Is there a place you can buy MRE's as a civilian? Are they available at any typical military surplus store? I've always had a thing for utilitarian food, I was big into Soylent for a while, and will gladly eat PB&J for lunch every day for months. I'll often ponder that if I could get my energy from a USB charger overnight, I'd prefer to just never eat.

I've always wondered if all the complaints MRE's get are actually because they taste bad, or if most the hate is in the principle of such a food (or the monotony and lack of choice, etc.)