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25 Best Cycling Snacks to Keep You Energized on Your Rides

These healthy options will fuel your miles.

peanut butter on sliced apple, cycling snacks
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Cycling snacks are “a great way to provide steady energy levels throughout the day and during rides,” Kristen Arnold, MS, RDN, and certified specialist in sports dietetics and level 2 USA cycling certified coach, tells Bicycling. “A snack should be smaller than a meal, but nourishing enough to leave you feeling satisfied.”

When choosing snacks to fuel your rides, it’s best to pair a carbohydrate-rich food with a protein and/or fat-rich food, Arnold says. “This ensures more satisfaction than having one food alone,” she explains. Because our bodies and brains run on carbs, taking in this macronutrient will also help keep your energy up during exercise. In fact, according to a 2022 study published in Nutrients, when 14 physically active adults ate a high-carb diet for three weeks, they were able to work out longer and improve their time to exhaustion, compared to those who ate a low-carb diet.

Before you hop on the bike, reach for more carbs—something with about 20 to 40 grams per serving. And when you’re done pedaling, go for something with a little more protein, about 15 to 30 grams per serving, Arnold previously told Bicycling.

To help you take some of the guesswork out of which cycling snacks you should eat, we rounded up 25 top choices. Some of the snacks on this list can be mixed and match, such as cheese and fruit or nut butters and crackers. “My favorite snacks are cheese and whole-grain crackers, Greek yogurt with berries, and bananas with nut butter,” says Arnold. Pick your favorites, then add them to your grocery list and bike bag.

cheese and whole grain crackers with fruit and vegetables are great for cyclists
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Cheese, Veggies, and Whole-Grain Crackers

Top a whole-grain cracker with plenty of flavor thanks to your cheese of choice and a vegetable, like tomatoes or cucumbers. Munch on this preride to get your carb fill, with a side of fat.

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Fuel for Fire

Fruit Smoothie

If you’re looking for something to grab after your gym workout, these pouches come in many sweet flavors and offer whey as the protein source (some are plant based and vegan), serving up 10 grams of the muscle-building macro. They each have less than 150 calories.

cycling snacks
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Rolls

Peanut butter and jelly rolls provide the perfect combo of protein, fat, and sugar. Just spread the ingredients on whole-grain tortillas, roll them up, and you’re ready to go. You can then throw them in a baggie and take them on your ride.

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Premier Protein

Mixed Berry Almond Cereal

Cereal is a great choice before a morning ride. Pair it with your go-to milk. This option, in particular, offers a whopping 20 grams of protein (which will help fill you up), and 14 grams of carbs, so you can also eat it when you’re done with your miles to help support recovery.

cycling snacks
Lindsay Cotter
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Energy Bites

Energy bites are easy to whip together and then stash in a baggie in your jersey pocket. Combine your preferred nuts, seeds, nut butters, protein powder, and/or dried fruits to get a blend of every macronutrient.

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Orgain

Organic Vegan Plant-Based Shake

If you want to build more muscle when you sleep, drink a protein shake after a ride and before bed. These organic shakes include 16 grams of plant-based protein, plus a mix of vitamins and minerals.

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Bobo’s

Oat Bites

These dense oat bites taste like oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies, and their first ingredient is rolled oats, so you know you’re getting whole grains. Pop them in your mouth when you need a little pick-me-up.

fruits and nut butters are a perfect cycling snack
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Bananas or Apples With Peanut Butter

Mixing the healthy carbs of fruit with the fat and protein of peanut butter is an ideal pre and postride snack. Bananas are high in potassium which helps to balance electrolytes after you've been sweating. Apples are rich in flavonoids, which are great for brain health.

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Verb Energy

Caffeinated Energy Bar

Now 18% off

The perfect snack for many of us is a cup of coffee. Each of these petite, 90-calorie energy bars contain an espresso’s worth of caffeine, as well all-natural ingredients—such as organic oats, agave, and almond butter.

