Tag: Combat rations

According to the Defense Logistics Agency, a single MRE provides approximately 1,250 calories to sustain a service member in the field. But beyond this high caloric count, a critical question remains: are military meals healthy for the service members who rely on them for peak performance and survival?

The modern U.S. military requires a soldier's daily caloric intake to range from 3,200 to over 4,500 calories, depending on the operational environment. This high-energy demand is a key factor in determining what do military eat on deployment, whether in combat zones or on humanitarian missions.

According to the U.S. Army's official policy, a standard meal provision is three quality meals per day, but the type of food varies dramatically depending on the soldier's location. This variety is what defines what are the meals that the military eat, spanning from communal mess hall experiences to highly specialized field rations.

Military feeding has evolved dramatically since the days of hardtack and salted meat, driven by advancements in food science and nutritional understanding. Today, the food provided to military personnel is specifically designed to meet the extreme demands of their varied environments, from dining halls to remote combat zones.

The calorie count of a day's worth of original C-rations, consisting of six cans, was approximately 2,794 kcal during World War II. Over their service life, the specific nutritional value of C-rations and their direct successor, the Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI), varied, reflecting changing military dietary requirements. These canned provisions were a crucial part of a soldier's sustenance in the field for decades.