About Hornby Organic
Hornby Organic is a small business from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Owners, Irah & Cayleigh are local adventurists who have an affinity for hiking, biking, swimming and paddling. They also have a hunger for a whole, healthy energy bar alternative.
The saying less is more is definitely what you will find on the ingredient label on the back. Additionally, the Hornby Organic energy bar is certified organic, Canadian and Gluten-free. These bars boast 10-12 grams of protein and sourced from organic seed butter or peanut butter.
Many of the products for athletes are made with refined sugar and over-processed ingredients. During heavy workouts, our bodies are already being attacked by stress and the last thing it needs processed foods. It's always better to go for a more whole approach when fueling or recovery. However, we don't always have the time to bake our foods from scratch.
Ingredients Comparison
Here is the nutritional and ingredient label from the Hornby Organic - Chocolate Espresso Energy Bar.
This is the nutritional and ingredient label from Cliff Bar- Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt
When comparing the two labels you will see quite the difference. Hornby Organic lists off 11 whole ingredients whereas the Cliff Bar lists off close to 23 ingredients.
Now let's compare nutrition (HO) Hornby Organic (CB) Cliff Bar
Protein: (HO) 10g (CB) 9g
Fat: (HO) 19g (CB) 7g
Sugar: (HO) 15g (CB) 21g
Fiber: (HO) 5g (CB) 4g
Sodium: (HO) 90mg (CB) 280mg
The nutrition label is fairly close between the two of them with only the sodium being 3 x more than Hornby Organic and the Fat being 2 x more in the Hornby Organic. Both ingredients have their time and place. Sodium is needed when we face a sodium deficit and fat is great for added energy.
The question is which one burns cleaner and fuels the body without taxing the body with stress digesting it. We have tested both products on long runs testing both and rating it on the palet and feeling of instant fuel. The winner was used on the Finlayson 50K for fuel.
The Run Test
We took the bars on two similar run tests from Durrance to Jocelyn Hill to Ridgetop Trail and Back. We fueled at the same spot for each of them and had a similar breakfast before the run. Both days the body was feeling equally fit before the 18km run.
Hornby Organic: There was a really good flavor leaving me feeling satisfied and no aftertaste. The bar was easy to chew and swallow with some rewarding crunch. It tasted like real food and not some astronaut food. The energy felt clean with no major sugar headache, upset stomach.
Cliff Bar: The flavor was grainy with a sawdust-like feel on the pallet. It was dry to the chew and felt like it soaked up moisture from my mouth. I felt great at first but I felt like I had an energy crash like after eating something very sweet. Effects like mental fog and it left a horrible after flavor.
Conclusion
It looks like The Hornby Organic bar won and found it's placed as my fuel of choice. I'm very impressed with Hornby Organic as a fuel especially the fact that it tasted like real food and not animal feed. Also, it's organic and local meaning it didn't fly thousands of miles to get on the shelf is just another perk. None the less, this was my perception of the bar and you may have a different perspective.
I recommend the Hornby Organic energy bar for training, as well as every other day snack. It is the healthier option on the market and you can't argue that it's better to eat something with more whole ingredients. Hornby Organic will deliver a level and healthier energy.
We are not sponsored by Hornby Organic. Looking for athletes that use this product click here.
A post shared by TriNerds (@trinerds) on Feb 14, 2020 at 7:56am PST
Comments