RedCon1 MRE: Military-Inspired Meal Replacement… That Tastes GREAT

We’ve all seen meal replacement powders, but how often are they made from REAL FOOD?

RedCon1 has released the ultimate military inspired meal replacement powder in MRE, and it’s got some very unique protein sources!

Ever since splashing on the scene in mid 2016, RedCon1 has been on a tear — steadily releasing new and exciting supplements each month. We’ve covered some of the highlights, including the best selling pre workout Total War and brain-boosting nootropic Mental Trigger.

The brand has essentially released all of the staples a company should — pre workout, fat burner, amino supplement, etc. Now they brand is setting their eyes on tackling a more meaty supplement — the meal replacement powder (MRP).

Keeping in line with the military theme of RedCon1, the brand has formulated a massive MRP, aptly titled MRE.

The MRE TL;DR

• 525 calories per serving
• Made of whole food sources like beef, salmon(!), chicken, eggs, and oats
• Dairy free
• 47g protein per serving

If the name didn’t get your attention, then surely the salmon and chicken proteins did!

We’ve got all the info down below, but first, take a minute to sign up for deal alerts with PricePlow and check the best deal using our coupons:

MRE Ingredients

MRE features an incredibly unique protein blend featuring Beef Protein, Chicken Protein, Salmon Protein.

Yes, this label says salmon on it! But rumor has it, the taste is downright ridiculous, so keep reading:

MRE is intended to provide the best possible nutrition when you’re on the go. With that, RedCon1 has included only whole food sources to provide the essential nutrients your body needs to repair and recover muscle tissue when you’re deployed.

• Rolled Oats

  A complex carbohydrate staple for all active individuals. Oats are a great source of fiber and minerals, and often recommended by dietitians as a method of improving cholesterol levels in the body.

  Some research has document that oats may even enhance cardiovascular health through the action of “avenanthramides”, a substance solely in oats. Avenanthramides defend against oxidation in the cardiovascular system that can be brought on by the presence of copper.^[1]

  Now, we’ve seen other “Real Food” products that primarily use oats for their carbs.. but those products don’t contain protein! A real MRE, of course, does. So here’s where RedCon1 brings it to the next level:

• Protein Blend

  

  MRE contains NO WHEY!
  A first we’ve seen for gainer and MRP style powders. This alone is a difference-maker, but wait til you see what it’s replaced with!

  MRE boasts a rather robust and comprehensive blend of proteins consisting of Beef Protein Isolate, Salmon Protein, Chicken Protein, Egg Albumin, Brown Rice Protein, and Pea Protein.

  This is obviously a mix you haven’t seen in a supplement, but it’s modeled after the real deal, bringing a diverse array of amino acids, fatty acid chains, and micronutrients not found on the label.

  Seeing beef isolate lead off the blend is a rather interesting and led us to ask where this protein was coming from – is it actually made from true beef flesh or is it lower-cost stuff like collagen from tendons?

  RedCon1 got back to us, briefly stating:

  “It’s a real beef isolate, beef off the bone.”

  — RedCon1

  Dairy Free!

  As for the rest of the blend, there’s no dairy (whey or casein), but the inclusion of salmon and chicken proteins makes for one of the most intriguing blends we’ve come across.

  The real question is…how does these flavors all add up together in the final product?! More on that in the quotes below!

  Why the unique profile?

  “We chose those protein sources because we wanted a real meal replacement to consist of real food. Plus some of the sources have never been used before so we wanted to make something different.”

  — RedCon1

  Talk about different – they definitely got that part right!

• Dehydrated Yam & Sweet Potato

  

  This is being marketed as a meal replacement, but could we go so far to call it a weight gainer if you added it to an already-level diet? We believe so.

  Sweet potato and yam comprise the other major portion of the fiber and carbohydrates in MRE. The two are sources of natural sugars (hence their sweetness) and both are a great (and tasty!) source of complex carbohydrates that aren’t readily stored as fat. In addition to contributing valuable micronutrients such as copper, manganese, and vitamin B6, these two also impart a unique taste as well as a slew of antioxidants!^[2]

  With yams added, you not only get the additional nutrients over the oats, but you require less artificial sweetening to make the product palatable. A win-win.

• The Rest

  Completing the rest of MRE’s ingredient panel is: Pea Starch, Coconut Water Powder, Dehydrated Blueberry, Dehydrated Goji, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, MCT Oil, Natural Flavor, Cellulose Gum, Cinnamon, Salt, Sucralose, Ace-K.

  The main point in listing all of these ingredients is to drive home the point that MRE consists predominantly of whole food sources, particularly the carbohydrate portion. Typically, other gainers and meal replacements on the market have some kind of cheap sugar as the first ingredient on the label — not the case with MRE.

  Another added benefit from whole food sources, is that they’ll be loaded with more micronutrients (vitamin, minerals, etc.), especially blueberries,^[3] than bulking up the powder with nothing but pure maltodextrin or dextrose.

Macros

Don’t let the price tag fool you – MRE saves you $145!!

Each serving (i.e. 4 scoops!) of MRE weighs in at a massive 130g and contains the following:

• Calories: 525
• Protein: 47g
• Carbs: 75g (5g sugar & 8g fiber)
• Fats: 4g (<1g saturated)

Flavors Available

Anyone who has tried a real MRE knows they’re far from the most appetizing food around. RedCon1 looks to change that though with their two flavors of:

• Blueberry Cobbler
• Sweet Potato Pie

These are two flavors we can get behind and look forward to taste-testing them with the crew…

More on the flavoring

As any veteran can tell you, most MREs are not fun to eat! So it’s a fun name, but will the flavor follow?

And does it taste like salmon and chicken?!

So we asked team RedCon1 and this is what they had to say:

Q: Does it taste like salmon or chicken at all? A: “Not at all. The Blueberry Cobbler tastes like you smashed up a blueberry muffin in a shake, it’s amazing.

When you take the fat out of the Salmon it pretty much loses all of the fishy smell. Glanbia has had this salmon protein for a few years now and no one has adopted it. I’m sure it’s due to the fear it tastes like fish but quite the opposite.”

— RedCon1

On the competition

This isn’t the first real-food-based supplement out there, of course. So how does this compare against the competition?

It’s best if you hear it from RedCon’s mouth, who add some humor to the mix:

“You have REAL FOOD and FAST FOOD, both of which are mainly just carbs and not meal replacements. So when we started talking about MRE it became THE REAL FAST FOOD product.”

— RedCon1

Takeaway

Have you checked our new RedCon1 coupon and deals page to stay up to date on their latest promotions?

This is one of the most unique products we’ve seen come out this year. Anytime someone puts salmon into a supplement, you know it’s going to turn heads. You’ll have to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see how it tastes, because this one’s impossible to gauge.

RedCon1 has delivered another solid offering for their “soldiers” in the field (gym). MRE delivers a beefy, filling meal replacement powder that’s high in protein and carbs, and low in fat. The protein blend leaves us with a burning question as to the type and quality of beef isolate used, but overall, another quality product from RedCon1.