The Best Clean Energy Hits

Time to restock your desk drawer? You needn’t sacrifice flavour for function. These snacks offer a fresh power source

O1 The Protein Ball Co

Soft and chewy, these pack in wholefood ingredients such as fruit and nuts, plus – as the name suggests – a decent dose of protein in the form of whey, egg white and pea. They received the universal seal of approval from our panel (plus hungry MH staffers).

O2 Tribe 10 Mountain Maca

This recovery bar may have been devised with hikers in mind, but it’ll prove doubly effective at repairing your muscles after a lunchtime run. Sexton praised the Mountain Maca variety for its impressive 20 amino acids.

O3 Pulsin Protein Booster

“Green tea extract, plant proteins and slowdigesting carbs make this a perfect pick for lasting energy,” says Price. “It will see you through the post-lunch slump.” Maple & Peanut wins our vote for flavour.

O4 Trek Cocoa Peanut Peak Energy Chunks

With a full 12g of protein, these chunks have almost as much heft as your average gym supplement. However, the high sugar content makes them better suited to weekend hikes than marathon paperwork sessions.

O5 Pip & Nut Almond Butter Squeeze Pack

Nut butter in a sachet is the snack we never knew we needed. “One of these is great to add to a shake, or just to eat on its own,” says Fearon. After all, faithful fats are just as crucial for recovery as protein.

O6 Eat Natural Maple Syrup, Pecans & Peanuts

It may have a moderate amount of the sweet stuff, with 6g of sugar per bar, but that shouldn’t put you off. It packs a huge 16g of omega-3and 6-rich fats, which will help you bounce back from your bench session.