This article by Matthew M. Burke originally appeared on Stripes.com. Stars and Stripes serves the U.S. military community by providing editorially independent news and information around the world.

The pork sausage patty is out and buffalo chicken is in, as the Pentagon is set to dish up revamped field rations with more protein-filled snacks and caffeine starting next year.

Unpopular prepackaged items in Meals, Ready to Eat will be axed in 2026, the Defense Department said in a statement Monday. That includes beef taco filling and a second meat patty, the jalapeno pepper jack.

Replacing those three things will be buffalo chicken, Cuban-style beef picadillo with vegetables and a Thai-style red curry with chicken and rice, the statement said.

More snack fare packed with protein is also on the way in the form of new s’mores recovery bars and freeze-dried chocolate peanut butter bites.

Developers in the Army’s Combat Feeding Division in Natick, Mass., worked to reduce weight and volume while maintaining the same number of calories and nutritional value.

[RELATED: Naval Academy Keeps Bragging Rights in Annual College Rankings]

The updated MREs will include new caffeinated options like beverages, gum and jelly beans, as well as energy chews and gels.

“What we’ve noticed is caffeine is one of the least consumed items in the MRE,” Julie Edwards, a senior technologist in the Combat Feeding Division, said in the statement.

“Previous generations were big coffee drinkers, but the newer generation of soldiers are not.”

Troops will also receive a larger, more resilient towelette, the statement said.

The Pentagon annually assesses and changes the lineup of MREs, which are handed out to troops in the field. The changes were the result of service member feedback.

The process of changing a meal item takes about four years, said Edwards, who is also a registered dietitian. Before hitting the field for evaluation, all new items must still be edible after six months at 100 degrees Fahrenheit and three years at 80 degrees.

[RELATED: Current, Former Officers Spearhead NASA’s New Astronaut Class]

Researchers meet with service members to find out what they like, and then focus groups led by behavioral psychologists follow up on the initial feedback. Decisions are then made by service leaders on the Joint Services Operational Rations Forum.

The Feeding Division is already working on offerings for 2027. Plant-based animal crackers, a new recovery bar, a protein bar and fruit-flavored cereal are among the possibilities, the statement said.

Also in 2027, plant-based entrees will also replace the four vegetarian meals currently available.

“Any new item that we get that can help bring variety and increase acceptability is important,” Edwards said. “We know that eating an MRE isn’t everyone’s No. 1 thing. But we want to make it safe to eat — that’s our No. 1 priority — and then to make it taste good as well.”