Hi everyone- as many of you are doing long rides/events this time of the year, it is important to stay on top of your nutrition. If your ride/event is longer than 3hs, I highly recommend bringing food that has not only carbs, but also protein and fat.
Here are a few bars to consider:
GoMacro (protein ones)
Bonk Breakers
Picky Bars
RX bars
I always have 2 picky bars in my handlebar bag. I want to be prepared in case there isn’t food for me. Which happened last week.
I love almost every flavor I have tried.
I’ll do Rx bars in a pinch because they aren’t vegan but they are still good.
I like the GoMacro but they have a lot of nuts which I can’t eat because it makes my tongue funny but they are yum also.
Picky bars are my top choice.
Went to Costco today and made a video of snack ideas on a budget! Has anyone tried any of these?
My husband likes to Bobos. I’ll eat the RX bars in a pinch. They aren’t vegan. I use those dates. And the husband uses that trail mix but not when biking.
Loved the video and even though we don’t have a Costco here I’ve found similar things to use for a change from the processed bars, gels and chews. I usually try to have something with me at my races besides these. Might not eat it but it’s an option.
Now trail running is a whole different deal. For some reason anything goes in the woods and the snacks at the aid stations are a varied bounty.
One of the favorites is peanut butter filled pretzel bites.
Peanut M&M, fruit, chips, brownies, some homemade items, tater tots, broth, soups, etc. nothing like running thru the woods with your own trail mix from the aid station goodies in your reusable cup.
On rides if I need something from the gas station I go for the Natures bakery fig bars or almonds.
And for those of you who get cramps and are looking for a quick inexpensive trick: yellow mustard packets. First heard of them at Spartan Races. Just need to remember to carry them when it’s really hot.
Tagging onto this, I just read a super interesting article on how the gut microbiome of endurance athletes affects performance and recovery:
They mention protein bars as being highly processed and ok to use during exercise but they need to be balanced by a healthy whole foods diet and not eaten as a general substitute for real food. Something I’m sure everyone knows but it’s nice to have reinforcement from science 
This article provides an excellent overview of the influence of the gut microbiome on exercise performance. Thanks for posting @Stefanie ! A few days ago I shared a post on the 360 Velo Instagram stories about the Gut-Muscle-Axis, along the same lines. So whole foods also positively affect muscle strength, not only VO2/endurance!
In that regard, athletes are wise to eat fiber (prebiotics) as they are more beneficial than probiotics (which are super popular)- not during rides/events tho as they slow down digestion and that’s something you do not want during hard efforts.
Further, I started taking Urolithin A (mentioned in the article you shared) but it hasn’t been a month yet, so I might be in the placebo effect phase.
I believe our gut impacts so much. I’ve recently started a probiotic for better “movement” as I feel that constipation is a factor in my OAB.
I’m a big believer in Whole Foods and I liked how they said processed bars have a place when we have depleted our own sources during a race/event.
I usually have Whole Foods with me but will use bars in a pinch.
Also thinking about, what do they call it? “Gut rot?” Whatever that feeling is when you’ve had too much junk in an event. Scott Jurek spoke about that in his book I believe, Eat to Run.
Thanks for posting this. I need to read it again more closely.
What is Urolithin ? I clicked the link but I guess I’m asking in non scientific terms. 
Urolithin A is a compound that your body can produce when you eat certain foods, like pomegranates, strawberries, and walnuts. These foods contain substances called ellagitannins and ellagic acid, which get transformed by the bacteria in your gut into Urolithin A. However, it’s believed that 40% of humans cannot make Urolithin A from these foods and that’s when supplementation comes in. The research looks promising, but not convincing yet when we talk about mitochondrial health and muscle benefits. The study linked in the article Stefanie shared was designed and conducted by the company that manufactures Mitopure (the best known Urolithin A supplement) and the cohort was made exclusively of employees/board members of that company. Further, their results have been marginal at best, and yet. their study skews the conclusion to say it’s very beneficial. Examine.com has an unbiased analysis of that study, in case anyone is interested: