I've found that Hormel Compleats taste better than the MRE equivalents. You can buy the heater packs separately if that's what you want to do to heat 'em up. Otherwise you can bring a plastic baggie and soak the meal in hot water. I don't mind taking fully hydrated food on overnight hikes. Most of the time I eat them cold so I don't have to take the stove and pot.

Pika, when I was in the Navy we had a "beer day" for being out as sea for more than a month - the beer was Budweiser in the old pull-tab can! Being the mid-80's I suspect these were well past their freshness date, but then I can't vouch for the taste because I sold my two cans for $20. The stuff was so old that some of the cans had corroded through.