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Reviews > Food > Energy Bars and Drinks > GU Energy Chomps > Owner Review by Kathleen Waters

GU ENERGY CHOMPS
BY KATHLEEN WATERS
GU Energy Logo

OWNER REVIEW

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Kathleen Waters
EMAIL: kathy@backpackgeartest.com
AGE: 59
LOCATION: Canon City, Colorado, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 4" (1.60 m)
WEIGHT: 125 lb (56.70 kg)

Living in Colorado and being self-employed, I have ample opportunities to backpack. There are over 700,000 acres/280,000 hectares of public land bordering my 71-acre/29-hectare "backyard" in addition to all the other gorgeous locations which abound in Colorado. Over the past 15 years, my husband John and I have also had the good fortune to hike/snowshoe glaciers, rain forests, mountains and deserts in exotic locations, including New Zealand, Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia and Death Valley. My hiking style is comfortable, aiming for lightweight. I use a tent (rainfly if needed). Current pack averages 25 lb (11 kg) excluding food and water.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

DATE: July 10, 2010
Manufacturer: GU Energy Labs
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.guenergy.com
MSRP: US$ 35.20 per 16-pack (one flavor).
Listed Weight: 2 oz (60 g)
Measured Weight: 2 oz (57 g)
Serving Size: 4 Pieces 1 oz (30 g)
Servings per Package: 2
Flavors Available: Blueberry Pomegranate, Orange, Strawberry & Cranberry Apple
Flavors Reviewed: All of them!

GU Energy Chomps Flavors
Picture and Logo Courtesy of GU Energy



NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION - (per serving)
Blueberry Pomegranate *Orange *

Calories 90
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 55mg
Potassium 40mg
Total Carb 23g
Sugars
Protein
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
%DV
0%
2%
1%
8%
11g
0g
100%
100%

Calories 90
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 55mg
Potassium 40mg
Total Carb 23g
Sugars
Protein
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
%DV
0%
2%
1%
8%
11g
0g
100%
100%
StrawberryCranberry

Calories 90
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 55mg
Potassium 40mg
Total Carb 23g
Sugars
Protein
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
%DV
0%
2%
1%
8%
11g
0g
100%
100%

Calories 90
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 55mg
Potassium 40mg
Total Carb 23g
Sugars
Protein
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
%DV
0%
2%
1%
8%
11g
0g
100%
100%
* Contains NO Caffeine.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I discovered these culinary trail gems during a trip to the Outdoor Retail Show in Salt Lake City last summer. While wending my way through the many vendor booths touting the latest and greatest in outdoor gear, I noticed a counter with a glass bowl of...CANDY!

I quickly staggered over to it - it was late in the day, I was starving and tired - and grabbed one of the shiny, silver foil pouches, tore open the pouch and popped one of the jewel-colored morsels into my mouth. Mmmm, it tasted great! I was immediately hooked.


GU Energy Chomps (hereafter called "Chomps") are packaged in a silver foil wrapper about the size of an mp3 player. Tearing the easy to open package reveals 8 gumdrop-like pieces of fruity treats. They are slightly smaller than the diameter of a United States' quarter

To the touch, Chomps are semi-hard - I can't squish them between my fingers no matter how hard I try - but they do have some "give" to them. With their intense colors and fragrant smells, I find them hard to resist

When it comes to sustenance on the trail, I have three questions for a product. Does it taste good? Does it satisfy my hunger pangs? Is it easy to pack and use? The answers in three words are "Yes, Yes & Yes!"
Once serving of Chomps
One Serving of GU Energy Chomps

Do GU Energy Chomps taste good?

Starting with taste, I've tried all the flavors and with the exception of Strawberry, love them. The Strawberry flavor tastes like other strawberry food items I've had, but I just am not crazy about strawberry, I guess, unless it is the real thing. All the flavors are authentic to their names. I have to say my absolute favorite is the Blueberry Pomegranate. At one sitting, I could easily eat way more of them than the 2 servings the package provides just for the taste of them.

