Marketing claims – what is GU Energy Stroopwafel?
Stroopwafel is a Dutch-style dessert treat that looks like a smaller and thinner waffle. Here are a few points underscored on the product website and package:
- A pre-workout or during-activity snack
- 450 mg of BCAA
- 75 mg of sodium
- 97% organic ingredients
- Include organic eggs as a binder and add “a bit more protein.” I want to point out that the nutritional label states that the product includes 0 g of protein.
Nutritional facts and ingredients of GU Energy Stroopwafel
I tested the Wild Berries flavor. According to the nutritional label, at 30 g, it delivers 140 calories and 21 g of carbohydrates, of which 10 g are from sugars. Other notables are 6 g of fat, 75 mg of sodium, 20 mg of potassium, 1o mg of calcium, and zero dietary fiber.
Although GU Energy Stroopwafel is made with 97% of organic ingredients and many items listed have the word “organic” in front, please don’t mistake organic for healthy. To be fair, GU never claimed the stroopwafel is healthy, either.
In the introduction, I mentioned this product acts more like energy chews than energy bars. The primary reason is the complete lack of dietary fiber.
Conventional energy bars made with oats, nuts, and seeds contain dietary fiber, which helps to regulate blood sugar but also slows the body’s absorption of sugar. Regarding mouth-to-muscle time, GU Energy Stroopwafel should be similar to chews and gels.
The product website explicitly says, “GU Energy Stroopwafel is a dutch-style treat that acts like an energy gel but tastes like breakfast.”
Taste and consistency of GU Energy Stroopwafel
It looks like a stroopwafel and is called a stroopwafel, so it’s no surprise that it tastes and chews like a stroopwafel.
The texture is softer than traditional stroopwafels, most likely to make it easier to consume when you are on the move. And also, just like traditional stroopwafels, it crumbles easily.
If you stuff it in a pack with other gear and fuel supplements, you’ll likely find it broken into multiple pieces when you rip open the wrapper. Not an insignificant amount crumbled and fell to the ground when I tried to eat it while trail running.
The sweetness is a tat too rich for my personal taste. However, if you enjoy sugar cookies and biscuits popular in many European countries, GU Energy Stroopwafel could be the energy treat for you.
GU Energy Stroopwafel has seven flavors, including exotic options like Gingerade and Campfire S’mores. Caramel Coffee is the only caffeinated flavor.