Energy bars/gels and modified diets

[coffeeandwine]

My wife has a problem with Fructose Malabsorption and needs to restrict/limit the amount of wheat she eats and some sugars (fructose)- the Shepherd Works site has some very good information if you want to know more.

The effect of her modified diet can include some spectacular hunger flats. Complex carbs beforehand can include oats (porridge etc) but most mueslis contain wheat. For longer rides, many power bars contain wheat but some muesli bars are okay (Nice and Natural Nut Bars have only small amounts of wheat) but gels seem to be out. Most of the gels we have spotted are based on corn syrup which is high in fructose.

Has anyone come across a similar problem or have possible solutions? I have spotted a few recipes in the archives for home made bars which will get a work out (including Phillip's which looks pretty appetising). Cliff Bars do look to have some potential, what are they like to eat?

Are there high carb bars out there commercially that are wheat free?

For an instant hit of energy, are there gels or drinks that are not based on corn syrup/high in fructose? We have considered glucodin in a drink may work, and jelly beans.

I would appreciate any suggestions you have even if you don't know much about low FODMAP diets, we can check fine print and evaluate if it works.

cheers

[DCP]

I have been using the Clif choc chip bars for the past year or so and find them quite tasty and easy to get down. They do require a little water afterwards.

I also use High5 isotonic gels but they might not be diet suitable.

[hannos]

For a Home-Made option, take a look at this recipe perhaps?

http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2010/03/c ... ar-recipe/

[nescius]

A friend of mine has the same thing, I'll ask her what she eats on long rides and runs

[moosterbounce]

I did a zero sugar diet a little while ago and got hooked on Emma and Tom's Life bars. They are essentially nuts, dates,and other fruits puréed anto a bar. Easy to eat and yummy. Not sure if fructose is in there though due to the fruit, but the company is great answering questions.

Check out http://www.emmaandtom.com/shop.html

The choc orange is delish,as is the fig and lemon.

[Tadg]

@coffeeandwine I have the same issue as your wife. I wondered if you found a solution to energy bars and energy drinks for long rides ?

[mjd]

Check out the "Feed Zone Cookbook" http://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/education" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I have been making rice cakes & muffins from this book for the past 12 months as portable bike food. Some have sugar in recipes but i don't always use it as I find its not needed. They have a new book out called "Feed Zone Portables", I have both books & use them every week for something to make for on the bike food. Drink mix is fabulous as well but a pain for shipping costs but I tolerate that as i have not had a cramp since I started using it. Started using the drink mix 6 weeks before last years Grafton to Inverell as I had cramped before on this & other longer races but since I started using this no cramps at all.
Takes a little effort but well worth it, when I make a batch of rice cakes it lasts me the week & I cant tell you the last time I ate out of a packet on the bike. Current favorite is rice with peanut butter & jam in middle & another layer of rice, these ones are so easy to make taste great & easy to eat on the bike.
I don't work for these guys or have anything to do with their business but think they offer a great alternative to regular bike food options.

[g-boaf]

+1 for Skratchlabs stuff. Their drink mix is great.

Food is good too - but you've got to make it yourself.

[trailgumby]

I have been using the Clif choc chip bars for the past year or so and find them quite tasty and easy to get down. They do require a little water afterwards.

I also use High5 isotonic gels but they might not be diet suitable.

If fructose is out, so will be High5 unfortunately. Contains 1/3 fructose, 2/3 maltodextrin for carbs.

Some (cheaper?) gels contain glucose or sucrose for the quick-lift component of the formulation, perhaps these are possibilities? Winners energy gels apparently contain no glucose, fructose or sucrose, only maltodextrin according to the ingredient list, although on the nutrition panel it lists "sugars" as 10% of the carbs.

http://winnersbars.com.au/full-catalog/ ... nergy-gel/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Might be worth a closer look?

Edit: described here as fructose free http://www.completehealth.com.au/Produc ... nergy+Gels" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hergest]

I've been making old fashioned flapjacks for years using molasses instead of golden syrup and they are great to take a couple of slices on a long ride. My wife is wheat intolerant but as these are just rolled oats then she has no problem at all and takes one to work for morning tea every day which means i have to make them twice weekly. It's a dead simple recipe that i'll bung up here that originalll came in my mum's Good Housekeeping Recipe book she was given as a wedding present in 1952 in England so the measurements are imperial.

4 oz salt reduced marg
1 oz sugar
2 tablespoons mollases
8 oz rolled oats (Lowan are by far the best)

Mix marg, sugar and molasses together in a bowl. Stir in oats until well combined. Press into loaf tin (about an inch thick on the bottom) that you've lined with baking paper. Bake on 180c from 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into slices in the tin while still warm then press down firmly with flat knife or similar (i use another loaf tin that slides down inside the one with the flapjacks in) to stop the flapjack falling apart when you eat it. Lift as a whole with the baking paper and refrigerate when cool. This makes 6 slices depending on how thickly you slice it. On a ride i wrap 2 in individual pieces of tin foil and on a 100+ km ride i stop at 50 and maybe again at 70 if i'm at the base of a pig of a hill and it keeps me going really well.

If you ever see a bloke at the CVW end of the M7 eating something out of a piece of tin foil then more than likely that's me so say g'day.

[Ozkaban]

I'm impressed with some of these recipes. I followed Philips link through and the original website has changed a bit, but I found the new page here.

[Red Rider]

I'm impressed with some of these recipes. I followed Philips link through and the original website has changed a bit, but I found the new page here.

Yep, I've made the Super Energy and Power Energy Bars, both very yummy. FYI the Super Bar recipe says to add wheat germ but not on the ingredients list. I add about 3/4 cup. I have the Super Bars for recreational day trips and the Power Bars for high energy activity.

Also have Clif Bars, they are nice too and you can tell it contains 'normal' ingredients, you can see the chunks of walnuts and bits of oats and apricot etc. Yummo!

[oxonabike]

The 'Winners' Lemon and Lime Energy Gels are fructose free - sweetened with Maltodextrin.

Edit: Oops, just saw TG's post - The sugars on the Ingredient panel is indeed the maltodextrin. I had some Winners Berry Gels that did contain fructose, although their online store indicated they did not - perhaps I got old stock?

[jcjordan]

Check out the "Feed Zone Cookbook" http://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/education" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I have been making rice cakes & muffins from this book for the past 12 months as portable bike food. Some have sugar in recipes but i don't always use it as I find its not needed. They have a new book out called "Feed Zone Portables", I have both books & use them every week for something to make for on the bike food. Drink mix is fabulous as well but a pain for shipping costs but I tolerate that as i have not had a cramp since I started using it. Started using the drink mix 6 weeks before last years Grafton to Inverell as I had cramped before on this & other longer races but since I started using this no cramps at all.
Takes a little effort but well worth it, when I make a batch of rice cakes it lasts me the week & I cant tell you the last time I ate out of a packet on the bike. Current favorite is rice with peanut butter & jam in middle & another layer of rice, these ones are so easy to make taste great & easy to eat on the bike.
I don't work for these guys or have anything to do with their business but think they offer a great alternative to regular bike food options.

How do you get the rice cakes to last week?

I find that they start to taste a bit funny after a couple of days

[marty_one]

Another option to try which I use is shotz (http://shotz1.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) they are completely fructose free.

[march83]

Op: has your wife tried a ketogenic diet? With no fructose and no wheat allowed it sounds like she's almost there already and that eating large quantities of carbohydrates would be a challenge anyway.

[mjd]

Check out the "Feed Zone Cookbook" http://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/education" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I have been making rice cakes & muffins from this book for the past 12 months as portable bike food. Some have sugar in recipes but i don't always use it as I find its not needed. They have a new book out called "Feed Zone Portables", I have both books & use them every week for something to make for on the bike food. Drink mix is fabulous as well but a pain for shipping costs but I tolerate that as i have not had a cramp since I started using it. Started using the drink mix 6 weeks before last years Grafton to Inverell as I had cramped before on this & other longer races but since I started using this no cramps at all.
Takes a little effort but well worth it, when I make a batch of rice cakes it lasts me the week & I cant tell you the last time I ate out of a packet on the bike. Current favorite is rice with peanut butter & jam in middle & another layer of rice, these ones are so easy to make taste great & easy to eat on the bike.
I don't work for these guys or have anything to do with their business but think they offer a great alternative to regular bike food options.