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Sahale

Nut Blends

There’s nothing like an old favorite: trail mix! This pre-packed blend strikes the perfect balance between salty and sweet, with plenty of protein, fat, minerals, and carbohydrates to keep you going for miles.

cottage cheese with berries is a great nighttime snack for riders
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Cottage Cheese With Berries

A terrific postride snack, cottage cheese is high in protein and berries offer anti-inflammatory properties, as well as fiber.

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Jelly Belly

Sport Beans

When you need a quick hit of sugar midride, these sport-specific jelly beans offer sodium and fast-acting carbs.

cycling snacks
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Veggie Wrap

Here’s another snack idea for real-food fans: tortillas filled with an assortment of starchy veggies, like squash, beets, or potatoes, and proteins such as hummus or chicken. One Bicycling editor swears by a mix of sweet potatoes and bacon spiked with Sriracha sauce and wrapped in a tortilla.

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Skratch Labs

Sport Energy Chews

These gumdrop-like candies from Skratch Labs are sweetened with two types of sugar—glucose and fructose—which speeds up the absorption of energy in the body. Plus, they incorporate real fruit and natural ingredients, giving you a good option when you need some fuel during your ride.

player beads,koran and dry fruit date against yellow background,malaysia
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Dates

These antioxidant-rich fruits are known as nature’s candy for good reason. Each 1/2 cup of chopped dates offers around 50 grams of carbohydrates, plus a big dose of potassium, magnesium, iron, and fiber. Consider them the natural version of energy chews.

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Jambar

Organic Energy Bar

Made with oat bran, whey, and a mix of other organic ingredients, these bars offers 10 grams of protein and 34 grams of carbohydrates, offering the ideal mix postride. They also taste great, come in a variety of flavors (fruity, chocolatey, and nutty), and they have a soft, non-sticky texture.

pistachios oranges and plain yogurt
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Pistachios and Oranges With Greek Yogurt

Going gourmet? This elegant little snack blends sweet, salty, and sour flavors and comes with carbs, protein, and heart-healthy fats. Throw it together when you’re done with your ride.

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Frooze

Frooze Balls

Featuring a short list of simple ingredients, these tasty frozen bites make the perfect treat after a ride. You’ll get plenty of carbs to top off your glucose, too.

cycling snacks
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Muffins

Portable and carb-packed, muffins are the perfect solution for fast fuel. Plus, you can customize them to fit your taste, mixing in ingredients like chopped walnuts, poppy seeds, berries, dried fruit, or chocolate chips. Add protein powder for better nutritional balance.

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MUSH

Ready to Eat Oats

You could make your own overnight oats, or you could stock up on these deliciously pre-packed and refrigerated mixes that are easy to grab and eat before or after your morning ride. Besides chocolate, you can get a range of flavors, with each one offering a short list of whole ingredients and a mix of fiber, fat, and protein.

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Kate's

Real Food Organic Energy Bars

Gluten-free cyclists, this bar is for you. Made of whole, organic ingredients, you get oats as the star of each bite and honey as the sweetener.

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Kram

The Beast PB&J

For a pre-made PB&J option, go for this elevated Uncrustable. The Beast version packs extra protein in with the peanut butter and all-fruit jelly. And it comes in a sprouted and fermented whole grain bread.

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KRAVE

Gourmet Jerky

Get a hit of protein and carbs with this portable snack that’s a cinch to stash in your bag. The texture of Krave jerky is softer and easier to bite than other varieties.

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Honey Stinger

Organic Honey Waffle

Now 33% off

If you want carbohydrates but would rather eat “real” food instead of gels or gummies, these stroopwafels—made of two paper-thin waffles sandwiched with caramel—fit the bill.

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Picky Bars

Real Food Energy Bars

Created by athletic power couple Lauren Fleshman, a former elite runner, and pro triathlete Jesse Thomas, Picky Bars are the perfect harmony between an energy bar and a whole-foods snack. They’re gluten-free and made with natural ingredients, but they’re also chock-full of electrolytes, carbs, and protein.

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Donna Raskin has had a long career as a health and fitness writer and editor of books and magazine articles.
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