Bonk Breaker Real Food Energy Bar Gluten-Free, 8g Protein, Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavor
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavor Energy Bars: Includes one 12 pack of Bonk Breaker real food sports nutrition energy bars, Peanut Butter and Jelly flavor
Fuel Your Active Lifestyle with Nature’s Energy Snack
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars have become a popular snack choice among athletes and active individuals looking for a natural source of energy. But what exactly are these bars, and are they right for your needs? This comprehensive buying guide takes an in-depth look at Bonk Breaker Energy Bars to help you determine if they should be your new go-to workout fuel.
What are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars are soft-baked, chewy energy bars made from wholesome ingredients like nuts, seeds, dried fruits, honey, brown rice syrup, and more. They were created by professional triathletes Jason and Allen Lim in 2006 as a natural solution to provide long-lasting energy during endurance sports.
The bars are designed to be easy to digest and quickly absorb into the bloodstream to provide sustained energy and help prevent muscle fatigue or “bonking” during athletic activity. Unlike some highly processed energy bars loaded with artificial ingredients, Bonk Breakers contain recognizable, nutrient-dense foods like oats, almonds, peanuts, cranberries, blueberries, and chia seeds.
What ingredients are in Bonk Breaker Energy Bars?
Some of the main ingredients found in Bonk Breaker Energy Bars include:
- Oats: Provide complex carbohydrates for slow-burning energy.
- Nuts and seeds: Supply protein, healthy fats, and minerals like magnesium and calcium for muscle functioning. Common nuts used are almonds, cashews, peanuts, and macadamia nuts.
- Dried fruit: Offers natural sugars like glucose and fructose for quick energy along with vitamins and antioxidants. Cranberries, blueberries, cherries, apricots, and dates are often used.
- Honey or brown rice syrup: Contribute simple sugars for rapid energy absorption.
- Chia seeds: Deliver fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Sea salt: Replenishes electrolytes lost during exercise.
- Cocoa powder: Provides flavonoids and boosts flavor in chocolate varieties.
- Vanilla or other natural flavors: Enhance taste.
Bonk Breaker proudly uses no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives in their bars. They also contain no added refined sugars. Depending on the specific flavor, bars may be made in a dedicated nut-free or gluten-free facility to avoid cross-contamination for those with allergies.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars good for athletes?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars are exceptionally suited for athletic activity thanks to their all-natural nutrient profile. The bars supply a balanced dose of complex carbs, fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids designed to:
- Provide sustained energy release during long training sessions or events when taken 30-60 minutes before activity.
- Reduce fatigue and prevent “bonking” by replenishing glycogen stores during activity.
- Support muscle recovery when consumed shortly after activity along with protein for rebuilding.
- Rehydrate with electrolytes including sodium and potassium.
- Enhance stamina and endurance. Ingredients like nuts, oats, and chia seeds help maintain energy levels longer.
The chewy texture also makes Bonk Breaker Bars easy to eat and digest on the go compared to denser foods. Their portability and variety of flavors are perfect for tossing in your gym bag or jersey pocket.
How do Bonk Breaker Energy Bars provide energy?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars deliver energy through multiple sources to fuel activity both immediately and over an extended time:
- Simple carbs from honey or brown rice syrup offer rapid energy to raise blood sugar quickly.
- Complex carbohydrates in oats, nuts, and dried fruit supply a steady stream of sustained energy for hours.
- Protein from nuts, seeds, and oats helps maintain energy while also aiding muscle repair and recovery.
- Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and honey provide essential fatty acids to help absorb fat-soluble vitamins for energy production.
- Fiber from oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit gives you energy by slowing digestion so carbs release more gradually rather than spiking and crashing blood sugar.
- Electrolytes including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium support optimal muscle function and hydration status.
This well-rounded nutritional profile keeps you energized and helps stave off fatigue during vigorous training and events. The bars’ easily digestible texture also allows for fast absorption to meet real-time energy demands.
What flavors are available for Bonk Breaker Energy Bars?
One of the great aspects of Bonk Breaker Energy Bars is the variety of appetizing flavors to suit any preference:
- Peanut Butter: Crunchy peanut butter with honey, oats, rice syrup, roasted peanuts, and chia seeds.
- Almond Butter: Creamy almond butter blended with dates, oats, brown rice syrup, almonds, sea salt, and chia.
- Cookie Dough: Vanilla dough flavor with chocolate chips, oats, almonds, rice syrup, and chia.
