REDCON1
Sprinkled Donut
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A rare meat‑first protein blend wrapped in a donut‑style coating that genuinely nails texture—soft center, crisp shell—while still delivering 20g of protein.
When to choose REDCON1 Sprinkled Donut
Best for a sweet‑leaning post‑workout bite or a hold‑you‑over mini‑meal (about 260 calories) if you’re okay with sugar alcohols and a highly formulated bar.
What's in the REDCON1 bar?
Sprinkled Donut doesn’t happen by accident.
REDCON1 builds this flavor around a whey‑coated layer, palm‑based oils, crunchy corn‑cereal “sprinkles,” a touch of sugar/corn syrup, and natural colors—while packing 20 grams of protein from an unusual meat‑first blend (beef, salmon, chicken) backed by egg white, soy, pea, and brown‑rice proteins.
It lands high in carbs and calories for a bar, with low sugars achieved by sugar alcohols and a pair of artificial sweeteners. Translation: a protein‑forward bar that eats like dessert and delivers quick energy, with the trade‑offs you’d expect from a heavily formulated treat.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Calories
- 260
Protein
2015HIGHThe 20g protein comes primarily from a mixed “real‑food” blend—beef, salmon, and chicken proteins plus egg white—rounded out with soy, pea, and brown‑rice proteins; a little whey in the donut‑style coating adds dairy and some lactose. Animal proteins and egg bring complete, highly digestible amino acids, while the plant proteins help round out the profile. Great coverage, but not suitable if you avoid dairy, fish, or eggs.
Fat
99MIDMost fat comes from palm and palm‑kernel oils used in the coating, with help from soybean oil, peanuts, almonds, and a touch of MCT oil. That means a mix of saturated fat (from palm) and heart‑healthy unsaturated fats (from nuts and soy). At 9 grams, it’s a mid‑range fat load that mainly supports texture and shelf life rather than delivering a “healthy fat” spotlight.
Carbs
2920HIGHCarbs are a mixed bag: whole‑food sources like gluten‑free oats and dehydrated yam/sweet potato sit alongside refined fast‑burners such as corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, corn cereal, and corn starch. Chicory‑root fiber adds some ballast, but the overall profile tilts toward quicker energy rather than slow release. Sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol) help keep sugars lower, though they can bother sensitive stomachs.
Sugar
64MIDOnly 6 grams of sugar, yet a donut‑level sweetness because most of the sweet taste is supplied by sugar alcohols and high‑intensity sweeteners rather than just table sugar. Added sugar and corn syrup do appear, and there’s natural sugar from blueberries/goji and some lactose from the whey coating. If you’re sensitive to polyols, keep portions modest to avoid GI rumblings.
Calories
260210HIGHAt 260 calories, this skews toward the higher‑energy end of the bar aisle. Most calories come from carbohydrates, with meaningful contributions from protein and a moderate amount of fat; fiber and sugar alcohols make the effective calorie tally a bit lower than straight math suggests. Think small meal replacement more than a light snack.
Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium stands out at about 20% of daily value, likely thanks to the whey‑based coating and other dairy solids. Sweet potato, goji, and added beta‑carotene lend a hint of provitamin A color, but not enough to register above 10% DV on the panel.
Additives
This bar leans on modern food tech: humectants to keep it soft, emulsifiers to hold it together, and preservatives for shelf life. Practically, that means glycerin, cellulose gum, lecithins, mono‑ and diglycerides, potassium sorbate, and a duo of artificial sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame potassium). It’s a polished, highly formulated bar rather than a short‑list, whole‑foods bar.
Ingredient List
Cattle hides, bones, or meat
Cold-water finfish
Domestic chicken muscle meat
Eggs
Brown rice grain
Yellow pea seeds
Oat grain
Ipomoea batatas storage root
Yellow and green peas
Blueberries
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 carry this bar. Reviewers repeatedly call MRE one of the best‑tasting lines in the category, with Sprinkled Donut hitting the “dessert without the crash” button more convincingly than most.
Independent testers praise the soft, easy‑to‑chew interior and light crunch from the coating—no jaw workout required. Fans also like the ingredient concept: animal proteins backed by oats and sweet potato for a more “food‑like” base than pure whey taffy.
Across flavors, there’s a pattern of reliability; Redditor None‑ya‑Business‑ keeps them as a go‑to, and Fitness Informant has rated the texture top tier in multiple roundups. For many, it’s a satisfying small meal that doesn’t feel like a compromise.
Main Criticism
Cost comes up often; compared to basic whey bars, MRE can be pricey, and not everyone thinks the premium is justified. A few users find the bars heavy—more meal replacement than snack—and the macro profile skews higher in carbs versus leaner, low‑carb bars.
The sweetness strategy relies on sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, which some people find too sweet or tough on digestion. Flavor hits aren’t universal either; one Redditor called out Banana Bread as under‑flavored, a reminder that variety doesn’t always equal perfection.
The Middle Ground
So where’s the truth? If you value flavor and mouthfeel, MRE is in rare company.
Fitness Informant calls the texture best‑in‑class, and PricePlow’s forum folks echo that the crunch‑meets‑soft combo is unusually satisfying. On the other hand, Redditors who say it feels “a little heavy” aren’t wrong: at around 260 calories with roughly 29g of carbs, it’s more mini‑meal than nibble.
The ingredient story is clever—meat, egg, and plants teaming up for complete protein—but it’s delivered via a modern, highly formulated recipe with a donut‑style coating and sugar alcohols. If you’re sensitive to polyols or prefer spartan labels, you may not love the ride.
And to the “not innovative” crowd: fair to say it’s not reinventing nutrition science, but a meat‑first blend that actually tastes like a donut is its own kind of innovation. As Reddit user ClarkGriswoldsEggnog might agree, the fun factor is part of the point.
What's the bottom line?
REDCON1’s MRE Bar in Sprinkled Donut is a dessert‑leaning protein bar that eats like a small meal and doesn’t apologize for it. You get 20g of protein from a meat‑first blend, a soft‑meets‑crisp texture that’s the star of the show, and a sweetness level that feels indulgent with only 6 grams of sugar. The trade‑offs are clear: a higher‑carb profile, a polished ingredient list with sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, and a price that sits above no‑frills whey bars.
If you prioritize taste and satiety, it’s easy to see why this line has loyalists. If you’re chasing ultra‑lean macros, avoiding fish/egg/dairy, or sensitive to polyols, there are better fits.
Listicle take: A donut‑tasting, meat‑powered bar with 20g of protein and a best‑in‑class texture. Great as a tasty post‑workout mini‑meal; less ideal if you’re low‑carb, additive‑averse, or polyol‑sensitive.