the people of vega sport contacted me about sampling their product, and after checking all of the nutritional facts online it looked worthy of a try. i admit i'm not doing intense workouts that require extra fueling, but should i have an adverse "reaction" to a vega sport product at least i wouldn't be stuck in the middle of a long run with the sudden urge to go to the bathroom...
Vega Sport is the first, complete, all-natural, plant-based sport performance system, specifically developed in three comprehensive stages to help you perform at your best, without compromise—before (prepare), during (sustain) and after (recover) training. -[from vega sport]
nutritional facts
vega sport prides itself on using organic, vegan food sources in their products. luckily for me, they don't use nut-based products in their bars like many other protein-type bars do (i have a nut allergy). the only products with sugar in them are the recovery/protein bars - the sugar is in the chocolate coating.
which would you want to eat? (only 1 is a vega sport product)
exhibit a
exhibit b
exhibit c
taste test
i received a sampling of each of the products and flavors, and though i have yet to try them all, the ones i have tried have satisfied my taste buds.
chocolate savi-seed protein bar - tastes pretty good. the sorghum crisps give it a nice little crunch in. does contain sugar in the chocolate coating so it was very sweet to me (because of the sugar i only tried a little and shared the rest with josh).
chocolate coconut protein bar - also tastes good. i expected to see a white center like a mounds bar but instead the coconut is hidden in with the dates, savi seed, pumpkin seed butter and such.
acai-berry mid-workout bar - surprise, this one also tasted good. fruity, not too chewy (could easily eat during a long run), but you'd maybe want to cut it up into bite-size squares and put in a ziploc bag to make mid-run eating more convenient. a similar type of chewy, granola-y bar could probably also be "diy'ed".
lemon-lime pre-workout energizer - this did not have a strong flavor like most lemon-lime sports drinks, but it did not taste bad either. the powder dissolved easily so there were no random chalky chunks. it looked like stagnant water but tasted fine. the pre-workout energizer claims to provide immediate and sustained energy, increase endurance, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, and enhance mental focus and recovery. i can't vouch for the endurance boost (as i'm not exactly doing endurance-worthy workouts at the moment), but it did 'wake me up' when i drank it one groggy morning.
a river of vega sport?
i am happy to report that none of the products i have sampled thus far gave my bowels any irritation.
my only complaint is the use of sugar in the chocolate coating of the protein bars. with all the other super-healthy ingredients, it would be nice to see agave or some other natural sweetener used in place of sugar.
cost
amazon lists a 12-pack of vega sport protein bars at $32.43, or about $2.70 per bar. compare this to clif builder protein bars listed at $28.49 for an 18-pack, or $1.58/bar.
vega sport is not the cheapest, but it's comparable. some may argue it's better value for the money since the ingredients are more wholesome. in my case, it's one of the few exercise fuel sources i can have since it's (mostly) sugar-free and doesn't contain nuts.
overall, i've enjoyed the products i've sampled thus far and will definitely buy vega sport products for running fuel once my training is back up to "normal" levels.
disclaimer: vega sport sent me a sample pack of product in exchange for my honest review.
I would love to try these out! I have been looking for fuel sources that are low in sugar and doesn't rumble the belly! I will have to try out a few!
ReplyDeleteI choose 'C', just like in school! Milk chocolate......... Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm HA
ReplyDeleteThat picture of the vega sport river is so true. When I mixed that potion up I almost just threw it away b/c it just didn't look that good but like you said it didn't taste that bad either.
ReplyDeleteI went to a presentation that Vega founder Brendan Brazier did here in Vegas a while ago (and then completely forgot to do a write-up on it) but it was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnd I must say... their protein powder is probably my favorite non-whey, non-soy protein powder I've ever tasted!
Thanks for share your opinion! if I see it at any Spain store I will try it.
ReplyDeletehugs
Tania
while those bars sound pretty good, the price is high. I usually just buy clif bars for $1.50/bar I think...
ReplyDeletelol on your comment about Clemson, I'll still try to fly out there for a game, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to pull it off. Likely I'll end up going to a road game for Stanford at Oregon. I might also try to see the road game at Washington.
Hopefully Clemson puts that bowl game behind them!
I use to eat those cliff bars all the time, thinking it is healthy, even if I am not running or doing anything. No wonder I gained weight again. hahaha. I would look into something like these as a healthier alternative minus the sugar, etc. chocolate savi-seed protein bar I would like to try. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI tried the acai and mocha bars, both good, but really want to try the rest as well. But they don't write, they don't call.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you did this post - totally reminds me of these Paley bars I tried a couple of years back that were AWESOME. They have nuts & sugar (organic cane) though :(
ReplyDeleteThey actually sound all pretty yummy, but I'd probably go with C, the berry one. Usually when I do that though (choose the berries), I regret it, never tastes as good as it sounds.
ReplyDeleteHow is your "running" going?????
these look yummy but I know I wouldn't be able to afford them on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteOh and don't take down your Christmas stuff. We're leaving the tree up until it stops drinking water (so maybe April)? I just love the way it smells.
Ive never heard of these but they sound good.
ReplyDelete