IO Genix Protein Doughnut - Artisanal Protein Donut

What is the IO Genix Protein Doughnut?

IO Genix Protein Doughnut is a ready-to-eat filled doughnut, sold singly. One 70 g doughnut provides 9 g of protein for 277 kcal, with 25 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of fat. There are four recipes, with different fillings — praline, speculoos, white chocolate — and the composition varies from one version to another.

What sets this product apart from a bakery doughnut comes down to the first ingredient on its list: egg white comes top, ahead of the flours. That is highly unusual for a pastry, and it is what explains the product's protein-to-calorie ratio. A whey protein concentrate rounds out the contribution.

Two other formulation choices are worth flagging: the absence of palm oil, replaced by sunflower and soya oils, and the use of maltitol as a sweetener in place of part of the sugar. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix aisle, and the other snacks of this kind in our protein snacks aisle.

What does a Protein Doughnut contain?

The per 100 g column is calculated from the per-doughnut values published by the manufacturer.

9 g of protein for 277 kcal works out at around 13% of the product's energy: the European threshold of 12% is cleared, so the “source of protein” claim applies. For a doughnut, that is remarkable. The comparison with a bakery pastry of the same weight speaks for itself: that one generally provides 4 to 5 g, for a calorie total that is often higher.

Several rows in the table are still empty, and we are not going to fill them in. The manufacturer publishes neither the sugars content, nor the saturates content, nor the salt content, and simply states the presence of fibre without giving the amount. These are figures that must appear on the packaging: the label on the product you receive is what counts, and it is the one to read if you are counting precisely.

An honest word on what these numbers say. This doughnut is still a pastry: 277 kcal, 25 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of fat is not a light food. Its added value is real but limited to one specific point: it provides twice as much protein as a standard doughnut, without palm oil, and with part of the sugar replaced by maltitol. It is an improvement, not a transformation.

Maltitol, for its part, deserves a word of explanation. It is a polyol, that is to say a bulk sweetener. It provides fewer calories than sugar and does not raise blood glucose in the same way, but it is not calorie-free and how well it is tolerated digestively varies from person to person.

Ingredients list (white chocolate version)

EGG white, vegetable oils (sunflower, SOYA), humectant (glycerine), white chocolate cream 15% [inulin fibre, sunflower vegetable oil, MILK proteins, maize starch, rice flour, HAZELNUT paste 9%, sunflower vegetable fat, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), natural vanilla flavouring], WHEAT flour, wholegrain oat flour, whey protein concentrate (MILK), sweetener (maltitol), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, sodium pyrophosphate).

Contains EGGS, MILK, GLUTEN, SOYA and NUTS (hazelnut).

Careful — one allergen point to state clearly: the filling of the white chocolate version contains 9% hazelnut paste, which makes nuts a full ingredient and not a mere trace, contrary to what the manufacturer's generic wording suggests. If you are allergic to nuts, this version is strictly not recommended for you, and the label on the unit you receive is the only reference for the other recipes.

How should you eat the Protein Doughnut?

Serving: 1 doughnut of 70 g. Preparation: none, the product is ready to eat. Timing: within 30 minutes after training, or as a snack during the day. Frequency: one unit per serving, according to your eating plan. Storage: in a dry place, away from light, tightly resealed after opening.

There is nothing to prepare, and that is the whole point of the format. A doughnut in a gym bag settles the question of the post-session snack with no shaker, no water and no washing-up.

The slot where this product makes the most sense is after training. The 25 g of carbohydrate and 9 g of protein find their place there in a training day, whereas the same doughnut eaten at ten at night in front of the television is simply a pastry. It is not a question of composition, it is a question of timing.

It goes very well with a coffee or a tea, as the manufacturer suggests. Do avoid, however, stacking it with a protein shake within the same half hour: 9 g of protein plus 25 g of whey is a high protein total in a single serving, and it brings nothing extra.

