REDCON1
Caramel Trail Mix (Mossy Oak)
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A rare meat‑based protein blend in a bar—beef, chicken, salmon, and egg—paired with plant proteins, real mix‑ins (oats, nuts, fruit), and a dessert‑like texture that reviewers routinely rank among the best.
When to choose REDCON1 Caramel Trail Mix (Mossy Oak)
Best for a post‑workout or on‑the‑go mini‑meal that feels like a treat but delivers 20g of protein. Not ideal if you avoid soy or dairy (there’s a touch in the coating), or if sugar alcohols bother your stomach.
What's in the REDCON1 bar?
REDCON1’s Caramel Trail Mix MRE‑style bar packs a lot into one wrapper: 20g of protein (near the 90th percentile) from a real‑food blend of beef, chicken, salmon, and egg, backed by pea and brown rice proteins and soy isolate, with a light touch of whey in the coating.
It’s a higher‑energy bar—26g carbs and 260 calories—built for staying power, not a tiny bite. The “trail mix” character comes through with crunchy gluten‑free pretzels, peanuts and almonds, cocoa, and pops of dehydrated blueberries and goji, while a caramel‑leaning sweetener system keeps sugars low.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 26 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Calories
- 260
Protein
2015HIGHProtein here is a true blend: complete animal proteins (beef, chicken, egg, salmon) are paired with pea and brown rice proteins, then boosted with soy protein isolate; a little whey rides along in the coating. That mix yields strong amino‑acid coverage and good digestibility, which fits the solid 20g per bar. If you avoid dairy or soy, note both are present, even if the whey is mostly in the outer layer.
Fat
109MIDMost fat comes from palm kernel/palm oils and a dose of MCT oil, with peanuts and almonds contributing softer, unsaturated fats. Palm‑based fats skew more saturated and can raise LDL for some, while MCTs are quickly used for energy rather than long storage. The nuts help balance things with vitamin E and monounsaturated fat, but this isn’t an olive‑oil‑forward profile.
Carbs
2620HIGHThe carbs are a mash‑up of whole and refined sources: dehydrated yam and sweet potato, oats, and real berries sit alongside maltodextrin, dextrose, brown rice syrup, and pretzel starches. Added soluble fibers (corn/tapioca) and sugar alcohols temper sugars a bit, yet the refined starches still bring quick energy. Expect a mixed release—some fast fuel with a steadier trickle from fiber.
Sugar
34MIDOnly 3g of sugar because sweetness leans on sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol), plant‑based glycerin, and a tiny dose of sucralose. There’s some regular sugar and brown rice syrup plus natural sugars from the blueberries/goji, but they’re kept modest. If you’re sensitive to polyols, watch for GI rumbling at higher intakes.
Calories
260210HIGHAt 260 calories (top quartile for bars), this is closer to a mini‑meal than a light snack. Those calories are spread across 20g protein, 26g carbs, and 10g fat; sugar alcohols and added fiber account for why sugar stays low without losing sweetness. Reach for it when you need substance, not just a nibble.
Vitamins & Minerals
No big vitamin hits—nothing tops 10% DV on the label. You’ll get small amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium from the grains, nuts, and proteins, and a touch of added vitamin A for color, but this isn’t a fortified multinutrient bar.
Additives
A modern ingredient toolbox keeps texture and sweetness on point: sugar alcohols and glycerin for softness and sweetness, soluble fibers for binding, lecithins and mono‑/diglycerides for texture, and potassium sorbate for shelf life. Effective, yes—but these are highly refined additives, not pantry staples, and some people find polyols hard on digestion.
Ingredient List
Meat from cattle
Yellow pea seeds
Brown rice grain
Domestic chicken muscle meat
Chicken eggs
Cold-water finfish
Ipomoea batatas storage root
Yellow and green peas
Blueberries
Lycium barbarum shrub fruit
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“1. RedCon MRE bars - German choc and cookies and cream - 20g protein, 20g carb. MRE bars are my go to, tho…”
“Do Redcon1 MRE Bars count? I love those. All flavors. Animal protein, sweet potato, unique ingredients.”
“I've tried the mre bars, pre workout and occasionally MOAB and have had great results.”
Main Praise
Taste and texture are the calling cards here. Fitness Informant gave the texture a “perfect score,” and the PricePlow crew praised the combo of a gentle outer bite with a soft center—easy to eat, no jaw fatigue.
On Reddit, None‑ya‑Business‑ called MRE bars their go‑to, and ClarkGriswoldsEggnog liked the animal‑protein angle and whole‑food inclusions. Over on Amazon, the bar sits at 4.
3 stars across more than 1,600 ratings, with two‑thirds of reviewers giving it five stars; German Chocolate and Cookies & Cream come up often as standouts.
Beyond flavor, people appreciate how satiating it is: the 20g protein plus a moderate 26g of carbs and 10g of fat make it feel closer to a mini‑meal than a light bite.
For those tired of the same old whey‑only profile, the real‑food protein blend is a refreshing change.
Main Criticism
Price is the first rub—reviewers routinely note it costs more than a typical bar, even if brand promos can soften it. The second is heft: several Redditors describe it as “more meal replacement than snack,” which is great when you’re hungry but not when you want something feather‑light.
Nutritionally, purists point to the use of refined carbs (like dextrose and maltodextrin) in the blend, and the sweetness leans on sugar alcohols and glycerin with a tiny dose of sucralose—helpful for keeping sugar low, but potentially rough on sensitive stomachs.
Ingredient‑avoidance folks also flag the presence of soy isolate and a touch of whey in the coating. And while flavor feedback is mostly positive, a few callouts—like a Banana Bread that didn’t scream banana—pop up.
The Middle Ground
So who’s right: the fans or the skeptics? Both, depending on what you want from a bar.
If you judge on chew, flavor, and staying power, MRE is a front‑runner; Fitness Informant’s “best texture I’ve ever had” is not faint praise, and Reddit’s None‑ya‑Business‑ keeping them as a staple echoes that sentiment.
If you want a super‑lean, minimalist‑ingredient bar, the mixed carb sources and modern sweeteners will feel like a compromise. And yes, it’s substantial—Redditors who say it leans meal‑replacement aren’t wrong; that’s the point of 260 calories with 20g of protein.
As for the “good marketing, meh product” take, the real‑food protein blend (beef, chicken, salmon, egg) is genuinely unusual in the category, and that uniqueness shows up in taste and satiety.
The open question is tolerance: if sugar alcohols give you trouble, or you’re avoiding soy or any dairy entirely, you may admire MRE from afar. Everyone else will likely find a bar that actually eats like food—on purpose.
What's the bottom line?
REDCON1’s MRE Bar is for the person who wants their bar to pull real duty: 20g of balanced, complete protein, a texture that feels like dessert, and enough calories to keep you moving between meals. The whole‑food bent—animal proteins with oats, nuts, and occasional fruit—sets it apart from the whey‑crispy sameness of the aisle, and the flavor/texture track record is legitimately strong. Trade‑offs?
It’s pricier than average, it’s not a low‑carb bar, and the sweetness strategy relies on sugar alcohols and glycerin, which some guts don’t love. There’s soy in the protein mix and a whisper of whey in the coating, so strict avoiders should pass. ” If you’re flavor‑curious, start with German Chocolate or Cookies & Cream; if you’re banking on a loud banana, set expectations accordingly.