Energy Food and Drink

Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

Honey Stinger took its popular—and tasty—organic waffles and shrunk them down into a mini snack size in a convenient, resealable bag. Mini Waffles come in honey or vanilla flavor and provide the same fuel and flavor as the original thin wafer cookies. You won't have as many flavor options, nor any gluten-free versions in this size. However, a bag of Mini Waffles will probably empty faster than you expect on a hike or at home. Whether to go large or mini comes down to personal preference and how you like to eat and carry your waffles on the trail.

I already am a Honey Stinger waffle devotee, primarily for long runs. I also take them along hiking, skiing, and biking. If you haven't tried one yet (and you should!), Honey Stinger's waffles are made with a thin layer of honey sandwiched between two thin waffle cookies of various flavors. You'll also find these types of waffles called stroopwafels ("syrup wafer/cookie" in Dutch) and they can be filled with caramel, chocolate, or other fillings. Honey Stinger's waffles naturally use honey as their middle layer, so technically they are honingwafels ("honey wafer/cookie").

Read more: Honey Stinger Mini Waffles review (1)

Featured review by Alicia MacLeay

These soft little waffles, serve up tasty energy (160 calories each) that’s easy on the stomach for endurance athletes, and other active outdoor snackers. I’ve been buying and eating these certified organic Honey Stinger Waffles for years for my long-distance runs and races. My kids even ask for them by name and will run, hike, and bike just for the chance to eat them. Best For: Endurance athletes, long distance trail and mountain runners, bikers, and possibly day hikers who want some solid, but not too heavy, energy (if you're looking for seriously filling calories, look elsewhere). They're also good for people with children in tow (kids love these things).

What is it? Honey Stinger's Organic Waffles are two thin waffle wafers with honey sandwiched in between. Honey Stinger says the stroop waffles favored by cyclists in Europe inspire them. These versions are certified organic and kosher, come in single-serving wrappers of 160 calories each, and are available in several flavors (honey, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, strawberry, lemon, gingersnap), plus gluten-free/organic (salted caramel, cinnamon, vanilla chocolate, wildflower honey, chocolate mint).  2020 Update: They also now come in a Mini Waffle version in honey and vanilla.

Read more: Honey Stinger Energy Waffle reviews (4)

Featured review by Ashley Alex

Nuun Active has become my all-season, all activity, go-to electrolyte drink.

I picked up my first tube of Nuun this summer after being drawn to the aestethically pleasing packaging and the myriad of flavors to choose from. I picked up strawberry lemonade and fruit punch and used them that same day. A little backstory: I have been searching for an electrolyte replacer for awhile as I can't stomach any of the pre-made sugar ladened drinks on the market (I get terrible acid reflux from them and it negatively affects my performance every time).  So far I have tried the following Nuun Active flavors (in no particular order of preference): tri-berry, watermelon, orange, strawberry lemonade, fruit punch, and kona kola.  There isn't a flavor I don't enjoy, though it did take me a few times drinking it to acquire a taste for...

Read more: Nuun Active Hydration Tablets reviews (2)

Featured review by Shenora1116

To keep it simple... these things taste way better than any of the other brands out there, guys.

You know what it's like to grab the new brand of bar, throw it in your pack and head out. What sucks is when you get out on the trail or in the bush, and you reach for a good energy boost only to find the melted remains of what looks to be a "floater". Or better yet, when you bite into your bar and find that trying to force it down passed your taste buds is as hard as the 8 miles you just trekked. CLIF bars are one of those items I always have on hand. They taste good, and always seem to stick with you longer than other snacks. They are cheaper than a lot of other bars, and can be found just about anywhere. You can get a box of 6 for around $5.50 at Wally World.

Read more: Clif Chocolate Brownie Bar reviews (4)

Featured review by David Link

These new bars from Skratch are a nice change from the overly sugary bars we usually encounter.

