Which is Better MRE Menu A vs B
Meals Ready to Eat or MREs have been produced since 1981 by the US Department of Defense. Over the course of decades the military continues to refine menus and add entrees with various tastes, in an attempt to not only keep the American Warfighter fueled and healthy but to increase the amount of the MRE that is actually consumed. This article will compare the 2024 MRE Menu A vs B. There are currently 24 different MREs with varying entrees and contents (12 MREs in Menu A and 12 MREs in Menu B), and we will explore both.
What Year Were My MREs Produced? Are These MREs Expired?
MREs have a “Pack Date” which is the date all the MREs were packed into the box. Each component also has a separate date as to when they were produced. Generally MREs will last about 4 years if kept at or around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, I have eaten MREs as old as 6 years and were fine. I have also seen crackers with mold on them after only 3 years.
After the Pack Date their is an Inspection Date, this is usually three years after the pack date. It details when the MREs were inspected and when the Time-Temperature Indicator (TTI) sticker was placed on the MRE Case.
The TTI is an orange sticker located on the bottom of the MRE case. If it is all the same color the MREs should still be good. If the center is darker than the rest of the sticker then they have gotten wet, got too hot for too long, or the time has run out. That doesn’t always mean the contents are inedible, but in the military they are destroyed if the TTI shows bad.
If you are not in the military, you can still get MREs from Amazon. Check out the new 2018 case of MREs here.
MENU A (1-13) VS MENU B (14-24)
| Menu #1 Chili with Beans Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Crackers, Vegetable Cornbread Snack Foods, Cheese Filled | Menu #13 Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce Dessert Powder, Pudding Peanut Spread, Smooth, Chocolate Crackers, Plain Trail Mix, Recovery Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate Electrolyte |
| Menu #2 Beef, Shredded, in Barbecue Sauce Black Beans in a Seasoned Sauce Cheese Spread Cheddar w/ Jalapeno Peppers Tortillas, Plain Cookies Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate, Fortified | Menu #14 Creamy Spinach Fettuccine (Egg Noodles, Spinach and Mushrooms in a Cream Sauce) First Strike Bar Peanut Butter, Smooth Crackers, Plain Snack Food, Pretzels Chocolate Protein Drink Powder |
| Menu #3 Chicken, Egg Noodles, and Vegetables, in Sauce Fruits, Wet Pack Crackers, Plain Peanut Butter, Smooth Jelly/Jam Candy III Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate, Fortified | Menu #15 Mexican Style Chicken Stew Fruits, Wet Pack 1/ Snack Food, Cheese Filled 1/ Cheese Spread, Cheddar, with Jalapeno Peppers Crackers, Plain First Strike Bar 1/ Cocoa Beverage Powder, Chocolate Hazelnut |
| Menu #4 Spaghetti with Beef and Sauce Toaster Pastries Peanut Butter, Smooth Snack Bread, Multigrain Fruits, Infused and Dried Cocoa Beverage Powder, Milk Chocolate | Menu #16 Chicken Burrito Bowl (Chicken with Rice, Beans and Vegetables) Snack Food, Other 1/ Filled Bakery Item 1/ Tortillas, Plain Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Hot Sauce, Extra Hot 4x Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate, Fortified |
| Menu #5 Chicken Chunks, White, Cooked First Strike Bar Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Tortillas, Plain Trail Mix, Recovery Candy II Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate Electrolyte | Menu #17 Pork Sausage Patty, Maple Flavored Muffin Top, Maple, Trans Fat Free Peanut Butter, Smooth Crackers, Plain Nuts Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate Electrolyte Syrup, Table, Imitation Maple |
