It’s game 3 of a Saturday tournament. You’re tired, your legs hurt, but you know how important this game is. Not wanting to let your team down, you turn to your bag for an energy boost snack. What do you have? Which type of Ultimate Frisbee energy bar is best during a tournament?
That’s what this article is all about. Below, you’ll find some of the best energy snack bars for Ultimate Frisbee. Before you continue, I do want to call out that I am not a nutritionist, and the results I found below are based on what has worked for me in the past, and some brief online research. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to an expert (like your doctor, a nutritionist, etc.). Finally, I want to point your attention to this wonderful article by Erin McCann, for additional information regarding food science and nutrition.
Best Snack Bars
Below are the best energy snack bars while playing Ultimate Frisbee.
Clif Bars
Clif bars have been one of, if not the leader, in fulfilling on-the-go energy needs. These are my personal favorite Ultimate Frisbee energy bar. One of the advantages of Clif bars are the wide variety of flavors they come in.
One note of caution – Clif Bars are dense! You probably won’t want to eat a whole bar in between games of Ultimate Frisbee, as they have a tendency to sit heavy in your stomach. Instead, I suggest eating half to a quarter of a bar spread out between multiple games, so your body can process it in small amounts.
KIND Energy Bars
KIND energy bars are a great alternative to Clif Bars. One of the advantages of KIND Bars, is that you can see the food you are eating. Unlike Clif Bars, the oats, fruit, and nuts within the bars are (mostly) whole, and not as blended, like they are with Clif Bars. There are also a lot of different flavors, which I can add are quite yummy.
Full disclosure about KIND bars – years ago, I was on a team that was sponsored by them. While I have no current connections with KIND, I do want to let you know that I have enjoyed quite a few of them due to this sponsorship. One other thing to note about KIND bars – many of them involve nuts. If you have an allergy or aversion to nut products, be sure to check out the ingredients (as always) closely.
LUNA Bars
LUNA Bars are a great alternative bar if you have gluten restrictions! Many of the bars, including the variety pack linked here, are gluten free. LUNA bars are actually my sister’s energy bar of choice! Like Clif and KIND bars, they provide a great, nutritional bar that tastes quite good.
Like Clif Bars, LUNA bars are quite dense. Again, I suggest eating a small portion of the bar in between several games, rather than eating a whole bar in between two games. However, this is a great small snack if you have a bye round at a tournament.
N!CK’s Keto Snack Bar
If you are looking for something that is Keto diet specific, N!ck’s Keto snack bar is a great place to start! This snack bar markets itself as a Swedish-style bar that is nutritional and good for you, but tastes like a candy bar.
I’m going to be honest – I have not tried this one myself yet. However, I have heard good things about it. Given the propensity of chocolate on many of the varieties, I would caution you to keep these in a warm bag in the sun all day. Instead, keep them in a cooler, or only bring them out on cooler days.