I Replaced Running Gels with Nut Butter Sachets. This Is What Happened
If I’m being honest, I’ve became a little obsessed with running gels this past year. Every trip to my local sports shop would see me returning home with a handful of energy gels. I was on the hunt for the most stomach-friendly one, the magical unicorn that wouldn’t make me feel queasy on a long run. But, after months of trying every gel on the market I was at a loss. I love the convenience of gels but the easy-serving packaging just isn’t worth the stomach ache anymore.
And then, finally, it hit me landed in my inbox, a newsletter explaining how quick-release carbs are out, and healthy fats as energy are in! Nuts immediately came to mind as an easily transportable fuel, but the crunchy snack requires a lot of chewing. Nut butter, on the other hand, like an energy gel, goes down easy.
Fuel you’ll love
As it turns out, nut butter is the perfect snack for runners. It’s loaded with healthy fats, protein, and carbs. Of course, running with a spoon and a tub of nut butter doesn’t exactly scream convenient. Fortunately the geniuses over at Buttanut were living light-years ahead of me and had already solved this exact problem for the running and endurance sports communities.
Buttanut’s single-serving nut butter squeeze packs were right in front of me this whole time, I just needed a little shake to see them differently. Sure, I knew these easy-to-carry sachets were great for camping, weekends away, picnics, and the rest, but it never occurred to me that I could use these little gems to replace my usual running gels.
Real food in your pocket, without any additives.
I’ve been asleep at the wheel and as it turns out runners have been using nut butters as fuel for a while now. Nut butters have higher protein and fat content than most traditional runners’ fuel like carb-packed gels. The easy-to-snack-on sachets can be a great choice for long, slow jaunts on the road or trails, which generally utilise more fat for fuel than carbohydrates.
I’ve been using the Buttanut squeeze packs on my runs for two months now and it’s been an eye-opening experience. I thought I would miss the sudden rush of energy I got from running gels, but the slower release energy of nut butter has been a far more effective tool for my running journey.
Buttanut’s 32g squeeze packs are successful thanks to the product’s simplicity. The squeeze packets are easy to open and go down well on-the-move.
Plus, the flavours are classic and taste so darn good in the middle of a long run. The range includes Cinnamon Macadamia Butter, 100% Almond Butter, 100% Cashew Butter, 100% Macadamia Butter, Almond Macadamia Butter, Cocoa Macadamia Butter, Honey Almond Butter, and Pecan Macadamia. I love that the Buttanut range of nut butters are typically less sweet than other options on the market. They’re a welcome change for taste buds that have tired of sugar midway through a big run.
If you’re finding it tough to get every last squeeze out of the packet on your run, a good way to prepare to open a Buttanut packet is to hold it in your palm while running for a few minutes. This will warm it up, reduce oil separation and ensure the nut butter comes out more easily rather than getting stuck inside the wrapper.
The Buttanut nut butter squeeze pack range is available online and at a selected retailers in South Africa including Checkers, Clicks, and Wellness Warehouse. Plus, with prices per squeeze pack as low as R12.99 you’ll save an absolute fortune on running fuel!
