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Whether you are building an emergency food pantry or planning a long camping trip, you may want to consider making your own MREs. This article takes a brief look at military MREs and explains how you can make your own versions at home.

What are MREs?

MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) are self-contained individual meals that require no preparation. Designed as military rations for American troops in combat or field positions, MREs typically contain an entrée, sides, condiments, and a drink enclosed in lightweight, flexible packaging.

According to the Defense Logistics Agency, MRE “components are selected to complement each entree as well as provide necessary nutrition” when “organized food service facilities” are unavailable.

The agency reports that MRE components and packaging must withstand the “intense, highly mobile combat situations of the modern battlefield” and also support the civilian sector with humanitarian feeding.” Aside from the typical powdered drink packet, which needs water, the whole meal is, as the name says, ready to eat.

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MREs, which were first produced in the early 1980s, replaced a long line of U.S. military rations that included heavy, cumbersome metal cans and less focus on complete nutrition. Although service members sometimes disparage the MRE acronym by saying it stands for “Meals, Rejected by Everyone,” the meals are continually under review, with higher-rated meals replacing lower-rated meals.

Like most pantry foods, the shelf life of military MREs depends on how and where they are stored. The website MREinfo reports that MREs stored at 50 degrees F should last five years, while those stored at 120 degrees F might last only one month.

How To Make Your Own MREs

Although you can find MREs for sale labeled as “genuine military MREs,” buying or selling U.S. Military meals is illegal. However, you can buy MREs online and in brick-and-mortar stores designed for civilian use.

For example, The Ready Store sells a three-month supply of MRE meals for $1,196. Dozens of companies offer their versions of MREs on Amazon, with many offering options for dietary restrictions.

If your budget is stretched too thin for these options, or you'd simply prefer to customize your own to suit your family's tastes, you can skip these commercial versions. DIY MREs can be easy and inexpensive to prepare. In addition to the food ingredients, here are the supplies you'll need.

Vacuum-sealable bags
Vacuum sealer
Oxygen absorbers
Outer zippered bags
Labels or marker to label bags

You can include freeze-dried, dehydrated food items in your MREs, or you can include individually packaged processed foods. Here are some possible choices.

Canned tuna or chicken
Spam
Beef jerky
Dehydrated fruits
Dehydrated vegetables
Instant rice, instant potatoes
Granola, cereal, protein bars
Dried fruit
Ramen noodles
Instant oatmeal
Crackers
Nuts
Peanut butter
Instant drink mixes
Candy or cookie packs
Single servings of salt, pepper, and condiments
Plasticware

Your next step is to organize the ingredients for one meal into a group. For example, a breakfast MRE might contain a package of oatmeal, dried fruit, instant coffee, and instant orange drink.

A lunch or dinner MRE might contain ramen noodles, freeze-dried beef, dehydrated vegetables, instant drink mix, and cookies. You can add plasticware and condiments to suit the meal.

Now, you will place each meal's ingredients into a vacuum-sealable bag (like these or these). It's a good idea to add a desiccant in humid locations or an oxygen absorber. This article explains the differences between these two components and when to use them. Then, seal each individual meal bag with a vacuum sealer machine.

The next step in making a DIY MRE is easy but essential. You'll need to label each bag with the date you packaged it and a name for the meal that makes it easy to identify. Here are a few examples.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and dried fruit
Lunch: Peanut butter and crackers and beef jerky
Dinner: Ramen and dried beef
Dinner: Tuna and rice

How To Store MREs

Storing MREs in the right environment is critical to the length of their shelf life. Here are some guidelines.

Choose a cool, dry, and dark location that is not exposed to extreme temperature changes.
For protection from pests, place the MRE pouches in another container, such as a lidded five-gallon bucket.

Store containers on shelving that is off the floor or ground for protection against flooding, temperature changes, and pests.
Rotate out MREs, replacing them with fresher ones.

MRE Recipes

Here are a few recipes we found for DIY MREs.

Fiesta Burrito Bowl

(From Wallaby Goods)

Ingredients:

½ cup dried beans
½ cup dried chicken
¼ cup instant rice (or dehydrated rice)
½ cup dried salsa
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cumin

Instructions:

When you're ready to prepare this meal, boil about two cups of water and add the ingredients.
Wait about 15 minutes for the ingredients to rehydrate fully.
Stir and add more water or time is needed.
When all the water is absorbed and the chicken is soft, it is ready to eat.