MRE STAR: A Fresh Ration Option

Since the 2020 panic, MREs have been hard to find for a good price. It would appear that MRE prices are not going to come back down any time soon. When I used to buy MREs prior to 2020, I paid $55 for a case of standard MREs in Alaska. Now, you will be paying at least three times that. Lets face it, the days of $4 MREs are gone and now it is a question of availability and cost effectiveness. If you can even get MREs, they are going to cost about $20 per meal and another chunk of change to have them shipped. However, there is another option by a company called MRE STAR out of Sarasota, Florida. In this article, I am going to review a single meal that I found in a local store that is common here in Arkansas, but MRE STAR also makes other types of meals like this 24 hour ration sold on mremountain.com.

OUTER SHELL

The outer shell of the MRE STAR MRE is very much the same as the thick cover of the military MREs. There are subtle differences between a military ration and this one. MRE STAR claims on their packaging to be fit for military, civilian, or disaster relief. It also proudly displays it is made in America.

​The meal label is clearly displayed on the right of the packaging, just to the right of the large MRE STAR brand seal. They proudly display their contact information on the bottom half of the MRE shelf. Centered on the back of the MRE is a "best if used by" date label, but no other labels or features to speak of.​

The top of the MRE has the typical label that it possesses a "peelable seal". In my experience, these seal is always hit or miss on an MRE. Fortunately for MRE STAR, this MRE opened very easily. I would have to test more MREs from this company before I was able to definitively say that MRE STAR does the peelable seal right, unlike 99% of other MRE companies that require a sharp object to open.

CONTENTS

In the Lentil Stew With Potatoes MRE, the meal lays out very similar to the way a military MRE would lay out. There is a total of roughly 1300 calories worth of food in this MRE. The contents of this MRE are as follows:
- Main Meal (Lentil Stew)
- Flameless Ration Heater
- Accessory Pack
- Bread Ration (Tortillas)
- Snack (Toffee Peanuts)
- Spread (Peanut Butter)
- Dessert (Oatmeal Cookie)
- Drink mix (Grape Flavored​)

ACCESSORY PACK

The accessory pack is very similar to a military MRE, but with some notable differences. The cellophane wrapping is very flimsy. The spoon is bundled into the accessory packet, much like a humanitarian ration. The spoon is flimsy but makes up for it by being large like a serving spoon.

MRE STAR provides their own branded napkin, toothpick, salt & pepper, a moist towelette, sugar, creamer, a packet of crushed red pepper flakes, instant coffee and a small bundle of 10 Smartees candies.

PREPARING THE MAIN MEAL

The first thing I like to get going is the MRE heater. I will say that this FRH (Flameless Ration Heater) was very easy to set up. The package is slightly larger than the military variety and it started right up. This MRE allows you to follow the same process as you would follow to heat up a military  MRE. ​I used the heat of the flameless ration heater to heat the peanut butter while it propped up the meal just enough to keep all the fluid in the FRH on the heating element. 

I set aside the salt & pepper, crushed red pepper, and tortillas to be used with the main meal. While I waited for the main meal, I pecked at the toffee peanuts and rather enjoyed this unique snack. It was mildly sweet and was very satisfying, though the quantity provided was relatively small. I cannot complain about the quality of the snack, and give kudos to MRE STAR for it.

​After this, I went through the accessory packet and kept what was useful and discarded the rest. I coupled the drink mix with the sugar in a 16 oz glass because my intent was to test the flavor of the drink mix by also adding sugar to hopefully boost the flavor. The mix was bland and I didn't even taste the grape. I did not read that the mix was designed to make a 12oz beverage. Disappointing lack of taste, thanks to me failing to read, but good to see that it was an electrolyte drink mix.

After drinking the beverage, I decided to take the peanut butter and use it like a spread on the oatmeal cookie. Oh boy, the cookie was sweet and very delicious. the peanut butter topped off the experience. However, I feel like the military and humanitarian rations come with more peanut butter than this MRE did.

Last on the list was to open the Lentil Stew, combine the spices, and make lentil stew tacos. First to note is that I did not see or taste any potatoes in the stew. The smell reminded me of a vegetarian chili, as did the appearance of the stew. It did appear that the quantity in the MRE main meal was less than what you would get in a military ration.

The tortillas you get with the ration are small and circular, but were fresh and terrific when used like a fajita for the stew. It was a messy but pleasurable experience. After the second tortilla, I decided just to consume the tortilla by itself and do the same with the lentil stew.
The surplus MRE tortillas I have used usually come in a long rectangular pack, folded in half. Depending on the age of the MRE, the tortillas may be fixed and fused into place, ripping open if you try to open them. These tortillas were much better in taste and texture, even though they were slightly smaller.

​MULTILINGUAL

The box that the main meal comes in is covered in literature. They discuss MRE shelf life, how to cook the meals, and how you may consume the MRE. The nutrition facts and ingredients list for the main meal and tortillas are printed in English, Spanish, and French. On the side of the box is a warning in English, Spanish, and French NOT to microwave the main meal in the container it comes in. It shouldn't have to be said, but in a litigious society, one must protect themselves.  I believe the multilingual labels are a clear indication of their intent to develop an international footprint. A bold business venture, but not unlikely, considering the unrest in the world and the need for aid all over the globe.

SAVED ROUNDS

I found the coffee in the MRE to be pretty typical of MRE coffee. You get only enough to fill a typical mug halfway without losing the coffee flavor, much like the drink mix. That said, I will never know how MRE coffee tastes better than the store bought instant coffee I buy. I don't know, but a cup of MRE instant coffee is fantastic.
I threw the creamer, napkin, and moist towelette away, along with the MRE STAR toothpick since I don't use creamer and I didn't need the napkin or towelette. The toothpick is nice if you don't have any other options for cleaning your teeth, but I think gum is better since it activates saliva glands and thus protects teeth from plaque and tartar development.  However, I imagine that it comes down to $$$. Gum has an unusually high price these days and since they seem to produce 90% of the MRE in-house, it could negatively effect cost/time of production, and ultimately profit. That is just my speculation, but in the end, I stick with my field toothbrush.
MRE STAR seems to have a good little MRE, at least in the Lentil Stew. Their online information is very informative. They seem to be very open to being used as I high-volume manufacturer of MREs. They proudly display photos of their production/manufacturing facility, which presents itself as a clean and professional production facility. It fills me with confidence that they are dedicated to supplying a product that will satisfy our needs of their customer while remaining transparent about their product contents. Unlike the military MREs, they don't seem to fill their food with a load of chemicals. This is comforting, and a reason I appreciate their product.

I am glad that this product is sold in my local stores because I really like what they have produced. I don't need a chemistry degree to read the ingredients list, the MREs are cost-effective compared to older military MREs, and there is a good amount of variety in the menus. What's not to like?