“Meals ready to eat” they’re not. The City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, is leading an effort to send injured soldiers returning from Iraq and other places New York-style food baskets including jams from Zabar’s and chevre from Murray Cheeses, a council spokesman, Anthony Hogrebe, said.

Ms. Quinn visited recuperating veterans at the Intrepid Center in San Antonio, Texas, who mostly complained about missing food from home. After her visit she organized the care packages and had her council colleagues sign a giant greeting card addressed to the soldiers.

Compared with the standard military fare, called Meals Ready To Eat — a starchy meal of crackers, cheese, peanut butter and jelly, to be eaten with a plastic spoon — the bagels from Zabar’s, Middle Eastern treats from Sahadi’s in Brooklyn, and cannolis from Dominick’s Bakery Café in the council’s care baskets will likely be well received.

The founder of the Zagat Survey, Tim Zagat, who helped with the packages, said, “This is the least we can do for our fellow New Yorkers who have given so much for our country.”