Rokit Fuel Review and Giveaway
Before I even tried the product, there were a few things I really liked about Rokit Fuel:
1) Their products offer wholesome, portable nutrition options that are intended for post-workout or mid-trail refueling,
2) They were more than willing to provide sample packs as giveaways for my readers (always a plus), and …
3) They have an official blogger/outdoor enthusiast on the payroll, which provides a glimmer of hope for all of us other blogger/outdoor enthusiasts toiling in poverty and/or anonymity.
Truthfully, as far as the review is concerned, only the first point above is immediately pertinent – so before getting to the giveaway, allow me to tell you a bit about the product.
All photos from Rokit Fuel website
Rokit Fuel is the creation of Bernell Taylor, a Utah native and lifelong outdoorsman who began experimenting with different cereal concoctions in his kitchen as a hobby before the demand for his product from friends and relatives prompted him to market his products in larger quantities. He began marketing to like-minded outdoor enthusiasts, putting samples in goodie bags at endurance events such as the St George Marathon, Breckenridge 100 Mountain Bike Race, and the Leadville 100, whose race director Ken Chlouber eventually became a spokesperson.
The appeal of the product is its back-to-basics simplicity. Rokit Fuel is made with all natural products that were the nutritional building blocks of a few generations ago: simple ingredients such as grains, nuts, seeds and fruit, with no additives and minimal processing, in a variety of flavors that appeal to different tastes.
There are two types of products the company offers: a 2.3-oz energy mix that comes in a soft rectangular packet, and 2.7-oz cereal cups with a sealed lid for portability. Each product comes in 4 flavors, and can be mixed with either water, juice, or milk. Complete ingredient lists for each product are available on the company's nutrition page.
I honestly wasn’t terribly impressed by the energy packs – mainly because of their relative user-unfriendliness, and partially due to taste. I found a few problems with using the packs: the tops tear off with kind of a ragged seam, and it’s fairly difficult to actually mix water or milk together inside the packet without some spilling out of the top. I also found it awkward to eat the mix directly from the packet; it’s a much wider opening than an energy gel or other products that you squeeze directly into your mouth. And one of the flavors, spice cookie, I really didn’t like – but that’s probably just a personal preference.
After some trial and error, I found that I like the energy mix much better when I just cut the top with a scissors, pour the contents into a bowl, and mix with some milk instead of water. Of course, that’s much easier to do when you’re at home, so you lose the portability appeal. So I guess I’d recommend that they tinker with this product just a bit.
On the other hand, the cereal cups were pretty tasty, easy to use, and all four flavors taste great – especially the cherry almond, which is my favorite. These aren’t as easily packable as the mix packets, but I got into the habit of stuffing one in my workout bag for whenever I stopped into Starbucks, where all I needed was a plastic spoon and some nonfat milk to have a convenient healthy breakfast. