Nutrition for Special Groups

Nutrition for Special Groups 3(3+0)

Lesson 34 : Nutrition for Defense Personnel

MREs

Meals Ready-To-Eat are military rations used by soldiers in operational field work. A standard MRE contains 1,250 calories and one-third of the daily recommendation for vitamins and minerals. MREs are designed to meet the nutrient needs of the average soldier when eaten three times a day. According to the U.S. Army, MREs are approximately 13 percent protein, 36 percent fat and 51 percent carbohydrates and have more fat than is recommended by the MDRIs in order to increase the ration's calories while minimizing its size.