There is probably a scientific reason for why chewing food is so much more pleasurable than just swallowing it. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against liquids. I just feel "fuller" when I've had the pleasure of biting down on my food rather than sipping it down. With the Chomps, I get that pleasure. I can just "chomp" down reducing the Chomps to tiny pieces, savoring the juicy taste and enjoying the silky/gooey texture. Or I can try to prolong the experience by sucking on them until my instincts kick in and I gnash the Chomps death! Either way, I can give an unqualified "thumbs up" to the question of "how do Chomps taste"!

Do GU Energy Chomps satisfy my hunger pangs?

According to GU Energy, each serving of GU Chomps "will provide enough fuel for approximately 45-60 minutes of activity." And, "For optimal results, always drink 24 to 30 ounces (710 to 887 ml) of fluid per hour of exercise." The main ingredients for the Chomps are "Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Maltodextrin, Pectin, Citric Acid, and GU's Amino Blend." Since three out of the first three ingredients are forms of sugar, I can understand the "energy" part of GU Energy! Sugar naturally provides a quick boost during exertion. I'm guessing the "Amino Blend" part of the equation makes the boost more than just a "burst".

I do not use Chomps as a meal substitute. I don't think that is what they are intended for, but rather as a high energy snack when I am working hard on the trail, hiking or snowshoeing. I have found that eating a serving of Chomps in-between meals, or on a particularly hard stretch of trail, gives me a little burst of energy to get me through another hour or so until I am able to actually eat a meal. I can actually push myself with another serving of Chomps after the recommended 45-60 minutes but after that, if I was hungry before, I'm hungry then and nothing but real food is going to do it for me. Again, the action of chewing, I think, makes a big difference for me. I've tried liquid supplements in the same kinds of situations and they don't get me an extra hour or two of backpacking time.

So, GU Energy Chomps with their "proven blend of carbohydrates, amino acids, antioxidants and electrolytes
in a chewable form" do work for me to satisfy my hunger pangs and give me an hour or so worth of energy.

Are GU Energy Chomps easy to pack and use?

As I try to lighten up my load on the trail, one of the ways I look to do so is, food. I can't do without lots of water, my extra socks, camera, headlamp, extra base layer, etc., nor can I make them lighter, but I'm trying to be smarter about food choices. While I'm already down to dehydrated pasta and foil pouches of tuna, my snacking treats consisted mostly of trail bars.

A package of Chomps at 2 oz (57 g) weigh less than most trail bars, are certainly smaller and fit in more corners (and smaller pockets). That's a bonus for me. I also don't have to worry about them being smashed to smithereens at the bottom of my pack, either. While they might get stuck together if they are squished and it is very warm outside, I still have less mess than with the crumbs of a bar in the same situation.

I have stored, carried and eaten GU Energy Chomps in temperatures as low as 15 F (-9 C) and as high as 104 F (40 C). No degradation of the product has been noted due to any temperature extreme as far as taste. Below freezing, the Chomps become a little firmer, but a minute in my mouth and they are chewable again. When ole Sol has blazed down on my backpack for hours, Chomps become sticky, not melted, but just plain sticky. Then I have to break them apart and lick my fingers (if my fingers are not too disgustingly dirty) or wipe my fingers on my pants! Still, the Chomps are tasty.

Thanks to their sealed foil pouches, precipitation has no effect on the Chomps. The foil pouch has an easy to tear notch and crumples up when empty to next to nothing, size and weight-wise for packing out. Neat! And now I've answered my three questions!

STAR ATTRACTIONS

1.) Very tasty and pleasing to eat.
2.) Satisfying portion for snacking
3.) Very portable - takes up little room and fares well in pack

MINOR DISTRACTIONS

1.) Can get very sticky in hot weather.
2.) Nearest dealer is 35 miles (56 km) away from me.

SUMMARY

There is no question the Blueberry Pomegranate is my favorite variety of the GU Energy Chomps. But I will gladly choose any one of the other three Chomps' flavors before any other energy-replenishing-type snack when I'm on the trail!

The texture of the Chomps gives me the intense satisfaction of chewing - a sensation I find makes me feel less hungry. And the genuinely fruity flavors give my taste buds a treat as well.

Plus, the Chomps are easy to pack, easy to access, easy to eat and leave me with little packaging to carry out

I like GU Enery Chomps a lot! They will surely be in my pack whenever I'm on the trail for more than an hour or two.

Kathleen (Kathy) Waters

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

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