You have reached the point in your ultra running journey where you are out on the trails for a long time. Like, a really long time. You heard that gels are the best thing to eat during a run, but after one experience with the sticky gooey packet of yuck you are ready to end your relationship with gels forever. Now you need some new fuel ideas for your next long run. Lucky for you we have already been through this struggle. Here we are sharing our favorite mid-run snackies that go down easy and will (hopefully) keep you bonk free for the entire run.
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Best mid run fuel:
Real food is far and away the best option when it comes to food, but sometimes having it broken down for us (aka processed) helps us digest it easier while we are running. We are like baby birds. Many of these snacks are highly processed. We don’t recommend eating this way in real life, but on long runs and races, go for it!
- Protein granola bars: These are easy to digest, contain protein, and are cheap. The trifecta! They contain 190 calories per bar and have 10 GRAMS OF PROTEIN which will help your recovery immensely. Protein is hard to get during a run because it is usually hard to digest, but these are very light in the stomach. Walmart has an even cheaper version with the same macros for 38 cents each! I ate these all the time training for my first ultra when I was a broke joke and never got any stomach upset.
- Potatoes with salt: If you are in to whole foods, potatoes work well for many reasons. The little potatoes hold their shape reasonably well even when shoved in your hydration pack and they still taste good even when they do get smushed. You can add your own desired level of salt or try cajun seasoning! Sometimes you just want something savory, ya know?
- Fresh fruit. If you are planning on stopping somewhere mid run to look at the view, throwing a banana or clementine in your pack is a nice treat. Bringing frozen grapes on a run is arguably the highest form of self love imaginable.
- Fun size candy bars: Small and calorically dense. In the summer we like to stick to M&Ms and Payday because they hold up better to the heat. In the cooler months we like to enjoy everything that is chocolate coated.
- Applesauce. This is pretty darn close to eating real food. There are quite a few flavors including apple cinnamon and strawberry banana and the packets are resealable. Pro tip: Leave a few of these in your freezer and pull them out when its time for a run. If you time it right you will get a slushy. If you are lucky it will still be chilly towards the end of the run.
- Chocolate covered espresso beans: This one we like to reserve for races or middle of the night training runs when we need a caffeine boost. Trader Joes has small packets for your race pack and big tubs if you’d rather just throw some in a ziplock.
- Local baked goods. When I’m running in new places I like to stop by a local coffee shop and get an Americano to drink on the way to the trailhead. If the baked goods look irresistible, I simply don’t resist. Scones are more packable than muffins, but they are also kind of dry. Either way baked goods have a high calorie to bite ratio so two or three bites and you are good for a while.
Last minute snacks:
We also have some fuel ideas for your next long run on those weeks when you worked late on Friday and you told your running friend you’d meet him at the trailhead at 6:30am. You can sleep the extra 30 minutes knowing you will swing past the gas station in the morning and grab some of these to throw in your pack.
- Rice Krispy treats– A trail runner classic. The ones in the little blue packets seem to hold up better than homemade ones (yay chemicals!?) so it all works out.
- Cookie packets. Easy to eat. High in calories and sugar. Available everywhere. It is a win win.
- Pretzel packets: High salt and carb, low fat and fiber. Nice crunch.
- Sugar candy: I’m not a fan of gummy type candy, but a lot of people swear by it. You’ve got about 100 options. Take your pick.
- Cracker sandwich packets– Cheddar, sour cream and chive, peanut butter. What’s not to love?
Honorable mentions:
These are a few more long run fuel ideas we have heard of or often see on the tables at races but don’t necessarily love.
- Uncrustables– Definitely easy to pack but it can be a lot for your gut while running. If you don’t eat the whole thing at once it can get messy. You can always make your own and even try using a tortilla instead of bread!
- Fig newtons– too much fiber and too dense to eat while running. But those blueberry and raspberry ones..grab a box for your next carb up day. They are so good!
- Homemade date balls– Flavor and texture? 10/10. But once I tried these mid run and ended up doing the “look back to make sure its safe to fart” business for the next 12 miles.
- Pringles or potato chips– lots of calorie bang for your buck and especially good if you are fat adapted due to the high fat content.
How to find your own snacks
If you aren’t in the US or you just want to do your own hunting at the grocery store, this is what to look for:
- Low in fiber– this is why almost our entire list is processed foods
- Easy to chew- when you are trying to breathe and. run the last thing you need is to focus on chewing
- Macro ratio– our list assumes you like carbs during your run but if you can tolerate more protein with your carbs, we HIGLY recommend taking in protein every hour or so to help with recovery.
- Individually packaged– you can either buy them pre-packaged or portion them out so you know how much fuel you are taking in. In our experience, it is easy to overestimate how many calories you are getting and end up depleted.
- Sits well in YOUR stomach– It will take some trial and error but soon you will figure out what works for you.
Here’s the truth. What works for me is not always going to work for you. You have to try stuff out and see what happens. We didn’t even mention liquid calories which many runners swear by. If you are still struggling with your nutrition or want to explore other ways of fueling such as fat optimization, you can work with one of our coaches who love talking about food and our bodies!
Help out the community! How do you fuel your long runs? Give us some new fuel ideas for our next long run in the comments below!