The Bent Page

Whether you’re preparing for a disaster, a hike in the woods, or just want to have a zany dinner, the military acronym “MRE” may be just the thing. MRE, as you probably know, stands for “meal, ready to eat.” In other words, you can literally eat it as it is with minimal preparation. Foods are already cooked. Of course, they may be tastier if heated or chilled, but the concept is that a person could eat the contents of the package and get a fair amount of nutrition and calories. So, let’s take a look at Menu 3 from XMRE, a company I just discovered. Here’s a look at the package as you would carry it with you:

XMRE, Menu 3 before opening.

And here’s a look at the other side of the package that lists the contents:

List of contents on back of XMRE, Menu 3 package.

The bag was easy to open, but please note, you can not reseal it once you open it. Inside, all contents are also individually packaged in very durable plastic. Here’s a look at the entire contents:

Contents of XMRE, Menu 3.

In the center of the photo above, you see the “heater.” This is a chemical device that gets very hot by adding just a few ounces of water to the package. You slip the entree into this pack and then back into the cardboard carton and let it sit for 10-15 minutes and voila! Your entree is now hot. Be careful, it works great and gets nice and hot. While that was going on…

Lemon/lime beverage mixed in supplied hot beverage bag.

… I mixed the supplied lemon/lime beverage powder in the hot beverage bag. It was tangy for sure. Then…

The wheat bread snack with strawberry jam and contents of the utensil/flavor pack of XMRE, Menu 3.

…I sampled the wheat bread snack with strawberry jam. It was a little dry, but the jam was pretty good.

Rice crackers in Menu 3 from XMRE.

These are your standard rice crackers you’ll find in the grocery store. They were nice and crunchy, giving a change in texture to the other items. Would also be a nice snack for when you’re on the move.

Heated entree from XMRE, Menu 3, still in pouch.

Above you see the heated entree, chicken in pesto sauce, while still in the pouch. In the field, you would probably eat it right from there, which would be easy. Note that you tear the pouch open on it’s longest side, allowing it to open and provide easy access. Here’s a look at the portion on the plate for comparison:

Chicken in pesto sauce from XMRE, Menu 3.

Truth be told, it was very tasty and the right size portion. Seriously, this particular entree was as good as many meals at a diner, and much better than fast food. Also, it was far superior to the freeze-dried type of foods I have tried. One more item…

Maple muffin top in XMRE, Menu 3.

… that is the maple muffin top, that did have plenty of maple flavor. I made the instant coffee, which was kind of blah, but it’s instant coffee. Overall, this meal provide plenty of flavor and convenience. No, it is not a “military issue” item, but it is similar. For the money, these are a great alternative to freeze-dried foods. They are a little bulky, producing quite a bit of trash at the end, but to keep the flavor, a price has to be paid. I’ll be making a video review of more from XMRE, so check back often.