Real Food Gels: What They Are & Why You Should Try Them
By Matt Johnson
Founder of The Feed.
If you are using gels (or are new to gels), I've been noticing that Real Food Gels are trending right now. From complex flavors to ease on the GI system, here's what you should know about real food-based gels.
OG Gels vs. Real Food Gels
Traditional gels (the OGs) are made with fructose, glucose, and sometimes maltodextrin, then flavored. They work great, but real food gels are different in that they fuel you with actual food ingredients, mainly fruit.
This trend started with the Ultra Runner community, which makes total sense. These athletes are consuming gels for 15-20 hours (or longer!), so if anyone was going to get sick of one flavor or deal with stomach issues, it would be these warriors. The move to real food was partly philosophical and partly practical for gut health.
Understanding Real Food Gels
Here's what I've learned testing these: Some athletes find real food gels easier on the stomach during long efforts. BUT during higher intensity sessions, I've found the opposite can be true - the OG gels are sometimes easier to handle when you're really pushing the pace hard since they're simpler for your body to digest.
The biggest advantage of real food gels for me? They're often DELICIOUS with way more complex and interesting flavors. It's like having actual food instead of just sugar.
Tell me about the real gel options:
There used to be just a few options (like Spring Energy), but today there are a bunch of innovative new products I'm super excited about:
Z2 Gels from Brazil – I just love the flavors on these. They're closer to a traditional gel consistency, but have amazing flavors all based on real food. They've become massive in Brazil, and I think they're going to blow up here too. BONUS: Earn 10% Feed Credit on the tryout pack.
BPN Gels – If you loved the Spring Awesomesauce Gel, you should definitely try out the BPN Apple Cinnamon. It's like having apple pie in a gel packet - sounds weird, tastes amazing.
NEW: Krono Gels – These are incredible and flavors range from Tropical to Maple. They're all great, so get the variety pack to try all 7 flavors. I had these during a long ride last weekend and actually looked forward to taking them.
NEW: Lecka Gels – These won our spring product showcase as our top-tasting new gel. Only two flavors - Passion Fruit and Banana - but when they're both perfect, you don't need more options. Sometimes, less is more.
Rawvelo – My favorite real food gel from last year is finally back in stock! The Blood Orange is amazing, especially during a hot workout - that little bit of acidity from the fruit is so refreshing when you're baking in the sun.
If you've been dealing with gel fatigue or stomach issues, or just want something that tastes more like actual food during your long sessions, now is the perfect time to experiment with these options. You might be surprised how much of a difference it makes to actually enjoy what you're fueling with.