. The French and Australian are best. Even Russia’s are better.
The top three most hated meals served to Amer. Soldiers:
1) MRE’s
2) SPAM
3) Chipped beef on toast
First, thank you for your easy to follow, no fluff, honest information. Ive done loads and loads of camping that crosses every variety humanly possible without it involving every type of emergency, but Ive definitely had atheist on of almost every available mre from the majority of different manufacturer/vendor of the mre or similar style food, even the freeze dried ones, canned and vacuum sealed pouches, and I agree with everything you’ve included.
Ive recently been unfortunately experiencing a FUBAR financial and health now housing situation, and had no choice but to supplement my meals with tapping into my variety of stocked up food supplies. It is shocking how fast it seems a 50lb bag of rice will be used up, even more so when you realize all the decent Mres are gone and its the least favorite ones you start to actually look forward to.
I can’t say enough about how overlooked it is to stock a variety, like you mentioned in your mre comparison article. It’s not just about quality or affordability, there’s a seriously important psychological role that it plays. The ability to mix freeze dried items and various pre cooked or prepared items for a mealis huge. When moral is struggling, every change of day to day routine that can be planned is good mental floss. The same basic 40 meals after 2 years…need I explain that further?
Talk about being bored to death, you’d start to think, ok so if pine needle drink isn’t so bad, maybe a bowl of earthworms could be tasty compared to having that chicken noodle mre gut bomb of salt for the 18th time. ..wishing you hadn’t eaten all the favorite food options or drank all the coffee, trying to maintain that familiar lifestyle of never ending abundance because when in need all it takes is just a trip down the road to the store.
When that’s not an option, poor planning hits like a brick to the face. Where good planning, like good skinning knives, hunting/evasion tactics, and a vacuum sealer can potentially multiply survival by at least 10x.
I am not just grateful to you for my own benefit of your content, but for the Tom, Dick, and Sally’s out there with zero experience that find your content… how directly applicable all your facts and observations are, couldnt be more accurate or inclusive unless you were spotlighting one particular event in reference to a specific geo loc, for a known demographic of individuals. Even then, the human factor is what oddly the inexperienced forget. And forget thinking AI is any good at incorporating it reliably, that’s a sure plan to fail.
Your approach to how you covered the INCH topic, really well done, quickly brings the reality of the scenario in the whole big picture quickly into focus and I didn’t see any fantasy or delusional Hollywood style bits that so many sources put into their disaster or scenario based content.
Its cool to plan for the suck, until you live in the suck and realize your not on a Hollywood set with all aspects of the story going to plan as scripted…and that when you think you’ve got it nailed to find you were pounding nails blindfolded…
Anyways, many thanks, its refreshing what you’ve done here.