- Chocolate Chip: Semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed into a vanilla dough base with oats, brown rice syrup, and chia.
- Blueberry Oat: Tangy dried blueberries complemented by oats, almonds, rice syrup, sunflower seeds, and chia.
- Coconut: Shredded coconut blended with dates, almonds, oats, rice syrup, and chia seeds.
- Apple Cinnamon: Tart apple pieces and warming cinnamon spice combined with oats, cashews, honey, and chia seeds.
- Cherry Almond: Tart Montmorency cherries paired with almonds and oats in a brown rice syrup base with chia seeds.
- Mocha: Invigorating coffee flavor fused with cocoa and dates along with almonds, oats, and chia seeds.
- Banana Nut Bread: Sweet banana chips and walnuts capture the taste of banana bread in bar form along with oats and chia.
With tantalizing recipes like peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie dough, coconut, and apple cinnamon, it’s easy to find a flavor you love that still delivers top-notch energy and nutrition.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars gluten-free?
Most Bonk Breaker Energy Bar varieties are made with gluten-containing oats or wheat-derived ingredients and are therefore not gluten-free.
However, Bonk Breaker does produce a designated gluten-free product line processed in a 100% gluten-free facility to avoid cross-contamination. The gluten-free bars use bases like brown rice syrup, quinoa, and buckwheat and contain no gluten sources.
Current gluten-free flavors include Chocolate Cherry Almond, Pecan Pie, Lemon Coconut Cashew, and Apple Cinnamon Raisin. Those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity can confidently enjoy these bars without GI upset or other symptoms.
For athletes following a gluten-free diet, the bars offer similar carbohydrate content and sustained energy as the traditional formulas so you don’t have to compromise performance.
Where can I buy Bonk Breaker Energy Bars?
The convenience of Bonk Breaker Energy Bars matches their great taste and nutrition. You can readily find the bars at:
- Online: Available at BonkBreaker.com and major retailers like Amazon and Walmart.com with free shipping options.
- Sporting goods stores: Sold at running, cycling, outdoor, and athletic outfitters like REI and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
- Grocery stores: Carried at health-centric chains like Whole Foods and Sprouts along with many traditional grocers.
- Gym markets and studios: Featured in grab-and-go fridges at many gyms, yoga studios, cycle clubs, and boutique fitness outlets.
- Specialty shops: Stocked at natural food co-ops, organic markets, and health food stores.
- Directly from Bonk Breaker: Buy in bulk directly from the company for discounts.
With wide mainstream availability in-store and online, it’s easy to pick up Bonk Breaker Bars wherever you shop. The brand also regularly exhibits at major running, cycling, and multisport expos and events.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars vegan-friendly?
If you follow a vegan diet, you’ll be happy to know Bonk Breaker Energy Bars offer both vegan and non-vegan varieties:
- Vegan flavors contain no animal products and use only vegan-certified ingredients. These include the Almond Chocolate Cherry, Pecan Pie, Coconut Cashew Lemon, Apple Cinnamon Raisin, and Acai Berry flavors.
- Non-vegan bars contain ingredients like egg white protein, whey protein, and honey so are not suitable for vegans. However, many are still dairy-free.
Regardless of specific ingredients, all Bonk Breaker bars are made without gelatin, ensuring no hidden animal products for those avoiding them.
For an energy bar that fits into a vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diet, be sure to verify the ingredients list and look for the vegan tag on packaging. Then you can fuel your active lifestyle knowing your ethics align with what you eat.
How much protein is in a Bonk Breaker Energy Bar?
The amount of protein in Bonk Breaker Energy Bars ranges from around 5-10 grams per bar, depending on flavor. This supplies a moderate protein dose.
Here are the general protein contents:
- Most flavors contain approximately 5-7 grams of plant-based protein from ingredients like nuts, oats, and seeds.
- Higher protein versions with added egg or whey protein have 9-10 grams of protein.
- Gluten-free flavors tend to fall on the lower end with around 5 grams of protein.
While Bonk Breaker Bars aren’t designed as a protein supplement, their protein content contributes to maintaining energy and providing the amino acids for muscle repair and recovery when consumed around workouts.
The blend of plant and animal protein sources gives you a well-rounded amino acid profile to support both performance and general health.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars organic?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars are made with predominantly organic ingredients, though not all varieties are certified organic.
