Tribe Triple Decker 12 Pack

Made with natural ingredients and suitable for both vegans and those with gluten intolerances, the Tribe Triple Decker 12 Pack is a handy source of good nutrition. They're not the ultimate in energy boosts, or the cheapest of bars, but they're useful and cheaper than some premium competitors.

I tried all but one flavour and thought all of them were nice – they're not at all artificial and are a pleasure to eat. I especially enjoyed the Peanut Salted Caramel and Choc Peanut flavours as I prefer a hint of savouriness in my nutrition, but if that's not your style then the Choc Maple, Vegan Honeycomb, Choc Raspberry and Choc Coconut were all very tasty. Plus, although they might sound it, they're not sickly sweet either.

> Buy these online here

It's a shame our test selection box is actually available to buy – you can either opt for 12 in a single flavour, or a 'mixed' selection that only actually includes three flavours. (Vegan Honeycomb, Choc Peanut and a limited edition Doisy & Dam (the one we didn't get). Doisy & Dam, if you didn't know, turns out to be an ethical chocolate brand).

Each bar is made of a vegan chocolate top layer, a nut butter or caramel nut mid layer, and a granola-esque bottom layer. Generally speaking you get something like a 1.5:1:1 ratio of fat to carbs and protein. For the Choc Maple bar, for example, each bar provides 13g of fat (of which 4g are saturates), 8.7g of carbs (4.7 of which are sugars), 8.3g of protein and 3.8g of dietary fibre. The protein comes from plant sources, rather than oft-used dairy sources.

The low sugar content means they're not the best option for maximising carbohydrate intake on a ride. Carbs are the body's preferred energy source, and while you can train your body to use more energy from other sources, these are better suited as more nutritionally-rounded snacks between meals or as part of a recovery strategy.

> How to eat right for sportives and long rides

This is how I used them, predominately – as snacks to alleviate hunger on recovery days, rather than as primary sources of energy when riding. That said, the lower sugar content may suit some people during exercise too.

Each bar contains 10 vitamins and minerals including B2, B6, B12 and C, plus iron and zinc, which all have a role to play in energy release and healthy body function. They're gluten-free and suitable for vegans, too, so an easy-to-digest bar. I certainly had no issues with digesting them.

Value

The Triple Decker Bars cost £22 for a box of 12. At £1.83 a bar, they're not particularly cheap - but it's quite common to pay a little more for naturally-sourced products that offer good nutrition. Veloforte's excellent bars are another level more expensive – their current Vegan Bar Pack works out at £2.36 per bar for 15 – though Clif Bars are another natural option and slightly cheaper at £20.28 for 12.

Overall

Tribe's Triple Decker bars offer naturally-sourced, vegan-friendly and zero-lactose nutrition in a well balanced form. They might not provide optimum fuelling on the bike thanks to their low carbohydrate content, but off it they're a great healthy snack.

Verdict

Naturally-sourced, vegan-friendly and zero-lactose nutrition in a well balanced form, though not the best for energy