Bars, gels, gummies – there no limit to the different types of food that athletes eat during a long workout. For us outdoorsy types, the small packaging and lack of preperation makes energy food super convenient, usually at the expense of flavor. Well, if you’re tired of sucking down gelatin, there’s a new option on the table: Fuel 100 Electro-Bites.
Fuel 100 Electro-Bites are a calorie and electrolyte replacement food providing on-the-go nutrition for athletes According to the company, Electro-Bites, “are designed specifically for endurance athletes to help extend training and improve race performance.” They are designed to be an alternative to sugary-sweet gels and goop that we all have gotten sticky fingers from eating. Each pack contains 100 calories of bite-sized nuggets made from all natural ingredients including:
- Coconut Oil
- Agave Syrup
- Potato Starch
- 190mg Sodium
- 55mg Potassium
- 46mg Magnesium
I’ve been eating Electro-Bites while backcountry skiing this season, which is pretty much the only aerobic activity I participate in during the winter months. I’m certainly tired of electrolyte-replacement gels, so was excited to hear about this new alternative. Here are my thoughts:
Taste: Electro-Bites come in five flavors – Simply Salty, Pumpkin Spice, Salty Vinegar, Salty Vanilla, and Apple Cinnamon. The first thing I noticed is the taste of salt. It is very forward and I needed to immediately drink some water after eating a pack. The salt kick is there for obvious reasons: when you work out, you sweat which makes your body loose a lot of salt. Electro-Bites replace your salt loss so you can keep going the extra mile. Once I got past the salt taste, I actually enjoyed some of the flavors. The Apple Cinnamon and Pumpkin Spice were my favorites. But I thought the Salty Vinegar was downright nasty… not a fan of that one at all.
Texture: Electro-Bites are tiny, bite-sized nuggets that resemble the rabbit food that kids hand out at petting zoos. They are dry and crunchy, but almost dissolve in my mouth. As a result, they are very easy to eat and don’t really require chewing. I guess you could say it’s like eating tiny, salt cookies.
Effect: On long ski tours, I definitely felt an energy boost when eating a package after almost bonking. But like other electrolyte replacement products, I felt like I needed to guzzle water after eating. These little cookies made me thirsty!
Overall, I’d say the Fuel 100 Electro-Bites are a good alternative for anyone who’s sick of syrupy gels. While they seem to be geared more for long-distance runners, I think Electro-Bites are also a good option for anyone recreating all day in the outdoors.
The Good: Small & convenient package, some good flavors, an electrolyte replacement that works.
The Bad: Salty Vinegar flavor (some may like it, so don’t take my word for it), creates thirst.
Final Word: Fuel 100 set out to create an alternative to sweet and sticky gels, and they hit it out of the park with Electro-Bites.
To order, visit www.electro-bites.com. A six-pack costs $13.20
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Electro-Bites for free from Fuel 100 as coordinated by Outdoor PR in consideration for review publication.