This year I have done a lot of running, and with that comes a lot more eating to keep my energy levels up. It doesn’t always work like that though. Getting the right food in after exercise one thing I really do struggle with. I’ll have days where I eat healthily, I’ll have days where I eat hardly anything and then I’ll have days where I just binge. Finding the balance is HARD.
It is however very important, and snack foods like the Go Bites energy balls help you to at least get a few calories in before/during/after a workout, just to keep you going until you get a proper meal. The Go Faster Food book by Kate Percy has some great tips inside for active lifestyles and how/when to eat correctly. There are also plenty of recipes inside with a mixture of different foods. It isn’t vegetarian/vegan, so something to note if you are. Regardless of that, there are still a good range of recipes to try – the veggie burgers are going on my list!
#1 Having a good mixture of snacks to choose from. When I was in high school I had a chocolates and sweets drawer.
Now I have one filled with cereal bars, protein bars, energy gels and healthier snack foods. Don’t get me wrong, the occasional chocolates will find their way into that drawer, but mostly it is healthier options to choose from. Having this means I’m not getting bored of eating the same thing over and over!
#3 Plan it! If you have a plan you’re less likely to stray off into the realm of bad foods. At least that’s what I tell myself. From experience, not having enough food leads me to choosing the unhealthier options when needing to get something on the go.
Snacks like the Go Bites would get rid of hunger pangs without all the artificial sugars.
There are three flavours – Date & Coconut, Apricot & Seeds and Hazelnut & Chocolate – to choose from, and then within each packet you’ll get three of each flavour. The size of these energy balls were perfect for me. It meant you could have three smaller bites rather than trying to get through a huge ball that seems to take forever. Do you know what I mean? I’ve rarely really enjoyed an energy ball because they’re just too much to get through.
The texture of the GoFaster energy balls is great. Not too dry, not sticky and they also don’t leave a weird taste in your mouth. They are all 100% natural, wheat, dairy and gluten free and two of the flavours are also vegan.
Date & Coconut: I love dates but honestly I’m not a fan of coconut at all. I just think it tastes really strange and milky, and I don’t like milk either, so for me, the coconut was too overpowering. This flavour comes under the ‘boost’ recommendation. The ingredients have been used to give you that little boost before a workout. I actually used to grab a couple of dates before I did my Saturday Park Run, so you know, it does work! Would recommend if you are a fan of coconut, but would avoid if not!
Apricot & Seeds: I liked this one. It was fruity but not overly sweet, and the seeds added a bit of crunchy texture in the middle. This flavour is not vegan thanks to the honey in the ingredients. I’m not sure why a vegan-friendly syrup-y ingredient wasn’t used instead? I can see why this one is the ‘refuel’ snack as it is quite light in comparison to the others and easily something you could eat mid-workout or training.
Hazelnut & Chocolate: Are you surprised that the chocolate was my favourite? I’m not. They were chocolate-y but again, not too sweet. I liked the added hazelnut bits, and the whole thing kind of reminded me of a brownie like texture but more chewy than cake-y. Also clear to see why it is the ‘recover’ one with the taste and texture. It feels a little more like a treat compared to the others!
Overall I was quite impressed with the Go Bites. I think the smaller portions definitely win for me, and the flavours are great too. I’d probably only buy the hazelnut & chocolate one regularly (they can be found in Holland & Barrett apparently!) just because that’s the flavour I liked the most. Definitely a good snack to have on hand no matter what exercise you’re doing or whether you just need a mid-afternoon snack.
Do you have a favourite energy ball snack?