# The Ketogenic MRE



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Every September-ish I make up a new batch of homemade DIY MRE's. I generally use what is available and has a long shelf life, focusing more on survival than the breakdown of protein, fat and carbs. Some recent discussions on here got me thinking, and this year I am going to make a batch of Ketogenic MRE's. In other words I am going to make some portable food packets that are higher in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbs. They way I normally eat. I doubt I will achieve anywhere near the 3-4 year shelf life I have with my other DIY MRE's, but that's okay I make more every year anyway. Plus this way after 11-12 months or so I can just eat them versus giving them away or tossing them out. 


I have some research to do, but here is what I am thinking:

1. Beef Jerky or Dried Beef. High in protein/fat, but also high in sodium. Shelf life approx. 1-2 years. 

2. Unsweetened Coconut. High in fat (provides energy & satiates appetite). Shelf life can be extended to a year plus if you vacuum seal it separately. 

3. Mixed Nuts. Macadamia, Almonds and Pecans. High in fat/protein. Shelf life is approx. 1 year. 

4. Mixed Seeds. Pumpkin & Sunflower. High in fat. Shelf life is approx. 1 year or more. 

5. Dried Blueberries. Nutrition booster and a touch of sweetness. Shelf life is approx. 9-12 months. 

6. Chia Seeds. Huge nutrition booster. Shelf life is approx. 2-3 years. 

7. Multivitamin & Magnesium. Vitamin supplement. Shelf life in excess of 1 year.

8. Powerade Zero drink mix. Vitamin supplement plus beverage enhancer. Shelf life in excess of 2 years. 

9. Sugar Free Hard Candy. Made with Stevia. Treat that can stave off hunger. Shelf life a non-issue. 

Plus of course my normal DIY MRE add ons. Things like wet wipes, ibuprofen, matches, nitrile gloves, spork (probably won't need this), etc.

Other foods I could use are pemmican, beef sticks, beef & cheese sticks, vienna sausages, spam singles, pepperoni, canned or pouched chicken or turkey, potted meats, coconut oil packets, green superfood supplements, other dehydrated berries or vegetables, almond butter packets, dried cheeses like parmesan, etc.

This could be an interesting experiment.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Sentry18 that sounds like a great idea and would cater for your normal eating habits  . That way as you say you can rotate through them and just make more.

Personally I am big on no or little waste in our household and will use everything in one way or another either for food or for permaculture practices in the gardens.

We are also about to start making our own homemade MRE's based on meal in a jar recipes we have kindly been supplied with and I will also look up others on the internet. Even though we don't have the room for canning equipment and vacuum sealers I can make a lot with traditionally drying herbs from our gardens and using raw ingredients. We have food grade plastic and a heat sealer which can substitute for mylar bags and would be just as effective once most of the air is taken out of the packages and oxygen absorbers put in.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I actually found a Paleo MRE that is available commercially. Paleo is semi-ketogenic and they share several allowable foods, but they are not the same thing. Still could give me some more ideas. Sounds like the shelf like on the Paleo MRE is about one year as well but they are pricey at $15 each.










I know a few military personnel who also eat low carb. What they do is take things like peanut butter, crackers, toaster pastries, candy, jelly, fruit packs, cookies and desserts out of their MRE's and trade them for meat entrees. They tell me it is easily accomplished as everyone wants the high sugar stuff. I am betting I can find individual MRE components that I can use to make KETO MRE's the same way, or even buy full MRE's and break them down into individual components to sell off or trade.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Here are some Keto 'travel' foods I keep with me that might work in your MREs.

1oz packets of coconut oil
1oz packets of nut butters without sugar
Ultima Replenisher electrolyte packets (sugar free)
Quest Bars
canned tuna or fatty fish
Bouillon cubes
Coconut butter pouches are good if you have carbs to spare (3g per 1oz)


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Grimm said:


> Here are some Keto 'travel' foods I keep with me that might work in your MREs.
> 
> 1oz packets of coconut oil
> 1oz packets of nut butters without sugar
> ...


