Energy products without sulfites
Question:
How to get “boost” fuels without products having hidden sulphites? Most if not all energy products have sulfites either listed or hidden.
Brian
Answer:
Hi Brian,
I agree, it can be tough to figure out which foods have sulfites as there are “loopholes†in the company’s requirements to list them as ingredients). Also, some of them are naturally-occurring within foods. Your best bet is to go individual brand to individual brand, visiting the website, send emails, and even making phone calls to get an answer on whether or not each products contain sulfites. Start with companies that are known for being more health conscious. Realize that within a brand, different products may or may not have them. Here’s some sulfite free products that I’ve found to get your started:
1) LARA bars – these are appropriate for eating ~2 hours before riding or in small amounts during long ride 2+ hours. They are not super-fast fuel, but are still great bars as long as they don’t give you stomach issues on an individual basis. You can make your own following the recipe from Jennifer Sutherland. The recipe is here. I have put emails into, and have not yet heard back from Clif Bars and Honey Stingers.
2) Think outside the box, they don’t have to be labeled “Sports Nutrition†or “Performance†to work well. Really, your just looking for quick, sugary, carbs for short outings, and maybe those with a little protein for longer (but still easy to digest). Many organic fruit snacks and organic licorice should be sulfite free.
3) Think whole food instead of product: Honey sticks can work just fine (recent research has shown honey to be just as effective in performance improvement as glucose). A little messy in the jersey, though!
4) I don’t know of any sports drinks that I’m sure are 100% sulfite free, but I’ll let you know. In the meantime, you can make your own drinks. Play around with my homebrew – I give it to you free at: http://apexnutritionllc.com/freetools.html.
I hope this helps! If any readers have more tips on sulfite-free energy, please pass them on!
Kelli, RD
Have questions for Kelli Jennings, our sports nutritionist? She answers them every Saturday! Send them to brady@lovingtherun.com. Kelli is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information, go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.
