MRE - From Our Armed Forces to Our Tables

MRE or meals ready to eat is definitely not about packaging, except the kind that preserves contents. Designed for our armed forces, and continually under development to make sure that highly active service members eat the whole meal and derive full nutritional benefit, MRE's can be found on e-bay and purchased directly from the contractors that supply them to the government.

"Meals Ready for e-Bay" have received government condemnation, but there are no laws against the specific practice except that military personnel cannot profit from reselling MRE's. Meals Ready to Eat can also be purchased on Amazon. and from many competitors.

Indeed, the government definitely does not have the market cornered on "food" that lasts 25 years. The industry surrounding emergency food, which includes freeze dried food, and dehydrated food, has many key players. PrepareWise touts Legacy Premium over other brands comparing calorie count, costs and even stackable storage buckets. Lindon Farms donates a percentage of its profits to disaster relief and to combat hunger. Daily Bread offers taste, ease of preparation and freeze dried rather than deydrated products. The costs per 2000 calories range considerably, from $10.70 at Legacy to $26.36 at Food Insurance. The most expensive option is by our government. A 1250 calorie MRE is $16.99,  2000 calories would sell for $27.19. Maybe they should leave it for the private sector?

If emergency rations are something you want to stock up on, you can purchase a dehydrator and preserve food at home. The freeze dry option requires high end equipment and is not as easily accomplished hence the variety of product for sale. Freeze dried food can look "natural" with the addition of water.