| Menu #6 Beef Taco Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Tortillas, Plain Nut and Fruit Mix, Nuts and Raisins with Pan Coated Chocolate Disks Beverage Bases, Sweetened with Non-nutritive Sweetener, Fortified, Orange | Menu #18 Beef Ravioli in Meat Sauce Muffin Top, Chocolate Banana Nut, Trans Fat Free Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Snack Bread Meat Snacks Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate, Fortified |
| Menu #7 Brisket Entrée (Gravy with Seasoned Beef Brisket Slices) Potatoes Au Gratin Fruits, Infused, Dried Peanut Butter, Smooth Snack Bread Jelly/Jam Candy I Drink Mix, Flavored Instant Cappuccino, Irish Cream | Menu #19 Beef Patty, Grilled, Jalapeno Pepper Jack Cobbler, Cherry Blueberry Cookies Cheese Spread, Cheddar, with Bacon Tortillas, Plain Candy II Beverage Bases, Sweetened with Non-nutritiveSweetener, Fortified, Orange |
| Menu #8 Meatballs in Marinara Sauce Potatoes, Mashed, Garlic Cookies Cheese Spread, Cheddar, with Jalapeno Snack Bread, Italian Bread Sticks Meat Snacks Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate, Fortified | Menu #20 Hash Brown Potatoes with Bacon, Peppers and Onions Granola with Milk and Blueberries Filled Bakery Item Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Crackers, Plain Nuts Beverage Bases, Sweetened with Non-nutritive Sweetener, Fortified, Orange |
| Menu #9 Beef Stew Cake, Pound, Trans Fat Free Peanut Butter, Smooth Jelly/Jam Snack Bread, Multigrain Snack Food, Pretzels Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate Electrolyte | Menu #21 Tuna, Chunk, Light, Lemon Pepper Cake, Pound, Trans Fat Free Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Tortillas, Plain Snack Food, Other Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate, Fortified |
| Menu #10 Chili and Macaroni Cake, Pound, Trans Fat Free Cheese Spread, Cheddar, with Jalapeno Peppers Crackers, Vegetable Meat Snacks Candy I Beverage Powder, Carbohydrate Electrolyte | Menu #22 Asian Style Beef Strips with Vegetables Fruits, Wet Pack Peanut Butter, Chunky/Crunchy Jelly/Jam Snack Bread Sugar Cookies, Patriotic Cocoa Beverage Powder, Milk Chocolate |
| Menu #11 Vegetable Crumbles with Pasta in Taco Style Sauce Fruits, Wet Pack First Strike Bar Peanut Butter, Chunky/Crunchy Crackers, Plain Nuts Drink Mix, Flavored Instant Cappuccino, French Vanilla | Menu #23 Pizza Slice, Pepperoni Cobbler, Cherry Blueberry Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Jalapeno Snack Bread, Italian Bread Sticks Cookies Chocolate Protein Drink Powder |
| Menu #12 Elbow Macaroni in Tomato Sauce Fruits, Wet Pack Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Snack Bread Candy III Chocolate Protein Drink Powder | Menu #24 Southwest Style Beef and Black Beans with Sauce Apple Pieces in Spiced Sauce Cake, Pound, Trans Fat Free Meat Snacks Cheese Spread, Cheddar, Plain Tortillas, Chipotle Drink Mix, Flavored Instant Cappuccino, Mocha |
Each MRE also Contains the Following:
- Cinnamon or Peppermint Chewing Gum
- Hand and Body Wipes
- Safety Matches
- Salt, 4 grams
- Toilet Tissue (Virtually worthless except for a fire starter)
- Instant Coffee
- Creamer, Dry
- Sugar White or Brown
- Most MREs also contain a sauce packet of some sort: BBQ, Ketchup, Mayo, or Hot Sauce
- Flameless Chemical Heater (just add water)
So Which is the Best? MRE Menu A VS B
It is hard to say for sure in my experience. I have had all of these 24 MREs except the Pizza. I like 6 MREs from Menu A and 5 MREs from Menu B (but I didn’t count the pizza since I haven’t been able to get my hands on one yet. I hear it is good, but not as good as pizza. The problem with MRE pizza has always been the bread. I mean have you tried the snack bread? It is similar to a sawdust cookie, so I wonder how they make the pizza crust differently? If given the option I always grab the Menu B case, mainly because I LOVE the Has brown MRE, if you mix the cheese in with the has browns it is almost a dead ringer for Cracker Barrel’s Has brown Casserole.
Which do you like better? What is your favorite MRE? Leave me a comment below, and if you can offer any input on the Pizza MRE comment below and I will add it to the post.
