As a field ration, they're fine, although some folks would complain if they had to eat gourmet meals 3 times a day. Over my career I ate just about field ration there is/was, including experimentals and foreign. The most universal observation I have is that there is always someone who complains about whatever ration there is. I guess it's "fashionable" for some folks to gripe about the chow, even allowing for individual palates.

1. MRE x 3 daily is more calories than a sedentary male needs. It is less than a very active male needs in an extremely cold environment.

2. There is insufficient fibre for long-term health. Same is true of most any field ration, individual or group (such as T rations). Short term, no big deal. Long term, they need to be supplemented with items like fresh fruits and bread. Very long term they probably need a few more carbs and a bit less fat, although that could be debated endlessly.

3. They are heavily fortified (vitamins).

4. Lots of trash to pack out. The current practice of including a heater in each package adds to the trash and I have never been impressed with the heaters - YMMV - they work, but are just a gadget as far as I am concerned. I'll stick with my stove and a kettle.

5. The menus change with every contract, so don't get fixated on any particular combination - it will change.

6. Mail order from places like Major Surplus and Survival seems to be reliable. The only place I can routinely get them off-the-shelf locally is the commissary at the local Army installation... not exactly a public market.

7. At best they have no better shelf life than canned goods, which is to say that large temperature swings in storage dramatically reduce shelf life. Storage at elevated temperatures reduces shelf life. What some folks overlook is that you're talking about a RATION of several components, not simply a can of green beans. Different components have different shelf lifes. The Tabasco sauce has a curiously short shelf life compared to most of the other components - a few years, I just pulled some various age samples from my stocks (stored properly) in the last month... seems to be a consistent indicator. They hold up well enough. If you want long term (many years) storage, there are better traditional alternatives.

You decide which of the above are pluses or minuses for you. For me, MREs are a sometimes convenience for a short duration camping trip and even then I don't use them for every meal. I do not find them at all objectionable to eat.

HTH,

Tom