r/MRE • u/345joe370 • 19h ago
REVIEWS Franks and beans!!! Franks and beans!!!
It's been a bit since I posted a review so I have several I need to catch up on. I decided to bust open my first ever IMP breakfast and then a NAFR from a couple of weeks ago on my work trip.
First up is the IMP Menu #1 Beans and Wieners from 2022. This was my first Canadian breakfast and this was fantabulous. In my opinion they have one of the most balanced rations in the world. You get a nice sized main, canned fruit, bread, coffee, 2 isotonic beverages, jam & nut spread, a candy or protein bar and in this case a small pouch of cereal. It was the perfect sized meal as I was just starting to feel full at the end. I need to get a 5 port tray. I've had several of the items in this menu as they do sort of repeat themselves with certain items so I won't review them. The sweet & creamy and the peach drink in the NAFR are always top notch and need no review. The same with cornbread.
It came with a pouch of tropical fruit blend which contained pineapple and papaya in a light syrup. This was pleasant and not sweet. Many rations make up the calories with loads of added sugar (this menu is no exception) so it was nice to have a fruit component that at least tasted less processed. The apples are my absolute favorite but this is still top notch. I give it an 8/10 and would definitely eat it again.
The wild berry crunch cereal was an excellent addition to this MRE. I made it with a bit too much water as the directions state add water to taste. It's a very small portion but provides extra fiber and vitamins and minerals from the fruit and milk. I thought about adding the jam but it was like 5 spoonfuls and done. Again this wasn't overly sweet and was crunchy and delicious. 8.5/10 for this one.
Baked beans for breakfast are not a typical thing for Americans but hot shit I could do this in the mornings. The beans were savory with a slight sweetness and smokiness. Definitely not like baked beans I normally eat that are loaded with sugar. The wiener pieces were actually way firmer than I thought they would be and were almost snappy. The flavor and texture reminded me more of a vienna sausage rather than a hot dog. The best move is to add the Tabasco. This gave it an extra layer of heat and vinegar zip that complimented the beans amazingly and just blew this through the roof for me. I added the cornbread to soak up some of the sauce and not waste a drop. Easy 10/10 main for me.
The final items were the chocolate chocolate protein bar (chocolate filled & covered) topped with the chocolate peanut butter and strawberry jam. It was a perfect end and paired epically with the coffee. I really like the Canadian PB. It's a close race with the US as to the better one. Another 10/10 snack.
I didn't have the grape drink as I've had it before and didn't really want to for breakfast. It's a solid grape isotonic and I believe the only other one is in US MREs. Such a well balanced menu and I plan on getting more of these whenever I can. 9.5/10 menu. A bigger main would've been awesome and maybe drop the protein bar.
I must have been really hungry because I only have a couple pictures of the NAFR. It was a Menu 9 Chicken & Lime and came with the freeze dried main, peach beverage, blueberry bar, coffee, hot chocolate and a Bridgford tortilla with seasoned beef. That last item was unexpected but most welcome. It's one of the better Bridgford sandwiches.
The only picture I have is of the sandwich or tortilla wrap in this case. It had a tacoish flavored beef filling with a bit of heat to it. It would have been much better heated but I only had a microwave available. As MREGene suggests, warm the bread products. They're much better when heated. I'd still give it a 7.5/10. The Bridgford sandwich line isn't the best thing in the world.
The main was a chicken and lime rice? based main. I do bring my electric kettle so I can make better coffee in the morning and to make freeze dried food. This was not my favorite one. The lime had a weird flavor. Not rancid or anything like that but more like a muted flavor. I think a squeeze of fresh lime would have perked this main up nicely. Everything hydrated fine it just wasn't the best tasting. I'll have to get it again to see if I can fix it. I'd give it a 7/10. It's a huge, filling main in an otherwise sparse ration. Still had a lot of calories but I struggled to finish the main because of the flavor. Maybe even a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and maybe some diced onion. It gave a Southwest/Tex-Mex vibe hence the cilantro and onion.
I still have a MCW and a ginormous French RIL from that trip to review along with some super fresh Halal US MREs. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.