I used canned tuna to torture my enemies, but I forgot all about bouillon. When you eat keto you need as much sodium as you can get. Good reminder!

I have never tried the Quest bars because they have Erythritol, which might not be conducive to survival (sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea). Then again dying from not having food or enough energy to flee/fight might be worse.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> I used canned tuna to torture my enemies, but I forgot all about bouillon. When you eat keto you need as much sodium as you can get. Good reminder!
> 
> I have never tried the Quest bars because they have Erythritol, which might not be conducive to survival (sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea). Then again dying from not having food or enough energy to flee/fight might be worse.


I have never had issues with the Quest bars giving me diarrhea. I have used them in the past to increase my fiber intake without overdoing my net carbs on busy days.

If you do use them in the MREs try a few flavors first to find one or two you really like before adding them to the meals. I'm not a big fan of overly sweet things so I only really like the almond crunch flavor. But they have ones like brownie and mint chip. Safeway has them but Walmart does too.


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## moonbatter (Jun 10, 2010)

I don't know if others have this condition, however because of Type 2 Diabetes I can't eat sugar or anything that produces too much sugar. Things that produce too much sugar (for me) are root veggies (beets, carrots, squash, potatoes, yams, etc.), carbs such as breads (any type of bread sends me over the moon with sugar spikes) are another source that your body converts to sugar (by sugar I mean glucose). Also, fruits such as apples, pears, raisins, dates, peaches, bananas, grapefruits, grapes, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes and pineapples are "bad," I say bad in quotes because while it spikes my sugar levels sometimes you need the vitamins you get from fruits, so you have to risk it or take supplements. Some dairy products are high in carbs and low in fat. Examples of these are low-fat or fat-free yogurt, low-fat and skim milk, buttermilk and chocolate milk made with reduced-fat milk (embrace the fat!!) Anyway, all of those foods send my blood sugar soaring and most - all perhaps, commercial long-shelf life foods are deadly (for me). So what can I eat? Basically meat and veggies like steak and broccoli, Fish and veggies, canned fish is OK, wine is OK for me, but not for everyone; others may be able to drink beer but not wine, etc., because not all foods affect people the same way. So one item I'm thinking of buying is a Harvest Right freeze drier. Anyone have experience with one? The website says food can stay preserved for 24 years while still retaining about 97% of its nutritional value. They have a layaway plan. It runs on electricity, but I'm prepared to have plenty of that available off grid. Finally, the reason this hits home is because my 34 year old nephew had type 2 and one day he overdid it, his sugar level spiked too high and he went into a coma and never came out and died. So, it's a big deal to eat right and not just fill the stomach with crap. Anyway, anyone have a freeze drier?


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

I think there are a few here who have one or talked about getting one. There is a YouTube channel dedicated to freeze drying and also a Facebook group. I'd love to have one but....$$$$. Can't do it right now.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Oh, an alternative to buying the dryer is to buy freeze dried ingredients. My youngest has food issues and that's what I do. The single ingredients are just that. Just celery or just tomatoes. No additives. Just make sure you read the labels to be sure.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I wanted to add that if you can find them you could add 1oz snack size packages of pork rinds. I know the little Mexican market near Roo's school sells them. I have never heard of the brand though.


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## marlas1too (Feb 28, 2010)

I vaccum seal my own mre packs with things we here at the house like and will eat with all the extras just like a mil. mre. for meat i use the foil packs of tuna or chicken


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Grimm said:


> I wanted to add that if you can find them you could add 1oz snack size packages of pork rinds. I know the little Mexican market near Roo's school sells them. I have never heard of the brand though.


Pork rinds would be a good addition but they are somewhat fragile and easily crushed, so I would need to figure out how to pack them. Another good idea though. You can also buy canned bacon, so maybe I need some of that!