How do you get the rice cakes to last week?

I find that they start to taste a bit funny after a couple of days

After I wrap them in baking paper I put them in a air tight container with paper towels inside to keep them dry. Last day they are not great but 5 days no worries at all. Using woolies macro organic medium grain rice, not sure if it makes a difference with what rice you use.

[coffeeandwine]

@coffeeandwine I have the same issue as your wife. I wondered if you found a solution to energy bars and energy drinks for long rides ?

Hi Tadg,
about time I posted an update, apologies for taking so long.

We completed Around the Bay in 2012, 210km without any issues related to hunger flat/nutrition. Started with a double serve of porridge and some (wheat free) Healthybake toast for brekkie (can get this bread in local Foodworks and also Aldi).

We found a number of wheat free muesli bars, particularly Nice and Natural Original Nut Bar (usually on shelf with other muesli bars); recently, she has taken to Aribar Chewy Cocoa (based on rice rather than oats-it is wheat free, GF, dairy free and is in health food section).

The trick was finding some instant energy for those times when you need it now, ie similar in action to gels. Couldn't find a gel she was happy to try but Glucodin seemed to work nicely (just take some extra powder in a zip lock bag. Jelly beans and lollies like snakes can also help out. Initially she was concerned with the ones containing Glucose made from wheat; she read somewhere it isn't a problem, tried it and has been fine. Jelly beans are quick acting.

We tried the Emma and Tom's bars (Choc Orange), bought a whole box full from their web site. Great bars but she ate them too quickly!

Will have a closer look at the "Cocaine Bars" link above from cycling tips. Another recent post from cycling tips could be very useful on how to make up gels, drinks and bars including rice cakes. Will definitely give these a go.

Good luck and let us know how you go.

[wraithrslib]

My wife has a problem with Fructose Malabsorption and needs to restrict/limit the amount of wheat she eats and some sugars (fructose)- the Shepherd Works site has some very good information if you want to know more.

The effect of her modified diet can include some spectacular hunger flats. Complex carbs beforehand can include oats (porridge etc) but most mueslis contain wheat. For longer rides, many power bars contain wheat but some muesli bars are okay (Nice and Natural Nut Bars have only small amounts of wheat) but gels seem to be out. Most of the gels we have spotted are based on corn syrup which is high in fructose.

Has anyone come across a similar problem or have possible solutions? I have spotted a few recipes in the archives for home made bars which will get a work out (including Phillip's which looks pretty appetising). Cliff Bars do look to have some potential, what are they like to eat?

Are there high carb bars out there commercially that are wheat free?

For an instant hit of energy, are there gels or drinks that are not based on corn syrup/high in fructose? We have considered glucodin in a drink may work, and jelly beans.

I would appreciate any suggestions you have even if you don't know much about low FODMAP diets, we can check fine print and evaluate if it works.

cheers

Hi I follow the Robb wolf paleo eating lifestyle on his web site and youtube channel now and I'm cane sugar free and totally wheat free. I do use blueberries and strawberries in my paleo muffins as these fruits are low fructose. and I use coconut flour and almond flour for muffins pizza bases ect..
Best thing I ever done. Since november I've lost over 20kg just by cutting out sugar and wheat.
So I'm no longer a sugar burner I'm now back to being a fat burner as my primary fuel source

[London Boy]

The trick was finding some instant energy for those times when you need it now, ie similar in action to gels. Couldn't find a gel she was happy to try but Glucodin seemed to work nicely (just take some extra powder in a zip lock bag. Jelly beans and lollies like snakes can also help out. Initially she was concerned with the ones containing Glucose made from wheat; she read somewhere it isn't a problem, tried it and has been fine. Jelly beans are quick acting.

I used to spend a lot of time climbing in the hills. Glucose tablets always gave me the right answer when I needed a quick hit of energy. Same stuff that diabetics carry around for when they go hypo. They're pretty tame and I've never found them even the least bit irritating on stomach or bowel.