It’s a fact of war: Soldiers have to eat. When they’re in the rear or on a base, it’s not such a big problem. There’s always a chow hall of some sort.

But when soldiers are in the field or on the front lines of battle, providing them with quick, convenient and halfway decent grub becomes a challenge.

The military’s answer to feeding its troops on the go is the MRE — Meal, Ready-to-Eat — combat rations that provide a rapid infusion of calories and nutrients in a form that is palatable, easy to carry and handy to consume.

During this holiday season — a time when traditional, homecooked dishes are uppermost in the minds of many Americans — MREs are the daily fare for thousands of the nation’s soldiers in Iraq.

There’s a large variety of MREs, each offering a main dish, side dish, crackers and jelly, a fruit bar and a drink, such as instant coffee. A complete MRE contains 1,200 to 1,300 calories — providing a hit of essential energy for soldiers.

And while it’s certainly not mom’s cooking, it’s enough to keep them fighting.

MREs are simply the latest descendent (first introduced in the 1980s) of the C, D and K Rations on which veterans of earlier conflicts subsisted.

Where the older rations came packaged in bulky cans, MREs are packed in durable, vacuum-sealed pouches that can keep their contents wholesome and nutritious for years.

They even come with a heater — a thin pad inside a plastic pouch that, when exposed to water, creates a chemical reaction to warm a meal.

MREs (Meal, ready-to-eat) are the standard issue rations given to U.S. armed forces in the field or combat. Included are a main dish, a side dish, energy bar, crackers, condiments and instant beverages. The meals can be heated or eaten straight from the bag.

Soldiers get creative

Stay away from the Thai chicken.

That’s Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan Chapman’s advice for those presented with a choice of MREs.

Chapman, 22, is home on a 42-day leave from his tour of duty in Iraq. The Lawrence High School graduate is recovering from a head wound he suffered Nov. 15 in the battle for Fallujah, an insurgent stronghold.

“Thai chicken — that is not good. That’s the general consensus on that one. I’ve never met someone who liked it,” says Chapman, who’s staying with his parents, Dean and Becky Chapman.

Another MRE to avoid at all costs: the smoky franks.

“We used to call them the ‘Five Fingers of Death,'” he adds, chuckling.

But Chapman really isn’t down on the rations.

“They’re not the best food, but they work. There’s not a whole lot to them. It’s a fast, quick meal that gets you a lot of energy and calories,” he says.

“My favorite ones are beef ravioli, beef stew … and the jambalaya is a pretty good one.”

Soldiers often have to be inventive, using what they have on hand to concoct a meal that suits individual tastes.

“The key is you have to learn by trial and error how to mix things. You take the crackers, crunch them up and put them in the main meal. Then you’ll get cheese, and you’ll squirt that in there, use a little Tabasco and salt or pepper. The hope is that you get a decent-tasting meal,” Chapman says.

Soldiers also have learned that seasoning packets, such as those containing spicy, red-pepper flakes, do a lot to enhance a meal’s taste.

“After a while, they’re (MREs) kind of good, actually. Some of us do like them,” he says.

But the “chow hall,” located where the soldiers are based, begins to look appealing after a few weeks of eating food from pouches.

“It’s nice to be able to eat a meal you don’t have to peel back,” Chapman says.

Italian meals popular

Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Nicholson, 19, has some experience with MREs, too, but he’s only eaten them stateside, so far.

Turkey with potatoes and gravy in a meal, ready to eat.

Nicholson — also an LHS graduate — is home on 20-day leave from the service, before he has to report Dec. 31 at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. While visiting Lawrence, Nicholson is staying with his father, the Rev. Dan Nicholson, pastor of Lawrence Christian Center, 416 Lincoln St.

Adam will be stationed with the Second Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit to which he is going is just returning from Iraq. He likely won’t have to serve there until 2006.

But Nicholson has already eaten his share of MREs.

“I ate them for three weeks straight during Marine combat training. You get used to them, and some of them were pretty good, like the beef stew,” he says.

“But the best ones are the vegetarian ones, because most of them are Italian, like spaghetti or manicotti. You get what you get, but it’s a pretty common trend: When they ration out MREs, everyone tears them open and starts trading.”

Some MREs, he couldn’t stand.

“Beef and mushroom — a big chunk of meat and mushroom kind of things inside. And jambalaya was pretty bad,” he says.

Dessert is usually a fruit bar or energy bar. But sometimes there’s a chocolate brownie.

If Nicholson could give the military some advice about MREs, he’d suggest offering more variety.

“We usually end up eating the same things over and over,” he says.