Gear Review: PowerBar Energy Blasts Extra Food

[quick calories]

“These literally changed my life,” says one diabetic tester, who must have a calorie-dense, easy-to-eat, easy-to-digest snack on hand at all times, in and out of the wilderness. “I struggle forcing down some of the energy bars and goos out there, but these calorie-intense gummies are so delicious that I actually enjoy eating them.” Each package contains nine nickel-size chews, which have a gummy exterior and gel center.

These little nuggets deliver PowerBar’s C2MAX, the company’s proprietary 2:1 glucose to fructose blend that purportedly delivers 20 to 50 percent more energy than glucose alone. Our testers couldn’t definitively say if this blend gave them more energy than others, but they did say they were “happy to be able to eat a tasty 190 calories in one sitting.” For those who want it, the Cola and Strawberry Banana flavors contain extra caffeine. See more reviews of snacks and other trail-friendly foods on page 150. $2; 2.1 oz.; powerbar.com