Attention!! Today we’re looking at another high protein shake in this Redcon1 MRE review.

Redcon1 is a supplement company that provides a large suite of products geared towards fitness. They offer energy, hydration, fat burners and mass gainers alongside the requisite bars and shakes.

Designed to support recovery and growth, MRE is all about whole foods, sourcing five different animal-based protein sources. Uniquely and somewhat surprisingly, whey is not one of them.

Redcon1’s high powered MRE shake comes in at 47g of protein, 75g of carbs, 4g of fat, at only 530 calories per serving. It looks like the ideal high calorie meal shake for anyone that wants to put on some lean mass. But how good is MRE really, and does it offer a healthy alternative to other popular mass gainers?

Time to take a hard look at MRE to see if it will move up the ranks, or get tossed in the brig!

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Flavors: Vanilla Milkshake, Peanut Butter Cookie, Waffles & Syrup, Banana Nut Bread, Blueberry Cobbler, Strawberry Shortcake, Fudge Brownie, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream

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For those who are unfamiliar, an MRE is a “meal ready to eat”, which is a self-contained ration that can be eaten without any prep by those in the US armed forces. Since Redcon1 (like many others) is going for a super military theme, I guess it makes sense.

However, in this case, they offer a powder-based meal replacement shake to fuel your workouts and your busy lifestyle.

Redcon1 MRE one is far different from many other meal replacements I’ve tried – which often tend to be fully plant-based- considering the wide range of animal protein in it. We’re all used to the pea, soy, milk and whey options in most products, but this a bit of uncharted territory for me personally. They even have some protein sources from items on my allergy list, but with it just being the protein from them, I think I’ll be ok. I HOPE I’ll be ok.

Medal of Honor

1. Super high protein. Up to 47g per serving will have you hitting your protein goal in no time

2. Availability. Sold at a variety of stores locally.

3. Great tasting. Flavor was spot on.

4. Fills you up. With its high volume, count on being full after a shake.

5. 30% Subscription.

Dishonorably Discharged

1. Multiple artificial sweeteners. Sucralose and Acesulfame will be non-starter for some.

2. Allergen heavy. Contains milk, eggs and fish

3. Many micronutrients not included. I think they should market as protein powder only.

4. Requires a blender or large shaker.

The hallmark of MRE is its high protein from varied sources, mostly animal protein. When I say animal protein, I don’t mean milk or whey-based, but chicken protein and beef protein among other sources.

Also of note is the high carbohydrates content which is notably higher than some others we’ve reviewed.

It is clear that MRE Whole Food meal replacement shakes are intended towards a more active crowd, mostly those who are looking to bulk or consume many calories in one meal.

MRE Nutrition Overview

Kcal/meal	530
Macros (C/P/F)	58/35/7
Vegan	No
Keto	No
Features	Soy Free, Whey Free
Non-GMO	No
Organic	No
Includes Probiotics	No
Artificial Sweeteners	Yes
Synthetic Additives	Yes
Contains All Micronutrients	No
Controversial Ingredients	Sucralose, Acesulfame, Artificial Flavors,

Carbohydrates

Per 530kcal serving:

• Total Carbs: 75g, 27% of DV.
• Net Carbs: 67g, (Total Carbs – Dietary Fiber – Non-digestible Carbs)
• Sugars: 5g, 8% of DV
• Fiber: 8g, 28% of DV.

As with many mass gainers, carbs are an essential part of the MRE mix. It contains 75g of carbs per serving mostly from rolled oats!

This provides you with a slow release source of quality carbohydrates that also contain essential vitamins and minerals.

Oats are also rich in fiber, but MRE contains sweet potato and pea starch to increase the fiber content to 8g per serving.

Protein

Per 530kcal serving:

• Total Protein: 47g, 94% of DV
• Source(s): Milk, Eggs, Salmon, Chicken, Beef, Brown Rice & Pea Protein

Ok, what protein source is not included in MRE!? You have animal and plant protein providing a whopping 47g of protein per serving!

Of interest as mentioned earlier, they’ve opted to forego whey protein, due to it being hard to digest by some.

While this is a sure way to get all the essential amino acids, it’s weird not to include such a top quality protein like whey.

Fats

Per 530kcal serving:

• Total Fats: 4g, 5% of DV.
• Saturated Fats: 1g, 2% of DV.

This is where MRE falls off as a meal replacement. The best meal replacements will be a good source of healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are not only essential for brain development, but their anti-inflammatory properties can enhance muscle recovery and prevent injuries.

Fats are also essential to protect our organs, support cell function, act as hormone precursors etc. Thus, it’s important to incorporate enough fats in your diet.

MRE does include some MCTs, in form of MCT oil powder, but it’s only 1g. Not only it’s a low amount to notice any benefits, but we don’t know if this is top tier MCTs. Higher quality MCT oils and powders contain more short chain (C6 and C8) fatty acids and less of the longer ones.