On the calorie side, count it as a substantial snack: 277 kcal is more than a standard protein bar. On a day when you are watching the total, you need to make room for it rather than adding it on top.

Lastly, reseal the wrapper carefully if you do not finish the unit: this type of product dries out quickly in the open air, and its soft texture is precisely what sets it apart from a bar.

Who is the Protein Doughnut suitable for, and who is it not suitable for?

It suits anyone looking for an indulgent snack after a session, anyone who struggles to eat enough protein during the day, and those who have grown tired of protein bars. It also works very well during a bulking phase, where the 277 kcal become an asset rather than a constraint.

It is not suitable for people allergic to eggs, milk proteins, gluten, soya or nuts. These are main ingredients here and not traces: egg white at the top of the list, wheat flour, whey protein, soya oil, and hazelnut paste in the filling of the white chocolate version. It is the product in this range with the heaviest allergen list.

Nor is it suitable for vegans, or for people sensitive to polyols because of the maltitol. And if you are strictly watching your carbohydrates, 25 g per unit is a figure that counts: a drier protein snack will suit you better, over in our protein bars.

The manufacturer points out that this product is not a substitute for a balanced meal and should form part of a varied diet. It also states that it contains sugar in addition to maltitol.

What not to expect from it: it is not a slimming product, and it is not “sugar-free”. It is a pastry that is better built than average, with twice as much protein and no palm oil. If your goal is a high protein intake for a minimum of calories, a protein powder or a high-content bar is what you should turn to.

Protein doughnut or protein cookie?

Both play in the same register — the baked treat that provides protein — and they are separated not by composition but by use.

A protein cookie is generally denser, drier, and keeps better in a bag. It often provides more protein per unit. It is the better choice for the snack that spends three days in a rucksack pocket.

The doughnut is banking on the soft texture and the filling, which no cookie can offer. It is the choice of enjoyment, the one that genuinely replaces a bakery pastry rather than offering a diet version of one. It does, on the other hand, keep less well once opened.

Two other options exist depending on your constraint. If it is carbohydrate you are watching, a brownie made with almond flour comes in a great deal lower. And if you want total control over the ingredients, making your own pancakes from oat flour works out considerably cheaper — at the cost of the pan and the ten minutes that go with it.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein is there in one doughnut?

9 g in a 70 g unit, which is around 13% of the product's energy. That level clears the European threshold of 12% that allows the “source of protein” claim. A bakery pastry of the same weight generally provides half as much.

Does it contain palm oil?

No. The fat comes from sunflower and soya oils, and the manufacturer makes an explicit selling point of it in its formulation. It is a real difference from most industrially made pastries.

Does it contain nuts?

Yes in the white chocolate version, whose filling contains 9% hazelnut paste: that is an ingredient, not a trace. The other versions have different fillings. If you are allergic to nuts, you must read the label on the unit you receive.

How much sugar is there per doughnut?

The manufacturer does not publish this value, and we are not going to invent it. It does state, however, that the recipe contains sugar in addition to maltitol, a bulk sweetener. The exact content must appear on the product packaging.

What is maltitol?

It is a polyol, a bulk sweetener that replaces part of the sugar. It provides fewer calories and raises blood glucose less than sugar does, but it is not calorie-free, and how well it is tolerated digestively varies from person to person. Eating a lot of it can upset sensitive guts.

When should you eat it?

The manufacturer recommends the 30 minutes following training, and that is indeed the moment when its 25 g of carbohydrate and 9 g of protein make the most sense. As an ordinary snack during the day, it works too, bearing its 277 kcal in mind.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes for vegetarians, the protein coming from egg and milk. It is not suitable for vegans. Nor is it suitable for coeliacs: wheat flour is a main ingredient in the recipe.

Where can you buy the IO Genix Protein Doughnut?

The various versions can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product in front of which we always run through the allergen list: four recipes, four fillings, and hazelnut paste in one of them — checking is better done at the counter than at the first bite. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.