Troops now have a lightweight, nutrient-dense individual field ration available through the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, according to an Army news release.

“We have a longstanding saying in the food world that it’s not nutrition if it’s not eaten,” Erin Gaffney-Stomberg, combat feeding division chief at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, said in the release. “It’s critical that optimal nutrition is supplied to warfighters when and where they need it, and in a form that looks, smells and tastes good and is safe.”

Smaller and less bulky than the MRE and the First Strike Ration, the new ration, called the Close Combat Assault Ration, was created with the goal of supporting small units during operations in austere environments where they need to sustain themselves for seven to 10 days with little to no resupply, according to the release.

Currently, the Close Combat Assault Ration can sustain semi-independent small units for five days with resupply and can be a sole source of nutrition for up to 10 days.

Balancing the ration’s nutrition to fuel warfighting readiness is essential because “negative energy balance, or the inability to consume enough calories to meet metabolic demands, is a threat to warfighter performance,” James McClung, the military nutrition division chief, said in the release.

Studies showed the new ration “did not adversely affect physical performance,” McClung said.

“As the Army and DoD continue to seek ways to optimize warfighter performance and lethality, evidence indicates that the [Close Combat Assault Ration] is a promising option for short-term missions where it is crucial to minimize the logistical burden while maximizing energy intake and maintaining warfighter performance,” he said.

Ultimately, the Close Combat Assault Ration will lighten soldiers’ loads and free up more space for ammunition, water and medical supplies, Gaffney-Stomberg said.

“This is a significant improvement in capability for contested operational environments,” she said. “This ration will replace the [First Strike Ration] and the 39% reduction in volume and 17% reduction in weight as compared to the [First Strike Ration] translates to warfighters being able to now carry five days’ worth of nutrition in a three-day footprint.”