Will She Eat It? Meal, Ready-to-Eat

Lillie is an adventurous eater but there are still foods out there that she won't go near. Here is a fun new posting series called "Will She Eat It?"

Good old George from Oak Park was kind enough to donate the first selection: an MRE. Here is the description from Wikipedia: The MRE, or "Meal, Ready-to-Eat" is a self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging procured by the United States military for its service-members for use in combat or other field conditions where organized food facilities are not available.


During the 5 years I was in Air Force Intel, I was lucky to only have only eaten these shelf-stable meals about 2 dozen times. Usually it was during war gaming exercises or on a flight to a new assignment. Once we got to Turkey or Saudi Arabia, the temporary barracks we stayed in had a mess hall or dining facilities near by. All I really remember is that they were relatively flavorless and the most dreaded of all was the ham omelet. The texture was like a grainy sponge.

I'm happy to say that the latest version of the MRE has undergone some upgrades including attention to flavor a nifty chemical steamer that can heat your entree to 300 degrees in about 60 seconds with only a 1/4 cup of water.

The MRE sat on the counter for a few weeks before I got up the nerve to serve it to Lillie. She asked about it almost every day and was so intrigued by the packaging. "Can I hold it?!"


We cut open the outside bag and surveyed the contents.


Lillie was beside herself. The trail mix was the first to be sampled.


The peanuts were a little soggy but all in all, not a bad snack. I've never seen Lillie so excited about a handful of peanuts.

The applesauce pouch was the next to go.


It didn't have much flavor but both Lillie and Sadie wolfed it down. Eating out of a pouch added the novelty necessary to keep them interested.

Now it was time to heat up the entree. We were lucky to get chicken breast with shells in a marinara sauce. I set up the heating pouch and propped it up according to the directions.


The water was added and a funky-smelling steam came pouring out of the folded down top. Here is the warning section of the pouch.


I let it cool down for a few minutes and we snipped open the pouch. Note the silicon doggie pot holder.


It was a solid breaded chicken breast with pasta and sauce all around it. Hello in there!

Again, Lillie was crazy for the food.


She and Sadie ate every shell and all the chicken.


I had a taste and it wasn't half bad. The pasta had a little more texture than a spagetti-o and the chicken density was almost like a canned tuna steak. The marinara tasted a little over processed but wasn't half bad.

We wrapped it up with the M&Ms and they were identical in texture and flavor to the ones we eat here on the civilian side. All in all, not a bad meal. I'm just thankful I didn't have my chemical warfare gear on, this time around.


Verdict: She ate it!