In my first homemade MRE I used freeze dried chili as the base food I built the MRE around. But not on any subsequent MRE's. I discovered that I wanted a product I could cook or just eat cold out of the bag depending on my circumstances. Boiling water may not be an option. So now my DIY MRE's are all foods I can open and eat immediately, even if it increases the weight.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> Pork rinds would be a good addition but they are somewhat fragile and easily crushed, so I would need to figure out how to pack them. Another good idea though. You can also buy canned bacon, so maybe I need some of that!
> 
> In my first homemade MRE I used freeze dried chili as the base food I built the MRE around. But not on any subsequent MRE's. I discovered that I wanted a product I could cook or just eat cold out of the bag depending on my circumstances. Boiling water may not be an option. So now my DIY MRE's are all foods I can open and eat immediately, even if it increases the weight.


Instead of rinds get pork cracklins. Much less crushable and calorie dense. With good salt. I like the crushed red pepper seasoned.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Instead of rinds get pork cracklins. Much less crushable and calorie dense. With good salt. I like the crushed red pepper seasoned.


I will have to check 'em out. Thanks!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

There are single serving packets of gelatin and collagen. My thoughts were to add coconut oil, bullion and the gelatin to make a hearty broth/soup.

https://www.vitacost.com/vital-proteins-beef-gelatin-100-pure-collagen-protein-unflavored


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Caribou said:


> I don't know if these fit your diet but Tasty Bite brand puts out a number of products that are canned in plastic bags. It is a heavy bag and will keep for years. You can tear them open so a can opener is not required. They bend so they are easy to pack. I prefer them warm but I could eat them cold in a pinch. I use the Madras Lentils of theirs but I know that they have other products.
> 
> I dump them on rice or a baked potato and the wife liked to use them as a bed for poached salmon. If you set the pouch in some boiling water you could tear the top off and eat them right out of the pouch for a hot meal.
> 
> I'm sure there are other brands that make similar products or at least packaged like this.


Looks like most of their products are a no-go, but the lentils/beans are borderline low carb (about 15 grams a serving). They would probably work. Now to see if I can find them around here, otherwise there is always Amazon. Thanks.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> Looks like most of their products are a no-go, but the lentils/beans are borderline low carb (about 15 grams a serving). They would probably work. Now to see if I can find them around here, otherwise there is always Amazon. Thanks.


Costco sells them in a box of about 4 pouches.


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## DKRinAK (Nov 21, 2011)

Bacon in a bag 3 oz
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Bacon-Bits-3-Ounce-Pouches/dp/B001FSISY6?th=1

Bigger bacon in a bigger bag 20 oz
https://www.amazon.com/Hormel-Premium-Real-Crumbled-Bacon/dp/B000NERTSE

no need for a can.

https://shurkyjurky.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5bzE0oD51QIVilx-Ch1h7gHZEAAYAiAAEgKLlvD_BwE
offers different meats - like bison


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Sounds like this is going to be easier than I first imagined! Thanks for all the suggestions and keep 'em coming.

My wife suggested a dental pick / flosser since I am including beef jerky. :thumbraise:


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> Sounds like this is going to be easier than I first imagined! Thanks for all the suggestions and keep 'em coming.
> 
> My wife suggested a dental pick / flosser since I am including beef jerky. :thumbraise:


I always include dental floss. Important to take care of your teeth. Old timey dental care was not a pleasant experience from what Ive read.

You ever want to try your hand at making biltong it will be tastier, better for you and far less expensive than buying beef jerky.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> I always include dental floss. Important to take care of your teeth. Old timey dental care was not a pleasant experience from what Ive read.
> 
> You ever want to try your hand at making biltong it will be tastier, better for you and far less expensive than buying beef jerky.


I make my own jerky and "beef sticks" but have not tried biltong. A buddy of mine from South Africa does however and it was delicious. IIRC the main difference between my jerky and his biltong was vinegar. Might be more to it than that, will have to look into it.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I wanted to share one of my favorite brands of 'keto' snack foods. Epic Nutrition. I love their bone broth (chicken) when I need foods to take with me to my folks or out for a few days. It is a great sipping broth but no real fat content. Still yummy of you add a bit of bacon grease or coconut oil.

They also sell various cooking fats/oils I don't see on the market like duck fat or bison tallow.

