MREs from the supermarket!
 

Well I have discovered some really awesome boil in the bag meals, that can also be eaten unheated. They are shelf-stable and last 2 years minimum. Best bit is they are from the supermarket and cost like $3 each!

I figure I will eat them in 1 year 6 months while they're still all good, then replenish the stock.

That's good enough to construct "MREs" with at a fraction of the cost. Ok they won't last 5 years, but that's not an issue for me as I rotate them and don't intend leaving them in an army depot.

I'll provide some more detail and hopefully some photos soon.

So when it comes to MREs, be creative, you can put together your own at a fraction of the cost, with stuff you actually like to eat!

These will also be great for camping etc.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

Care to share any brand names, what to look for, how will I know them if I see them in my store?

Edit: and you probably don't really KNOW that they won't last 5 years. If it's based on a best used by date, they might have useful life long past two years.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

probably these

http://www.heatermeals.com/

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

Actually these ones are called Tasty Bite:

http://www.tastybite.com.au/

I'm building the MREs from the ground up, these make up the main meal in the MRE. I'm going through them one by one finding the ones I like. I have found from experience that is best to try stuff, find one you really like and use that.

That way, you will eat it and enjoy it when the time comes. There is nothing worse than eating poor tasting food when you're already in a bad mood, cold and hungry etc. Someone elses idea of nice food can often be nowhere near what you think is any good, so it's best to build this stuff yourself.

The best one I've tried so far is the "Jaipur Vegetables"

http://www.tastybite.com.au/jaipur_vegetables.htm

I'm avoiding the Daal one, which was mainly liquid, and they don't even have it on the website anymore which tells me something.

These are boil-in-the bag sealed meals ready to go just like a real MRE main course. No heaters supplied though as they are just regular supermarket type foods.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

Did you find these in Australia or the US?

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

I also do some boil in bag indian meals, which are really good and have high amounts of fiber as well as protein - impressive considering many are vegetarian. It's nice to have a creamy thick satisfying sauce. I can only imagine how good these would be steaming hot in an emergency situation.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

In Aust. You can get most stuff in the US if you look hard enough I'm sure too.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

Well they're tasty in a non-emergency, so I figure they'll be brilliant if/when the time comes. Add some rice which if kept dry is shelf-stable for years, and you have a real meal going.

The trick is achieving a good protein, carb, fibre, salt balance. You want them to be high-energy. (I throw some gum and lollypops in too for instant energy, but carbs are key and can keep you going for ages). Another brilliant one is popcorn, I will need to stick some of that in, lasts for years and years if kept dry and very versatile.

Camping trips are a good exercise to see if you can stomach what you're actually prepping, if you can survive a few weeks camping without reverting to outside sources.. you've got it made.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

HA! I found these in a US supermarket: http://www.kohinoorfoods.co.uk/catalog/browse/heat-eat

Grocery Outlet, I believe. They are quite tasty.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!
 

I've eaten these and yes they are tasty as the name claims. The bengal lentils are a bit bland and the lentils have a weird texture. Never had lentils before trying these.

The Tadka Dal is actually very nice and can be a meal in itself or as a side. Great with some nice crusty bread to soak up that sauce. If you live in Oz you can get them by the case at places like Cambells Cash and Carry.

Re: MREs from the supermarket!