Best energy bars: High-carb snacks for on and off the bike

Six different energy bars on a wooden bench, each with the top open and the bar protruding out
(Image credit: Josh Croxton)

The best energy bars will help keep you fuelled, whether you're riding, running, hiking or undertakin🍬g any other form of exercise.

Packed with oats and other slower-release carbohydrate sources as well as dried fruit, the best energy bars deliver a mix of more simple sugars. So unlike the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best energy gels, wh🐲ich usually have a high content of simple sugars such as glucose and fructose and are designed for a rapid energy boost, the best energy bars are a good way to sustain yourself on longer, lower-intensity rides. They'reꦍ also much less likely to cause gastric distress than a gel.

➕ High carb content
➕ Widely available
➖ Hard to eat during efforts

The Clif Bar earns a place on this guide for various reasons but with the highest carbohydrate contents per bar on this list, it's the bar we reach for when we have big adventures planned or long rides ahead. However, this com✤es primarily from a large overall size. At 68g per bar, it's more than 50 per cent bigger than some of the others here, which means it'll take a little longer to get down. Therefore, it's best reserved for lower-intensity days where you can take your time, rather than high-paced races where you need to eat quickly and get back to the task at hand. 

There are six flavours to choose from and the exact constitution of nutrients within depends on the flavour🅺 you choose. But each gets a dose of fa🌳t and protein alongside the 45g of carbohydrate. 

➕ Natural taste keeps them palatable for longer
➖ No nut-free options

As the name suggests, Skratc๊h Labs Anytime energy bars are not only made to be eaten while exercising. Like most on this list, the added fats help to satiate hunger and proteins help to prevent muscle breakdown and encourage post-exercise recovery. 

At🦹 50 grams per bar, they are slightly smaller than the Clif Bars but are still bigger than most here, so they are better saved for training ridꦯes or pre-ride snacks. The one downside is the lack of nut-free flavours, so if you're allergic you'll need to look elsewhere. 

The aesthetics and texture of the Skratch bar are by far the most natural, whole-food-looking option I tested, and the taste follows the same pattern in that it tastes like you 🙈expect a combination of the ingredients would. You can actually see the oats, nuts, chocolate chips and fruit, and there are no chemical-like aftertastes to deal with. I can imagine this being under one of those glass covers at the counter of a coffee shop.