IIRC they are about 3,000 calories per pack. You get a main course and side items, along with condiments. Coffee, sugar, etc. Last I knew there were about a dozen menus, some better than others. Caveat: I haven't touched one since 2006.

They have an extremely long shelf life if you can keep them in a place where the temp never gets higher than the mid 70s.

They are an adequate emergency meal if you can consume all the items packed.
They are made to be higher in carbohydrates than protein, or fat.
The problem is, I've never seen anyone actually eat, or drink ALL the items contained in one.

The crackers are OK.
The peanut butter is good too.
The soft bread products are ok, but take getting used to.
The fruits are no longer freeze dried (actually I liked them that way) but wet packed, and are ok
Some, not all, have different kinds of commercial candy (Charms/M&Ms/Tootsie Rolls) included, you take your pick and take your chances

Any cheese spread product has been too weird to me to use.
The drink mixes (past the instant tea or coffee) are also too weird to my taste.
The jellies are usually already separating in the pack so are useless as well.

These unused items account for a large part of the calories in a MRE

Some of the main meal items leave a lot to be desired, but Uncle changes about 1/2 of them out each year. What you may find is what is currently packed, if you buy new ones. Thank God that they started to include Tabasco sauce about 10 years ago!

Since Uncle doesn't allow the 'real deal' MRE to be sold on the open retail market, past some found in on base commissaries, what you get are 'made up' to look like MREs and supposedly have some real MRE items.
They may be ok, but do not have all the items packed in an actual MRE.

MREs are a good thing to have in limited quantity for emergency or short term use.
Uncle really doesn't want them used as the only food item for any length of time.
You could also use them for charity use if some starving person comes by looking for a handout or to 'work for a meal'.

I would have them in very limited quantity, maybe a case or two, if you are going to have to pay for them as they are very high cost per meal as compared to anything else.

Actually some people just buy the main meal and side dish packs alone.

If I'm getting them for free, I'll never pass one up, but if I'm paying for them, I'd save that money and stock up on your usual diet canned goods and other shelf stable items at the store.

I eat a few cases of them in the early-mid 90's. They were out of date and I guess being thrown away, someone I knew brought them home from a guard weekend. Even past there extremely long shelf life, they were still pretty good. There was only one thing that turned. Most of the entrees weren't bad at all, some pretty dang good. The extras where great in most, orange pound cake and maple walnut loaf. Peanut butter or apple jelly on crackers. I had a couple cases and eat them as regular meals now and then until they were gone.

In the early mid 2000's I bought some commercial copies. I was really disappointed that all the extras weren't included. (no salt pepper, matches, gun, tabasco (pretty sure my 80's-90's ones had it Miles) coffee, no little plastic spoon, I don't even think it had a powdered drink mix. I was really let down. And when I tried the food itself, I was really let down. I tried to eat a couple and gave some away. They were just awful.

The last match I shot at West Point I was given one as a meal, but didn't eat it on the range, I took it home instead. I was curious what they were like now days so I opened it. Contents were still not as good as the old ones and the food wasn't particularly good.
I've heard a few people say they've improved over the years, but that certainly isn't my limited experience.

.

go meals. Yoder's canned meats are decent.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

FWIW, my brother, a career Army officer, used to refer to MREs as "Three lies in a pouch." I don't think he liked them much.

and have watched them develop over the years. Mostly hunting or fishing. And like Miles states didn't eat the whole thing for sure. I always liked the chicken meals whether it be "ala king" or some kind of chicken casserole.
I always have one or two in the pickup truck along with a blanket and coffee making stuff for when I'm snowed in a traffic jam or something.

One thing neat about an MRE is that they are like a "Pig in the Poke" You don't now what your getting and sometimes yours surprised and say "Dang that was good"
(Sometimes that is).

They are filling. I usually get mine at Hillsville Va. flea market as surplus and eventually throw some away before they are used up as I can never figure out the date codes on the dirty things

The whole thing adds too much weight and bulk to my kit while hunting so I open theme and pick out what I like and leave the rest.

The crackers and peanut butter or OK. The cheese spread will flavor the crackers to make them go down better.

I ate one at the house I'm building last Saturday. Didn't feel like wasting time at McDonalds. It was "Cheese Tortellini" and wasn't bad but it was in the truck for several years and then again I'm the type that eats Sardines at work while everyone else is chomping down on good food so I call it sustenance.

Bob

Here's a little something one of my cousins (active duty US Army) just shared...