Katadyn NRG-5 Emergency Food Ration 500g Pack of 1 (9 Bars) Ready to Eat 2380 kcal, Vegan, Lactose-Free, GMO-Free | Long-Term Survival, Emergency Preparedness and Outdoor Adventure Food Bar

I had bought this a long time ago in my last year of high school. Originally for myself and secondly for a friend who had trouble feeding himself. The flavor? Delightfully bland. You will find that if you have ever struggled in your life that this is just above that. A faint toasted vanilla flavor above a sea of wheat. It favors little better with water. I myself ate these before and during weight lifting bit by bit. I could also comfortably eat half of the block at once. It is very absorbent so you could panic and choke, but simply chew slowly and vigorously and you will find that these do not dehydrate you. Though of course, you'll almost always prefer these with a drink. I felt not so much dehydrated, but uncomfortably warm after chewing such gritty things. I find myself wanting to buy these again, and I wonder how it is that I ever found the will to eat them all. I recall these did not last more than a month before they were all gone. I was also the healthiest, and found I could suddenly lift my tall friends as I was merely a five foot shrimp with what people call a sleeper build. These are truly highly nutritious. They are good for hikes, late night snacks and pre workout and post workout and for anyone who is curious enough- and perhaps even hungry enough to eat. They survived being thrown around in a gym and being in the pack of a harried student just trying to get to his next class. Overall I find myself pining for these old days, and oddly enough I remember fondly these NRG-5 rations. In a time where much was junk food or fast food, and the food served at school was often times lacking- this provided a nutritional salvation that could pad the time between meals. It also served as an excellent curiosity around the classroom and my weight room. During the time I ate them, these cured my mortality, and I felt as though the world was mine. 9.6/10 would buy again, the crumbly texture may not be for everyone.

Taste: This ration does not taste bad, it does not taste good--it is just very, very bland. This is not a complaint, just an observation. It's fine for my purposes, this is not a dessert cookie. Texture: The individual servings of the compressed ingredients are very dry and incredibly crumbly. Seriously, don't try to eat this like a cookie unless you want a lap full of powdery crumbs. The manufacturer suggests that servings can be crumbled into water to make a porridge "suitable as infant food", but I'd seriously consider eating it this way myself (I will try that later). As dry as it is, you'll want water anyway, so you might as well eat it like it's oatmeal. Expiration: Package labeling confirms a shelf life of 20 years or so, and the date on my sampled ration is 01/2041. I can confirm the product description and photos: one "ration" consists of 9 individual servings of 260 calories each, for a total of 2380 calories. With the weight of one full "ration" at about 1.1 pounds, that's enough for a full day's calories for most adults in a survival situation. Packaging, from the outside in: - Outer box: The vacuum-packed foil-sealed complete ration fits snugly inside the outer lightweight cardboard box. This outer box doesn't provide much additional protection, but it does display the expiration date (which I can't find marked on the foil-sealed wrap, below). - Main foil seal: There are 9 individual servings stacked and sealed inside a very heavy duty vacuum-packed foil-laminate wrapper. This layer is the primary seal against water, oxygen, insects, etc. It's hard to tear, so you might want to use a knife when you want to cut it open. - Innermost wrappings: Each of the 9 individual servings is a compressed and dried "brick" of the ingredients, about half the size of a deck of cards, individually wrapped in lightweight plastic. This innermost wrapping is not robust at all, so if you've opened the main vacuum seal (above) I would NOT consider the individual servings suitable for long term storage. Bottom line: Very satisfied. This product is well suited for my purposes (emergency calories with a long shelf life).

Please, get rid of this product, it’s bad and the taste has been terrible and awful. No return, I throw two of these in the trash.

Well, it's an emergency ration... any gripes are made with the understanding that this is survival food meant for less than ideal conditions. Pros: -Compact foodstuff, easily transportable. Toss is in a bag and go. -Flavor profile is pretty neutral, with a hint of vanilla and sugar. Almost like shortbread. -Can be crushed up and mixed with water to make a "porridge" for babies or texture difference. -Nutrient dense. Datrex rations don't compare. Cons: -Texture of biting into a solid bar leaves something to be desired. Crumbles apart in your mouth. -Weak flavor. You'll be eating, but you wont be tasting. -Very dry. Make sure you drink water.

Not the best tasting but they are compact, light, cost effective, and calorie dense. When the SHTF, these are a great addition to your supplies.

I bought these to use in a FEMA suggested emergency kit but decided to sacrifice it to try. First the good: VERY long life, with a best by date of 01/2041, with 8g protein, 2g fiber, 13g fat & 28g carbs with a full set of vitamins & some minerals as well. one 5.5"Hx3.2"Wx2.5"D 500g box has enough nutrition for a full day with 2,380 kcal, 74g protein and more than enough of the other needs. The foil packaging is QUITE strudy, and despite a tear gap at the top I had to resort to a knife (which SHOULD BE in any emergency kit anyway). I found them bland but with a slightly sweet aftertaste. I was able to eat one without water. The bad: I expected something like a biscuit, but these are more like compressed wheat dust, very crumbly and dust drifts down as you bite it. Despite them supposed to be non thirst inducing, wife felt she'd need a drink to wash them down. Without one she'd be hard pressed to eat them unless to avoid starving. I'd had worse in the service but won't call them delicious. I plan to check other brands of similar products since they are far superior nutrition to the compressed sugar/fat bars that are similar sized with similar shelf life that have NO protein, just fat, & carb calories.

Can’t say it’s something I would choose to eat every day but it’s really not bad. Kind of tastes like lightly sweetened flour which is what it is. I’m not a fan of the other brands that contain mostly coconut. This is very dry so you will want something to wash it down with. Expiration date was also really good. Packaged well so I think that it will easily last through the expiration date if kept cool, dry, and out of temperature extremes and direct sunlight. Will likely purchase more.

These ration bars are great to have, easy to break in half. You can crumble them up to make a porridge. They have a very similar taste to shredded mini wheats. It is a very dry biscuit (almost as if they just got everything in powdered form and pressed it together), so be sure to eat with water available.