The Meal, Ready-to-Eat is a staple of the U.S. military. Self-contained, shelf-stable, and packed with calories, MREs are the ideal food source to feed a formation on the move or when you forgot to coordinate hot chow to be brought out to the field (everyone still hates you, but at least they’ve been fed).
MRE science is conducted by the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center’s Combat Feeding Division (a mouthful in itself) in Natick, Massachusetts. There, troop feedback is incorporated with new trends in the commercial market to create the next MRE menu. Here’s what we can expect from MRE 46 when it rolls out in 2026.
Like Netflix, old content has to be removed to introduce new content. That said, no tears will be shed when the beef taco filling, pork sausage patty, and jalapeño pepper jack beef patty disappear from MRE boxes. I once caught a buddy rifling through the platoon’s MREs with his arms full of these as he desperately searched for a Chili Mac. True story.
Replacing these “meat” items are Cuban-style Beef Picadillo with Vegetables, Thai-Style Red Curry with Chicken and Rice, and, making its triumphant return from MRE 24: Buffalo Chicken.
“Buffalo chicken is something that [soldiers] have requested,” said Julie Edwards, a Combat Feeding Division senior technologist and registered dietitian, in an Army press release. “It’s a popular item… so we’re hoping that this item will be longstanding.”
The old buffalo chicken is a relic of the glass-bottle Tabasco days. It once came with a pouch of shredded chicken in buffalo sauce and a pouch of fried rice. The inclusion of toffee cookies and Reese’s Pieces also contributed to the popularity of Buffalo Chicken. While it wasn’t to everyone’s liking, Buffalo Chicken was a favorite among troops who preferred strong flavors. If you remember this MRE, you’re probably having to pay for checked bags at the airport again.
Other big changes in MRE 46 include more protein snacks, like s’mores recovery bars and freeze-dried chocolate peanut butter bites. More importantly, the Army is catering to the new generation’s caffeine preferences.
The old Army ran on black coffee. Rip It energy drinks fueled the Global War on Terror, and shoppette runs today usually include a Bang, Reign, Ghost, or other form of canned energy drink. To that end, researchers are exploring new caffeinated beverage options, as well as energy chews, energy gels, caffeinated gum, and caffeinated jelly beans.
Troops will certainly be looking forward to the new items in MRE 46. The latest additions will make the MRE market much more interesting in the field. Just remember that the outgoing MREs will still be out there, waiting to be drawn and issued as a welcome to the newest troops.