Examples of organic ingredients found in the bars include organic oats, organic brown rice syrup, organic chia seeds, and various organic nuts and fruits. Using organic when possible ensures you avoid genetically engineered components and toxic pesticides in your food.
Some complete Bonk Breaker Bar flavors are certified USDA Organic, like the Coconut Cashew Lemon and Cherry Chocolate Almond bars. Choosing certified organic bars gives you full assurance of purity.
Even without the official organic stamp, Bonk Breaker strives to use organic, non-GMO, and responsibly sourced ingredients whenever feasible based on availability. This aligns with their commitment to high-quality, natural fuel sources.
What do customer reviews say about Bonk Breaker Energy Bars?
Across retailers and forums, Bonk Breaker Energy Bars earn very high ratings and rave reviews for their taste, texture, ingredients, and effectiveness:
- “These bars taste amazing! Like you’re eating a candy bar but way healthier.”
- “All natural and organic ingredients make me feel good about fueling with these.”
- “No weird aftertaste or gritty texture like some other bars.”
- “Doesn’t leave me feeling hungry an hour later. Sustained energy!”
- “Incredible flavor variety compared to other sports bars.”
- “Helps me avoid hitting a wall on long trail runs. My new favorite pick-me-up.”
- “Soft texture that’s easy to chew and swallow on the bike.”
- “Doesn’t upset my sensitive stomach like some bars.”
From the delicious taste to how well they perform nutritionally, both casual and competitive athletes widely praise Bonk Breaker as a high quality energy bar.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars suitable for pre- or post-workout snacks?
With their nutritionally balanced macronutrient profile, Bonk Breaker Energy Bars make the ideal pre- or post-workout snack to fuel performance.
Here are guidelines for using Bonk Breaker Bars around exercise:
- Pre-workout: Eat 1-2 hours before your workout to provide sustained energy from ample complex carbs and fiber. The easily digestible texture prevents GI issues during activity.
- Intra-workout: Particularly beneficial for endurance training and events lasting over an hour. Provides quick carbs for an energy boost and electrolytes to replenish what you sweat out.
- Post-workout: For optimal recovery, pair with lean protein from yogurt, eggs, etc. The carbs help replenish glycogen stores while protein supports muscle repair.
With both rapidly absorbable and slow-burning carbs, Bonk Breaker Bars time-release energy to match demands at all stages of your workout. Plus they travel easily for on-the-go fueling.
How do Bonk Breaker Energy Bars compare to other energy bars?
Compared to many mainstream energy bars, Bonk Breaker Energy Bars stand out for using unprocessed, natural ingredients in their formulas.
Key advantages of Bonk Breaker Bars:
- No artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or sweeteners
- Minimal added sugars – only from natural sources like honey or fruit
- Higher fiber and nutrients from whole foods like oats, nuts, and dried fruit
- Larger serving sizes around 3-3.5 oz for more sustained energy
- Softer texture that’s easy to chew and digest
- Tastier flavors from high-quality ingredients like cocoa, peanut butter, and cinnamon
Whereas some competitors use cheap syrups, concentrates, and isolates as fillers, Bonk Breaker chooses nutrient-dense whole foods for better nutrition and performance. Their bars satisfy hunger while providing natural fuel.
Can Bonk Breaker Energy Bars be used for meal replacement?
While Bonk Breaker Energy Bars make a great snack, their macros and calorie content are not sufficiently balanced to work as a full meal replacement.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Most Bonk Breaker bars contain around 200-250 calories. A meal should be closer to 400-600 calories.
- The carb and fat ratios are skewed higher than an ideal meal, with around 40-50g carbs and 5-15g fat per bar. A meal replacement needs more protein and fewer carbs.
- With 5-10g protein per bar, you won’t get adequate protein compared to 20-30g per meal.
- They lack sufficient fiber and nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants present in whole food meals.
Bonk Breaker Bars work better as a snack in between meals or to supplement nutrition around workouts. Pair them with Greek yogurt, fruit, veggies, and nut butter for a more complete mini-meal. But for your main meals, real foods are still best.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars safe for kids?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars can be a healthy, nutritious snack for active kids thanks to their all-natural ingredients and well-balanced nutrition profile.
Some key factors that make Bonk Breaker Bars suitable for kids:
- No added refined sugar – just natural sugars from fruit and honey
- No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Nutrient-dense ingredients like oats, nuts, and dried fruit
- Good amount of fiber and protein
- No use of common allergens like soy or wheat
- Lower in sodium than many snack bars
The smaller, mini sizes – around 40g – are perfect kid-sized portions. Kids can also benefit from the sustained energy release during sports and active play.