Most endurance athletes are familiar with Skratch Labs. Their energy and electrolyte drink mixes are the stuff of legend. The founder of the company, Alan Lim, was a nutritionist for several professional cycling teams (BMC, Radio Shack, Garmin), and developed his "secret drink mix" after fielding complaints from cyclists about the electrolyte drinks that they were forced to drink. Along with Chef Biju Thomas, he coauthored a cookbook for endurance athletes, which has become the "go to" for many athletes.

Read more: Skratch Labs Energy Bar Sport Fuel reviews (2)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

Untapped All Natural Athletic Fuel (which I will call "UnTapped" for the remainder of this review) might be one of the simplest energy supplements out there. It is a small foil pouch of pure maple syrup. That means 26 grams of carbs in one small, easy-to-consume shot. If you like the taste of maple syrup and can handle the super-sweet taste, they are a worthy addition to your arsenal.

INTRODUCTION UnTapped is an elegantly simple energy supplement  — it is a one-ounce foil packet of pure, organic, Vermont maple syrup. For those of you who are into your syrup, it's Grade A amber rich. That is a very popular grade for table use with pancakes, waffles, etc.   DETAILS Each foil pouch of UnTapped fits in the palm of your hand. Literally. Within that almost weightless packet are about 100 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrates. Maple syrup also has small amounts of potassium and meaningful amounts of riboflavin and manganese.

Read more: UnTapped Gels review (1)

Reviewed by Daniel Oates

Natural tasting chews filled with B vitamins and electrolytes, which are quite filling compared to other chews. I'd recommend these energy chews for trail runs, training days, or workouts, but there are better options for long trips in the backcountry.

I enjoy trail running and have been trying several different trail snacks over the years. Most times I make my own, but decided to get a box of the ProBar Bolt Organic Energy Chews. There are four different flavors (as of July 2015) and like other ProBar products, the chews are made with natural ingredients. I tested these chews before or during several different activities including my morning strength training, trail runs, and as a supplement on a weekend of disc golf. I purchased the variety pack, consisting of 12 packs total of (1) Raspberry, (2) Orange, (3) Berry Blast, and (4) Strawberry.

Read more: ProBar Bolt Energy Chews review (1)

Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

Kate's Real Food bars are among my favorite bars and the Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Tram Bar is the original. The bars come in eight tasty flavors—from classic combos like peanut butter and chocolate to lemon coconut and ginger—with clever names. The bars are made with organic, whole food ingredients, and are a standard size—easy to stow away in a backpack or pocket for snack time outdoors. I eat them skiing, hiking, and camping year-round.

  Kate's Flavors Kate's Real Food bars come in eight flavors and are made with organic, whole food ingredients that provide a good hit of long-lasting energy on the trail or mountain. The bars are made with sweet-and-savory recipes of ingredients like organic peanut butter and sea salt, organic almond butter and organic coconut, organic sesame seeds and organic raisins. The original bar and a favorite of mine is the Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Tram Bar. This classic flavor combo is always a tasty option.

Read more: Kate's Real Food Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Tram Bar review (1)

Featured review by Chuck Davis

Grape has become the house favorite over the years.

Vitalyte is nether an energy drink or a source of calories, it is an electrolyte replacement and best "utliliized" to prevent and recover from dehydration. We have been drinking Vitalyte for over twenty (20) years (we still call it Gookinaid!) there is always a two litre container in our fridge and a second container in the summer. I sold it in my bicycle shoppe for twenty years. We have tried all the flavors, Orange, Fruit Punch, Lemon and *No After Taste Competition; we have never any gastric (embarrassing or otherwise) disturbances.

Read more: Vitalyte Electrolyte Replacement Drink Mix reviews (2)

Featured review by Gilipollas

Taste great, seem to do the trick for energy.

These are as good as energy chews get. I've tried the Clif energy block things and some Gatorade ones, not to mention gels and other stuff, and these are far and away the best. They taste great, kind of like honey flavored candy with a hint of whatever flavor they're selling it as, but not too sweet. They give a good kick, fill you up a decent amount, and the caffeinated ones definitely gave me a little boost when I needed it.   The packaging isn't that great, it's a large bag for how many you get inside, but at least they aren't all stuck together.

Read more: Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews reviews (3)