Snack bites that are great for on the go or Sentry's Keto MRE. 

https://store.epicbar.com/


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Grimm said:


> I wanted to share one of my favorite brands of 'keto' snack foods. Epic Nutrition. I love their bone broth (chicken) when I need foods to take with me to my folks or out for a few days. It is a great sipping broth but no real fat content. Still yummy of you add a bit of bacon grease or coconut oil.
> 
> They also sell various cooking fats/oils I don't see on the market like duck fat or bison tallow.
> 
> ...


Holy Ketogenics!










Thanks for sharing that!


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## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

Sentry, you got me thinking about making up my own MRE's again. One thing my wife wants in them is some honey packets. Anyone have a source for small packs of honey?


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Balls004 said:


> Sentry, you got me thinking about making up my own MRE's again. One thing my wife wants in them is some honey packets. Anyone have a source for small packs of honey?


I looked into them once and found dozens of different kinds, but none that were actually pure from the hyve honey (even if they said they were). And of course processed honey does not offer the benefits of pure honey. I did find something called 'clover honey sticks' which is supposed to be unprocessed.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Balls004 said:


> Sentry, you got me thinking about making up my own MRE's again. One thing my wife wants in them is some honey packets. Anyone have a source for small packs of honey?


Sentry mentioned honey sticks. You can make your own. You'll need straws, honey and a way to seal the ends of the straws. Get the drift? This is how they make the honey straws they sell at farmers markets.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I want to add to this Ketogenic thread that Target sells portion snack bags. I bring this up because not everyone is going to make and store an MRE but many of us will bring quick grab foods with us when we go out. I know I do. I use these bags to keep a few servings of nuts with me at all times. Since they are marked for 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup etc I can keep them in one bag and only eat one serving.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

You could always make up some packets with honey powder/granuels. I don't have a can here at this house but I think it's pure honey.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

Most natural stores sell honeysticks...3 for a buck. Easy to make your own.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I just found these and thought of this thread! (that and I am loving garlic butter spinach right now! )

These are single serving packets of ghee

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Grass-Fed-4th-Heart-Certified/dp/B07193XRVS


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Grimm said:


> I just found these and thought of this thread! (that and I am loving garlic butter spinach right now! )
> 
> These are single serving packets of ghee
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Original-Grass-Fed-4th-Heart-Certified/dp/B07193XRVS


Very interesting. My wife makes garlic butter using Kerrygold butter but it's not portable like that. I am currently working on acquiring coconut oil packets for my Keto MRE's.

https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Organic-Virgin-Coconut-Packets/dp/B01MSVA2H4


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> Very interesting. My wife makes garlic butter using Kerrygold butter but it's not portable like that. I am currently working on acquiring coconut oil packets for my Keto MRE's.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Organic-Virgin-Coconut-Packets/dp/B01MSVA2H4


I get my coconut packets at Trader Joe's or Walmart (Carrington Farms brand). I should mention both places charge under $6.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I went to Sprouts this afternoon with Roo and found these neat bone broth single serving packets. They have roughly 1g of fat and about 10g of protein. 0 net carbs. I figure these would be better than bouillon cubes.

Here is the link to the brand's site...
https://lonolife.com/collections/bone-broth


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Grimm said:


> I went to Sprouts this afternoon with Roo and found these neat bone broth single serving packets. They have roughly 1g of fat and about 10g of protein. 0 net carbs. I figure these would be better than bouillon cubes.
> 
> Here is the link to the brand's site...
> https://lonolife.com/collections/bone-broth


My only concern with these pre-made bone broths is that the fat content seems to be substantially lower than homemade bone broth. Which always makes me wonder how or how much they processed it to make it that way. Which then makes me wonder what else they added or took away. Although I would agree it's still better nutritionally speaking than bouillon.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> My only concern with these pre-made bone broths is that the fat content seems to be substantially lower than homemade bone broth. Which always makes me wonder how or how much they processed it to make it that way. Which then makes me wonder what else they added or took away. Although I would agree it's still better nutritionally speaking than bouillon.


I agree but with these you don't have to add both collagen AND fat to make them keto.

You could also look into the Keto OS single serving packs.


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