Of course, be mindful of any nut allergies when choosing flavors. But overall, Bonk Breaker Bars make a healthy and delicious on-the-go snack for active youngsters.
Do Bonk Breaker Energy Bars contain nuts or allergens?
Many Bonk Breaker Energy Bar varieties do contain nuts as primary ingredients. Common nuts used include almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, and macadamia nuts.
However, Bonk Breaker does produce designated nut-free bars for those with tree nut and peanut allergies:
- Nut-Free Bars: Use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of nuts. Current flavors are Blueberry Oat, Coconut Cashew Lemon, and Chocolate Chip.
- Peanut-Free Bars: Use only tree nuts like almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts while excluding peanuts.
They also avoid major allergens like soy, dairy (in vegan bars), and wheat (in gluten-free bars). Always check the ingredients list for your specific dietary needs.
Additionally, Bonk Breaker has dedicated peanut-free and nut-free manufacturing facilities. This prevents any cross-contamination for those with severe allergies.
How many calories are in a Bonk Breaker Energy Bar?
Calorie content in Bonk Breaker Energy Bars ranges from 190 to 250 calories per full-size bar.
Here is a breakdown by product line:
- Original large bars: Approximately 240-250 calories
- Original mini bars: Approximately 190-200 calories
- Gluten-Free bars: Approximately 230-240 calories
- Vegan bars: Approximately 210-220 calories
- Kids bars: Approximately 190 calories
The calorie count correlates with the bar’s size and specific nutrient composition. For example, bars with more nuts, coconut, protein, and healthy fats tend to be higher in calories.
With around 200 calories on average, Bonk Breaker Bars supply a substantial energy boost without unnecessary excess calories. The calories come from nutrient-dense whole foods that fuel your body efficiently.
Do Bonk Breaker Energy Bars help with endurance during long workouts?
Yes, Bonk Breaker Energy Bars are formulated specifically to enhance endurance and stamina during prolonged exercise.
Here’s how they support endurance:
- Timed-release complex carbs provide steady energy for hours rather than quick spikes and crashes.
- Electrolytes including sodium and potassium prevent dehydration and muscle cramping to help you go farther.
- Protein contributes amino acids needed to delay fatigue in working muscles.
- Fiber stabilizes energy and blood sugar levels to avoid hitting the wall from depleted glycogen.
- Easily digestible texture prevents GI issues that can cut workouts short.
Consuming one bar 30-60 minutes pre-workout or nibbling pieces during long training sessions can greatly increase the length of time you can keep going strong.
Are Bonk Breaker Energy Bars available in bulk?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars can be purchased directly from the company in bulk at discounted prices for savings.
Bulk options include:
- Boxes of 12 or 18 bars: Mix and match your favorite flavors. Perfect for sharing with family or teammates.
- Sample Packs: Try all the flavors with 8-bar or 16-bar mixed packs.
- Cases of 36 bars: Stock up on one flavor or customize your own case.
Buying in bulk saves up to 25% off the per-bar cost. Bulk boxes also make excellent care package add-ins for a college athlete or to share at the office.
You can design a custom bulk order on the Bonk Breaker website. Bulk discounts get even larger for orders over 5 or 10 cases.
What’s the price range of Bonk Breaker Energy Bars?
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars are considered a premium energy bar, typically ranging in price from $2 to $3 per full-size bar or $1.25 to $2 per mini bar.
Pricing considerations:
- Buying larger boxes of 12, 18, or 36 bars brings down the per-bar cost.
- Gluten-free and vegan bars are near the higher end given specialty ingredients.
- Purchasing directly from Bonk Breaker’s site offers 5-15% discounts.
- Retailers like Whole Foods charge higher prices than stores like Target or Walmart.
- Brick-and-mortar stores may be pricier than buying online.
While costing more than conventional snack bars, you get what you pay for with Bonk Breaker’s high-quality ingredients that deliver superior nutrition and performance. The price reflects the value.
Bonk Breaker Energy Bars: Natural Whole-Food Fuel
In summary, Bonk Breaker Energy Bars provide athletes, adventurers, and active folks with delicious plant-based fuel from ingredients you can recognize and trust. Their perfectly balanced macros, complete nutrition, and amazing flavors make them a go-to source for sustained energy no matter your activity level or diet. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for a Bonk Breaker bar even on your rest days!