Steak, lobster and guacamole might not spring to mind as war rations, but the larger US bases in Afghanistan have an impressive array of "chow" to fuel their troops for the fight.

At Forward Operating Base Fenty in the country's east, soldiers can choose from a well-stocked salad bar, make their own bagel sandwich and try speciality feasts such as Mongolian barbecues and Mexican meals with all the trimmings.

"It's a very exotic collection of pre-packaged food," said Sergeant Jonathan Arthur, who -- perhaps overwhelmed by choice -- tucked into an eclectic lunch of burger, samosas, bacon, vegetables and grapes.

They may be thousands of miles away but there is plenty to remind the forces of home, from packets of beef jerky and Otis Spunkmeyer muffins to full American breakfasts served up by the subcontracted kitchen team.

Friday's "surf'n'turf" was a favourite with some troops, although others turned their noses up at the "frozen" seafood offerings and were more excited about pizza night in the dining facility, known as the DFAC or "chow hall".

"They do a good job actually, they really do, and they have a good variety so I really can't complain," said Lieutenant Colonel Mary Newman in the airforce combat stress team, who was partial to the cookies'n'cream ice-cream.

General Stanley McChrystal banned fast-food outlets as unseemly for a war zone while serving as US commander in Afghanistan, but General David Petraeus reversed that decision after taking over when McChrystal was sacked in 2010.

Today FOB Fenty, with nearly 3,000 people, houses a cafe run by Green Beans Coffee Company, which operates on a number of US army sites. The massive Bagram Airfield, home to 30,000 US troops and contractors, even boasts a Pizza Hut.

But culinary options are more limited up on smaller and more remote bases in rugged and hard-to-reach corners, such as Combat Outpost Monti in northeastern Kunar province near the Pakistani border.

Here military men themselves do the cooking, but their reliance on helicopter deliveries each week makes it hard to obtain certain food items and keep the menu varied, according to head chef Sergeant Carl Jones.

"Some things are already seasoned, you know, boil-in-the-bag type of stuff, so it cuts back on your creativity."

Despite this, Jones -- now on his third deployment to Afghanistan -- is happy to be fulfilling his lifetime ambition of feeding the frontline fighters.

"Food is a big morale booster, probably one of the most important morale factors out in this environment," the 42-year-old said.

"So good food puts smiles on their face and a lot of them come by and say, 'Sergeant Jones you made my day', and that's what the reward is."

Given the alternative, it is little wonder Jones' cuisine goes down well.

Out on long missions, troops are limited to MREs, or "Meals Ready to Eat": calorie-filled meal packets with water-activated chemical heaters inside.

"Some come with breakfast, some are vegetarian... 24 different meals you can choose from," said Warrant Officer Leethornya Deal, a food service advisor back at FOB Fenty.

"The most popular MRE since I've been in the army is the spaghetti 'cause it keeps going on, it never stops."

But troops sounded less than impressed with the ready meals.

"Disgusting," was one frank verdict. "I hate MREs," was another. "They're not bad but I'd rather not eat 'em," was the most favourable response.

They may not be popular, but keeping the MREs flowing is a full-time job for Deal, who described his team as the "eyes and ears" for food service across a swathe of eastern Afghanistan -- from maintaining water supplies to sourcing halal meals prepared in accordance with Islamic dietary law.

"We do all the ordering for that stuff here on Fenty and we facilitate all the other battalions out there."

And keeping the forces well fed doesn't come cheap, with a basic daily food allowance of roughly $14 a head, according to Deal. With about 100,000 US forces in Afghanistan, that could top $500 million a year.

"It can go up and down between the seasons," said Deal.

A logistical challenge but crucial for the troops, the chow halls provide a welcome break from the rigours of military life.

"You look forward to it because besides that it's work," said Sergeant Sua Iakopo at FOB Fenty. "It's like some of the most important downtime you have, just to go and get something to eat."