Although it’s likely to bring a tear to the eye of the average sports nutritionist, at Cyclist we often can’t resist the temptation to jam our jersey pockets with food for our ride based on how nice it tastes rather than whether it’s delivering the perfect nutritional balance. We’rew sure we’re not alone in this so we gathered together a selection of sporty treats that all do a pretty good impression of something you might actually like to snack on while still managing to deliver a decent enough amount of energy for you to keep turning the pedals. We then ate them and rated them on how much they made us go ‘yum’ – the universally recognised scientific method for rating stuff that tastes good!
Clif Bar energy bar - 8.7/10
Available in a huge range of flavours – including Choc Chip, Blueberry Crisp, and Peanut Butter – these flapjacks retain a home-made flavour and texture thanks to the use of only natural ingredients, including organic oats. We particularly like the raisin and walnut ones as those including choc chips can be a bit sickly if eaten in large quantities. Suitable for vegans.
£1.59 per 68g, clifbar.co.uk
PowerBar Energize Wafer Bar - 9/10
Like those wafer biscuits your nan would trot out alongside a cup of tea, except that unlike Happy Shopper’s own brand, these have C2MAX Dual Source Carb Mix with a special ratio of glucose and fructose sources. A little dry, they’re nevertheless easy to eat unlike some energy bars, even when freezing. Choose from Berry Yoghurt and Chocolate Peanut. Suitable for vegetarians.
£1.50 per 42g serving, powerbar.eu
Torq Recovery Bar - 8/5.10
These bars pack in 13.5g of whey protein to help your muscles build and recover after exercise. You’ll definitely want to save them for post-ride snacking as they require a fair bit of chewing to get down. Luckily, they’re tasty enough that this isn’t much of a chore. We particularly liked the crispy bits. Available in cocoa and vanilla flavours. Suitable for vegetarians.
£2.50 per 65g serving, torqfitness.co.uk
Honey Stinger Energy Bar - 7.5/10
This peanut butter and honey number is definitely one for those with a sweet tooth. Think of an American Butterfinger candy bar, but with a more natural flavour. The slightly salty taste helps offset what might otherwise be a cloying level of sweetness and will have added electrolyte benefits if you get some water down at the same time. Suitable for vegetarians.
£1.66 per 50g serving, 2pure.co.uk
TREK Flapjacks - 9/10
Packing in a solid 10g of plant-derived protein, these natural-tasting bars are great for snacking on throughout the day. Best saved for longer, more sedate rides they’ve a pleasingly home-made texture. Each bar breaks into three easily manageable chunks, making them ideal for grazing rather than snaffling down in one go. Flavours include Cocoa Oat, Cocoa Coconut, Oat Raisin and Banana Bread. Suitable for vegans.
£1 per 50g, naturalbalancefoods.co.uk
OTE Duo Bar - 7.5/10
Like a Rice Krispies cake for your riding, each bar contains 40g of carbohydrate and 9g of protein. Split into equal-sized pieces, they’re far less dense than a regular bar despite containing a similar amount of carbohydrate. They’re a lot less effort to eat than some chewy energy bars, too, which is good when your head knows you need to take on food but your stomach is less willing. Suitable for vegetarians.
£1.85 per 65g serving, otesports.co.uk
Torq Chew - 8/10
These gluten-free chews are cold-pressed from organic ingredients. Which is good because to hot-press a bar-type snack is now considered terribly crass. Although very sweet, thanks in part to their 2:1 glucose/fructose formulation, they still taste of actual fruit – either mango or pineapple – which is nice. Suitable for vegetarians.
£1.85 per 39g serving, torqfitness.co.uk
Honey Stinger Cherry Blossom Organic Chews - 10/10
These are some of the nicest tasting cycling sweets. Small and easy to swallow, they derive their energy from organic tapioca syrup and honey and they’re also gluten-free. Not too chewy, they're easy to get down even when you’re feeling the onset of ‘the bonk’ and should get to work quickly thanks to their multiple carbohydrate sources. Suitable for vegetarians.
£1.73 per 50g serving, 2pure.co.uk
PowerBar PowerGel Shots - 9/10
Five of these little chews add up to one of Powerbar’s standard energy gels and to our palate make a much more appealing prospect. Outside of a race situation, we reckon a couple of seconds chewing is a price worth paying to avoid sucking down a pack of gloopy gel.
£1.32 per 60g serving, powerbar.eu
Jelly Belly Sport Beans - 8/10
Who doesn’t love Jelly Beans? These sporty versions pack extra vitamins B and C along with a small dose of carbohydrate into their gooey bellies. A jittery, caffeine-charged version is also available. With added electrolytes, they’re vaguely, but not unpleasantly, salty tasting. Gluten-free, peanut-free, dairy-free and suitable for vegetarians.
£1.50 per 28g serving, sportbeans.co.uk
Honey Stinger Organic Caramel Waffle - 8/10
Extra Euro Classics points go to Honey Stinger for managing to weaponise the Stroopwafel, the syrup-infused waffle that powers the majority of the world’s Dutch speakers. In the BikesEtc office we eat these gluten-free snacks with our coffee, which may not be wise considering each packs in 160 calories. And we drink a lot of coffee.
£1.26 per 30g serving, 2pure.co.uk