Micronutrients

Despite going so big in the macros, the micronutrients are lacking. Outside of 10% (1.9mg) of iron, there are none to speak of.

This is rather disappointing, as vitamins and minerals have essential roles in energy production, muscle synthesis promotion, and overall health. While providing micronutrients from natural sources can be harder, it does reduce the nutritional quality of MRE shakes.

Allergens

All flavors contain milk, eggs and fish, and one flavor contains peanuts. There are quite a few allergens and would not be suitable for those with sensitivities.

As my avid readers know (do I even have avid readers??) I have two major allergies, one being seafood. Not just shellfish, but basically anything that swims. Now while MRE does contain salmon protein, I think I should be ok, if not…let this be my last will and testament.

The serving sizes are unlike anything I’ve seen before. One serving is four scoops, and while it is a light and fluffy powder, that still seems like a lot. But anyway, I opted for the peanut butter cookie flavor and will mix it with 450ml of Fairlife lactose free milk.

The shake was not as thick as I thought it would be considering the amount of powder used. The result was a decently thick shake, that had a very oaty texture. I had to shake for a while and used a larger shaker bottle to accommodate the contents.

How did it taste? Very good actually, it really did taste like PB cookies. It was a bit sweeter than I would have liked, but it was spot on. And as expected, the shake was super filling. I had it in the evening and I was done for the night.

The next day, I had it again, but this time with only two scoops. Even with the same amount of milk, it tasted just as good, and was still pretty filling. This will likely be my go to.

Redcon1 is a supplement company that aims to create the highest quality supplements. It was founded by Aaron Singerman from Luisiana. Singerman was a personal trainer before diving full on into the supplement industry and founding Redcon 1.

According to the company page, here are the values that they follow:

• Innovation
• Constant Improvement
• Dedication
• Highest Efficacy
• Inspiration
• Confidence on who you are and your goals
• Relentless
• Uncompromising
• Authentic
• Competitive

Pricing

MRE can be found online from their website, or from other online retailers like Amazon, and Walmart. If you prefer to buy local, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and Walmart all carry the MRE line.

The subscription discount is a nice 30% and the product ships monthly.

Product	Total Price Non-Sub/Sub	Serving Price Non-Sub/Sub
MRE (25 servings)	$80/$56	$3.20/$2.24

The ultimate price is a little bit different as Redcon1 might charge you taxes and/or shipping fees (see below).

Is Redcon1 MRE Worth It?

In terms of pricing, MRE Meal Replacement Supplement is quite competitive, considering that for $2.2 you can have a 500kcal meal.

That said, due to the shortcomings in nutrition, I would say that there are better high protein meal replacement shakes out there like Instant Knockout, Huel Black, or Holfood. All of these will offer 35g of protein or more per 400kcal, and provide you with all essential nutrients.

When it comes to high calorie shakes, I like Total Mass Extreme or Naked Mass gainer more.

Shipping

Shipping is not free for MRE and can get pricey. No international shipping is offered at this time.

One tub, using standard shipping is $6.99, but if ordering two tubs, will balloon $28 for UPS Ground, which becomes the default shipping option. A quote of over $100 was given for 2-day shipping.

Also, it appears that Redcon1 also is charging for taxes to your state. These of course varied, but the charge was always there.

MRE Customer Reviews

Redcon1 MRE is available both in their own website and on Amazon. therefore, there are many user reviews that we can read in order to see what other customers think about MRE Whole Protein.

Customer MRE Reviews on the Site

Perhaps not surprisingly, the customer MRE reviews on the Redcon1 website are overwhelmingly positive with 4.9 stars in 2200 reviews.

Most customers praise the incredible taste of the MRE shakes, which we agree with.

Absolutely fantastic flavor and results! Huge fan of your products!

Christopher H.

Customer MRE Amazon Reviews

As you can see, Redcon1 MRE is highly rated by verified purchasers on Amazon. Positive reviews cite the flavors, quality, ingredients, value and how filling it is. Critical reviews mentioned quality control, being hard to mix, the overall texture or how poorly it made them feel after drinking it.

First and foremost, the taste of this protein powder is simply outstanding. The blueberry cobbler flavor is rich and authentic, reminiscent of a warm, freshly baked dessert. The balance between the sweetness of the blueberries and the subtle tartness is spot-on, making it a delightful treat for the taste buds. It truly feels like indulging in a guilty pleasure while actually providing essential nutrients for muscle recovery.

One of the standout features of the MRE Blueberry Cobbler Protein Powder is its high-quality protein blend. It combines whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, beef protein isolate, salmon protein, and egg albumin to provide a complete amino acid profile. This blend ensures that your muscles receive a steady supply of essential amino acids, promoting muscle growth and recovery.

