One cool thing about writing this blog, and being an avid runner, is that I get contacted to check out new running fuel options. Folks know I like all natural products, so I get some great, new natural stuff to try. I recently got to check out and giveaway Racefood Fastbars from S. Africa via RacePak (YUM! Get $5 off through 11/30). This summer/fall, I tried Fuel for Fire Fuel Packs and Fuel 100 Electro-bites. I am going to tell you about both and offer you the opportunity to win some to try yourself.
Kayla from Fuel for Fire wrote me to see if I would be interested in trying their product. She said, “I know you like to try new, healthy snacks so I’m writing from Fuel For Fire. We really enjoy your blog, and think there is a strong link between your readership and our product niche. If you have some time, we would love if you would try our product—your readers would certainly enjoy a review!” YES, please!
Fuel For Fire “Fuel Packs” are made entirely of real foods and 10 grams of whey protein, with clean ingredients like apples, bananas, berries, and sweet potatoes. Fuel Packs are gluten-free, paleo-friendly and contain no added sugar and or anything artificial. They like to say that Fuel Packs are “Perfect Nutrition in a Pouch” because they have the right balance of healthy carbohydrates and protein. They can be taken anywhere because they do not require refrigeration, but they also taste great cold! They started selling Fuel Packs in the Boston area about two years ago and have expanded and now sell through gyms and other retailers throughout the country. They also sell directly to consumers through their website and on RacePak, too.
I checked out Fuel for Fire post run after a 20 miler and I found it easy on the stomach and quite tasty. It was the perfect thing to tide me over while I was getting cleaned up and preparing something to eat. I liked the taste. I decided to try it pre-run instead of an energy bar. I had the fuel pouch and a banana and it was again easy to digest and quite tasty. The pouches taste delicious and have 100 – 130 calories. They are too large to carry while running but are portable for pre-run and post-run. I am a big fan! They come in 4 flavors: Banana Cocoa, Triple Berry, Tropical and Sweet Potato Apple. My faves are the Sweet Potato Apple and Banana Cocoa, but I like all of them and just bought some more!
You can buy Fuel for Fire online or at RacePak. You can also keep up with them on Facebook or Twitter. The nice folks at Fuel for Fire will send one lucky reader a sampler pack to try out. Please use the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post to enter.
I sometimes work with PR agencies and I saw Electro-Bites from Fuel 100 in December. By the time I applied to review them, they were no longer available. This summer, I saw them on a blog and I wrote to them to see if they’d be interested in me checking them out. They said yes and that they “think Electro-Bites would be a good fit for you, besides being an innovative alternative to sticky sweet sports products, they are made with real and well sourced ingredients. They are an excellent choice for people who are looking for a more natural approach to their fueling.” Definitely up my alley.
Fuel 100 was “born from the desire of the company founders to fuel their runs with something other than gels and sweet products.” Both are self-described as sugar freaks, yet crave salt while exercising and racing. An ultra-runner for many years, Michelle Halsne was used to ingesting gels and sodium replacement capsules regularly during workouts and races. After a particularly hot and humid training run (and losing a crown to a chewy sports product) she thought there must be an another way to get all the calories and nutrients needed for success.
They couldn’t find a product on the market to satisfy their flavor preference, texture and durability requirement. They enlisted the help of experts in the field of food and nutrition science to develop a product that fit their needs. Using their families as their taste testers they produced batch after batch before honing in on the final recipe. One important element was to use all natural ingredients with the highest nutritional value possible. Although they love the final formulation they plan to continually play with the recipe, working with new flavors, ingredients and nutrients.
These small pouches contain all natural salty/sweet fuel. Each 100 calorie serving contains Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Agave Syrup, Potato Starch, Sodium (190mg) , Magnesium (46mg), Potassium (55mg).
I tried the Salty Vanilla on a very humid summer day. I expected that Electro-Bites would be soft like potatoes, but they are crunchy. I found them to be pretty dry and the salty taste made me extremely thirsty. I love salt and vinegar potato chips, but was not a fan of the salty vinegar Electro-Bites while exercising. The only one I found palatable was the Apple Cinnamon. I gave other friends samples to try. My friends tried them while biking and were not huge fans either. Olivia found the coconut oil to overwhelm the other flavors.
I contacted Michelle to let her know that I would pass on the review and giveaway because I did not find the product was for me. She told me that she would welcome my feedback as they are always trying to improve and would still like to give a reader a chance to try for themselves. I think this is totally awesome. As I said, I love the nutrition profile of Electro-Bites and the alternative to sweet gels and salt tablets. They are a staple for ultra runners – who do the salty food thing (with practice?) Maybe I need some practice! Anyway, I welcome the opportunity to try these again as they evolve.
You can keep up with Fuel 100 on Facebook or Twitter and you can buy them online HERE.
Intrigued? I imagine so! One winner will get a sampler of Fuel for Fire pouches and one winner will get a sampler of Fuel 100 Electro-Bites. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The giveaway is open through 11/30. A winner will be selected and notified on 12/1. (Wow. I can’t believe I wrote that!) Two winners will be selected and the first winner can select which product he/she receives. The second winner will receive the other product.
Please note: I was not compensated for this review. I was given products to test in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.