First off – let me say that what I am about to describe does not replace a military-type MRE. Military MRE’s are superior to “home made” MRE’s in many ways.

For those on a budget – there is an alternative to military MRE’s – and they are sitting on your local grocery store shelf. They are called Hormel Compleats Meals.

Hormel Compleats are a tub-packed fully cooked food item. They can be eaten directly from the package cold or they can be heated. Typical method for heating is the microwave oven. They can also be heated via boiling water. At around $2.00 each – many can be stocked for little money.

These pre-packed meals average around 300 calories each- so they lag behind military MRE’s by quite a bit. Being able to fully satisfy one’s caloric intake during a TSHTF events is important – however these meals do not contain a huge amount of energy.

These Compleats meals have an expiration date printed on the packaging. Typically I find freshly-stocked product to have an expiration date of around 2 years out. This is something else that military MRE’s have an advantage – longer shelf life.

I stock up on many of these and eat them on a regular basis for lunch at work. As far as taste – I love ‘em. I recommend the Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes and Turkey with Stuffing. Those 2 are my favorite.

Here is a list of current offerings from Hormel for the Compleats meals:

Beef Steak & Peppers with Noodles

Cheese Manicotti

Chili with Beans

Grilled Chix & Pasta

Pasta Primavera w/ Chicken

Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

Spicy Italian Sausage & Pasta

Spinach & Cheese Ravioli

Homestyle Beef with Potatoes and Gravy

Santa Fe Style Chicken with Beans and Rice

Sesame Chicken with Vegetables and Pasta

Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken Breast & Dressing

Chicken & Noodles

Chicken & Rice

Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Breast & Gravy with Mashed Potatoes

Teriyaki Chicken with Rice

Chicken Marinara

Roasted Turkey & Veg w/Rice

Turkey & Dressing with Gravy

Turkey & Hearty Vegetables

Swedish Meatballs

Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Meatloaf with Potatoes & Gravy

Beef Steak Tips

Beef Pot Roast with Potatoes & Carrots in Gravy

Salisbury Steak with Sliced Potatoes & Gravy

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

To make a homemade MRE – take one of these meals –  add some candy, salt/pepper packets, snack/nutrition bar, couple packs of crackers, Gatorade packet, chewing gum, pack of matches, napkin, and a plastic spoon. Vacuum pack everything together – and you have a Homemade MRE.

These meals have their place in a survival food storage system. They can be especially useful for use in your bug out supplies.

Give ‘em a try.

Rourke

© 2010, ModernSurvivalOnline.com. All rights reserved.