Ration packs are designed for the troops

May 15 2009 by Lisa Boyle

MEAL times are usually a chance for people to sit down and relax, chat and enjoy their culinary delights.

But for soldiers out on the field in the middle of an attack food equals fuel.

They must be able to prepare a meal in minutes and eat it on the go.

That’s why specially designed ration packs are used by the army.

Each box of scoff (as the army call their food) contains breakfast, lunch and dinner as boil in the bag meals, as well as powdered soups, chewing gum, biscuits, sweets, energy drink sachets, tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

Ration packs also include water purification tablets incase the troops need to use a stream or river as their water source.

The packs each contain 3000 calories, the exact number that a soldier needs to keep them going all day.

The troops fill their metal container with water and boil it up using the heximine fuel tablets and matches provided.

They pop in the vacuum packed meal until it heats up.

Because every drop of water is precious, the boiled water is then used to make their tea, coffee, hot chocolate or soup.

Breakfast could be sausages and beans followed by tomato pasta for lunch and beef curry for dinner.

Chocolate puddings and custard or something similar is also on offer for desert.

The selection of meals is wide and even halal and vegetarian needs are catered for.