Assuming you aren't a soldier/working for an aid agency/working in rough conditions, would you deliberately pack and eat an MRE if you are in a 1st world city with plenty of restaurants and food stores.

The reason I ask is that I purchase MREs at a government surplus store and use them for hiking and hunting. I eat them cold and pay about 10 dollars for an entire pack (entree, dessert, fruit, other sides) and sometimes purchase a 12-pack for less than list price. The end result is I eat some very good MREs and some bad ones (flavor, texture, not due date) because I've bought them by the case. The result is for about ten dollars, I get a meal which is nutritionally sound, if not appealing.

Would you, given all other options as possible, pack and eat an MRE? I'm thinking of a trip where you're pressed for time, and an MRE in the back of the limo means you don't have to go to a restaurant when you get there, which means more time asleep? Or perhaps you simply don't want to go out, and an MRE at the computer is a better option? Are there any situations you can think of where an MRE is a good choice?

When I was little, my mother made me travel with Powerbars or nutri-grain bars. Now that I'm an adult, I've been eating all sorts of crazy food, and sometimes a pouch of breakfast sausages (MRE entree) is as good for me as a half dozen fruit bars.

For me, the best reasons I'd use one is for practicality. I need more time in bed, I don't speak the language, I am working and can't get room service, I simply can't go out at night without an escort, etc. I also find they play havoc on your digestive system, so it sometimes makes sense to avoid them, or at least eat as few as possible. What is your opinion on the matter?

I know MREs are designed for soldiers, but really, (and this isn't a troll, this is a serious quetion), does anybody else like them?

Chuck