I try to be a healthy eater most of the time. Lots of fruit, and veggies. More homemade meals and snacks. Less sugar and processed food. I’m not super hard on myself, especially as triathlon training is in full swing. I’ve got my first half Ironman coming up in a couple weeks — I’ve earned a few treats along the way!

But I’m still failing with clean eating when fueling during workouts. I’m still a Gu eater! When I’m doing two, three and even four-hour workouts, I’ve got to make sure I’m fueling properly!

I’ve been planning on finishing up my Gu stash and focusing my efforts on finding something healthier. It’s taking awhile … I buy in bulk! But I’ll be there soon. When I heard about Vega Sport‘s #fuelyourbetter campaign, I jumped at the chance to try Vega Sport Gel. It seems like the perfect Gu replacement.

I broke all racing rules and tried my first Vega Sport Gel during a race — a sprint triathlon. I wasn’t too worried about having any problems. It was a short, flat course, and I was treating it as training rather than a race. I ate my gel as I headed out on the bike course.

First impression — the texture is a little gritty when compared to traditional Gu, but the taste is pretty OK. It doesn’t particularly taste like raspberry like it’s supposed to, but it’s fine. I happened to have a very good race, too!

I’ve also started eating Vega Sport Gel as “breakfast” before pre-work bike trainer workouts. I don’t always eat before these shorter rides, but some days I wake up hungry. It’s just enough to cut the edge.

The more Vega Sport Gels I eat, the less I notice the texture difference that surprised me the first time. I’m glad I could get used to it, the ingredients are a lot more in line with what I want to be eating:

Overall, I liked the product. It might be on my shopping list once the Gu runs out!

Disclaimer: I received  Vega Sport Gel for free through my involvement with the Sweat Pink Ambassador Program.  I was not compensated any other way. Opinions are my own.