A New Zealand Army soldier tries a US military MRE — or Meal, Ready-to-Eat — and compares it to New Zealand MREs. An MRE is designed to sustain soldiers during training or an operation while ...

They included meat, bread, coffee ... with the need for a can opener and were heavy to tote around. Enter the MRE, which was started in research in 1963 and then introduced to soldiers by 1975.

Each year, the least popular MREs are retired and new ones are added. Eternal favorites, like spaghetti with meat sauce, are complemented with dishes like a Mexican rice and beans bowl.