5-stars, Michael Thompson

Be aware that the Banana flavor does not seem very popular, and has many reviews stating that it’s the worst flavor available:

First off I liked the vanilla one my bf got more then this one I tried it at work and almost threw up everywhere it’s tasted so weird and the smell is nauseating just thinking about it makes me so scared. I was so excited to try it and hopefully put on some weight but this really discouraged me but I did mix it with water so gross gross

3-stars, Kaytlyn

Finally, I thought that it was worth to include this fantastic review:

Wow the MRE meal replacement line is AMAZING. Due to issues with my spleen I had to start eating healthier. I’ve gone through countless different shakes. Feeling too hungry having to figure out what I need to add to keep my macros balanced. IF YOU TRACK MACROS THIS IS PERFECT. I’m 5’8″ 230lb and 2 shakes is almost exactly 2/3 of my daily needs. Drink them over 1-2 hours (morning into snack and lunch into snack). And I’m full most the time. Balanced dinner and coffee around bed and with out in increase in activity I’ve dropped 50lbs in 6ish months.

Pros
1. Tastes amazing. Not just good for a shake. But wow this is really good.
2. Mixes very well. Handheld shaker with ball and no clumps. The vortex rechargeable shaker mini blinder like thingy will mix 4 scoops. Just don’t move slow because towards the end it slows(mostly the thicker ones oatmeal chocolate chip and Dutch apple pie. Strawberry shortcake and blueberry cobbler are thinner and blend nicely)
3. The flavors are SPOT on(strawberry shortcake. Apple pie. Blueberry cobbler and oatmeal CC are what I’ve had)
4. Really about the best price I could find and it’s an amazing product. 2 shakes a day M-F and random ones on weekend or if I’m starving before bed and I get about 2 weeks out of it. Lunch $5/day M-F for 2 weeks is $50 covers lunch and bfast and better for me. Win win.

Cons kind of.
1. The lid does like it binds and makes me think it’s closed for it to drop a foot off the counter or worse the floor then it wastes some.
2. Some get really think with 4 scoops and ice and my little ninja mixer is about 2oz of water shy of what it really needs. Bigger mixer or shaker and that goes away.
3. Doesn’t rinse the easiest but use a sponge or bottle brush or you have a few specs of rolled oats that believe the sidewall of the cup is it’s proper place.
4. Because the rolled oats there IS texture but far better than most but it’s not the gritty texture. Blender with ice will remove most of it. Strawberry shortcake and blueberry cobbler are thinner and had less texture and I just mix with water

Favorites
1.blueberry cobbler
2.strawberry shortcake
3.dutch apple pie and oatmeal CC
Have YET to try the others.

Overall a product that will stay on auto order even once I get to my weight goal for the sheer ease of feeding myself during the workweek. Saving money and time and gas. Redcon thoroughly thank you for this. For someone who needed to do something for health reasons you made keeping my macros balanced so much easier with probably one of if not the best meal replacement shakes I’ve had. And the variety of flavors help with getting burnt out of the taste.

5-stars

MRE is only one product of a robust product line that includes a bar, an RTD, snacks and the equally as popular MRE Lite which boasts far fewer calories and carbs per serving.

It’s worth noting, that while this is a fantastic protein-based line, these products are not meal replacements -as their name might suggest – and are not complete nutritionally, unlike a brand like Huel.

Some Plant Based Alternatives

Huel Black, a LatestFuels legend can trade punches with MRE. With 40g of plant-based protein, fewer calories, and lower carbs, its certainly able to hold its own, minus the beef, chicken and fish.

Ka’Chava, arguably our highest-rated meal replacement on the site, is a great alternative for MRE Lite. While not as carb conscience as MRE Lite, Kachava comes in with 25g of protein at only 240 calories. Plus, Kachava is all natural with no artificial ingredients.

On the RTD front, the Elite Pro Shake by OWYN is a great option. Where this shake really shines is from the company’s focus on being allergen free and easy to digest by all. Also with no artificial ingredients, and with 32g of protein, definitely worth a look.

If you’re looking for a bar replacement, check out Aloha. They are organic and have 14g of protein.

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Verdict – Redcon1 MRE

Another day, another shake from another type-A fitness company.

Overall, MRE was pretty decent. It tasted good, was filling and the texture didn’t bother me too much. So on its face all seems well, right? Wrong.

My biggest issue is the fast and loose marketing of this as a meal replacement. It. Is. Not. And I feel they are trying to play with that wording to market towards more than just the gym rats.

MRE is a good mass gainer, but it is not a good source of omega-3, vitamins and minerals. These are essential nutrients that we are missing in our diets, and can seriously affect our health and sports performance.

Another issue, and I’ve mentioned this before, is the use of multiple artificial sweeteners. One is bad enough, but two just seems unnecessary. Does one do something the other doesn’t? Serious question. I mentioned it being a bit too sweet, and that could be the reason why. MRE has some decent ingredients, but this almost negates that.

Bottom Line: Redcon1 MRE is a tasty and filling PROTEIN powder. One I can finish, but its coinflip if I’d buy again.