cooking in the truck

The problem with MREs is that they are very calorie dense. You'll probably put on 5 pounds a week eating them as a trucker...

 

RIGHT....quick research goes something like this:

http://www.mealkitsupply.com

This website is one of many I'm sure. It's a place to start and these look very similar (or are) the United States MRE's I've seen in the field. (I was in the British Army and ours are slightly different) It looks like a 3 course box for a day runs at give or take $11.00 Which in my mind is not a bad expenditure for a whole DAY worth of food. Could you do it cheaper? sure you could....but we are talking about THREE square meals here. am I advocating this? I dunno...but I've lived on these meals for six months at a time EVERY SINGLE DAY in the desert and never complained about the quality of the food once. These are NOT "microwave airline meals"......have a look, see what you think!

 

3-Course MRE contains ~1,345 Calories That's not so bad. I DO agree, generally speaking they ARE Calorie dense but they also come with an advantage I could see as a trucker?.....they are designed to keep you from needing a number 2 too often. Also, I was Cavalry and did very little in the way of exercise while at war or on exercises. All the time was spent in a tank, in a chair.....the difference? When you get a chance...you exercise...in any shape or form you can get it. The biggest disadvantage I always found is that ration boxes always include stuff some people don't like.....for example, I don't like tea....some don't like coffee....some don't like jam....and I ESPECIALLY don't like the juice mixes. On the plus side...EVERYTHING you need is in there to enjoy a nice meal....right down to the spork! .....and ideally for a trucker....they last FIVE years with no fridge.

 

Human survival. I too am former military and I'll eschew details but suffice it to say that when the human body is deprived of food or food being consumed is being burned at a much faster rate than the intake rate . . .

The palate has compensatory mechanisms designed to make normally distasteful but nutritionally valuable . . . things;

Much more; shall we say . . . palatable.

Bugs and pine straw seem to go quite nicely with some grass and a frog . . . after three days with absolutely nothing. Amazing the human body's ingenuity with adaptation.

Just having a bit of fun folks. Kinda.

CRUUUNCH! Not bad. Not bad at all. Don't know what it was but it fills the hollow spot.

I have GOT to find a better paying gig.

 

Troopers will always complain about something.....and when there is nothing left to complain about ....it will be food! ...HOWEVER, to be fair...how long has it been since you served Aminal? I see you've been a trucker for 16 years....and I assure you.....the food has changed....drastically since then! Not to mention the fact todays ration packs also encourage camaraderie with "exchanging foods". With so many meal options and them being randomly distributed (by number) some people have favourites.....some people have ones they loathe.....and it encourages a bartering and exchange between the Troopers.

 

Put it to you this way; We had steel pots on our heads, nets on them, .45's and half of us carried the new M-16 and others the M-1 carbine; we went where we were thought we should be, did what we thought we were told and hoped it was right when the Jolly Greens finally showed up and they were called "C-Rats". "You know they make them cans up from rats they catch in the bilges". "I don't care. Rat, cat or the Admiral's hat. I'm hungry. All tastes like chicken to me right about now." LMAO.

I really wasn't making a military reference: I was just having fun with pay and how we have to manage OTR food expense. I'm quite sure the MRE's of today (or whatever the current term is) are a very good option over the WWII leftovers we got. LOL.

BUT . . . I'll give them this; The peanut butter was as thick as dry paste glue - but it would keep you going for DAYS, and there was a tin of chocolate cookies that was so sweet it'd choke ya but darned you could get a quick energy burn outta one, and crackers out the yazoo. Most of the other stuff smelled funky and tasted worse but when you're hungry you eat what you got. Funny thing was; the hungrier you were - the better it tasted. LOL.


Have a good one.

 

That really made me chuckle! Thank you! I've tried "Dads Army Rations" in the past.....things like "fruit biscuits with vegetable extract in a can" *shudder*

 

Add some tobasco and salt and you have a gourmet meal right there.

 

View attachment 65850 British Army issue Ration Pack Tobasco.....

 

Problem with MRE's are the calories... 2000 to 3000 for each meal.
They are designed to supply a high calorie meal to active soldiers in combat.