Adventure Kitchen: Honey Stinger Energy Bars, Chews, Waffels, Gels and Protein Bars

A little more than a year ago I introduced you to a line of excellent nutritional bars and energy chews from a company called Honey Stinger. At the time I was quite impressed with the quality of the entire line of products, which stood out from the sea of similar bars from competitors thanks to their use of honey for their natural sweetener. The company also uses all organic ingredients with everything also being completely GMO free. The result is a product that tastes great, doesn't weigh me down and always gives me a boost of energy to help me get through a workout. Recently I received some fresh supplies from Honey Stinger that reminded me why I liked their foods so much and some new flavors gave me even more reason to enjoy them.

One of my favorite items in the Honey Stinger line-up is their wonderful energy chews. Offered in a variety of flavors including pink lemonade, fruit smoothie and cherry blossom, these chews are smaller and softer than similar products on the market, which makes them very easy to eat, even while on the go. Their flavors are fresh and tasty without being over powering and the natural ingredients are easy on the stomach while on a long run or bike ride. New to the line-up this year are the caffeinated cherry cola flavor, which I happen to like a lot.

I'm not the only one who is a big fan of the energy chews. When I met with Honey Stinger representatives at Outdoor Retailer back in August, they told me that the chews are such a hit with kids that they've heard from customers that they often catch their children swiping their chews before they can use them on a workout. With that in mind, the company will soon offer child sized portions of the chews, which are better for kids than other types of sweet products that they might be eating.

The other product in the Honey Stinger line-up that I love are their organic waffles. They come in flavors such as chocolate, honey, vanilla and strawberry and much like the chews, they are tasty for a snack even when you're not working out. The waffles are lightweight, very tasty and completely organic. I appreciate that each type of waffle has its own unique flavor that doesn't seem artificial in any way. They're also great for getting me through a long run before I settle down to a proper dinner.

Honey Stinger also offers energy and protein bars that have their own unique flavors as well. I'm partial to the Berry Banana Buzz in the former and the Dark Chocolate Mocha Cherry in the latter. Like their other products they are filled with natural ingredients and are gluten free with no trans fats. New this year, Honey Stinger is offering the protein bars in both a 20g and 10g version. The 10g version is a result of customers saying they didn't always need such a larger bar and appreciated a smaller option. It is a classic case of a company listening to what their customer want and then giving it to them.

A year ago when I was testing the Honey Stinger line-up I was very impressed. All of the options tasted great and didn't weigh me down when working out. This year that line-up has been improved nicely, with new options and flavors to appeal to more people. If you haven't tried Honey Stinger's products yet, I'd highly recommend that you do. I think you'll like them quite a bit and you may even leave your traditional cardboard-tasting energy bars behind once and for all.