It actually has a kind of fakey/chemically flavor to it (if I remember it's usually apple flavor?), but for some reason it's still good, and the moistness and texture of the cake is exceptional. I wish they just sold those pound cakes by themselves.
Annoyingly expensive per-calorie, of course.
Also, the First Strike apple cinnamon energy bar was just as good as top-tier civilian energy bars.
Entrees were a bit rougher.
But as my dad paraphrased re: Boy Scouts, 'Hunger is a helluva spice. Because I know none of us could cook worth a damn, but I don't remember a single bad meal.'
Another fun thing as a kid was lighting the gas on fire that was emitted by the chemical heaters.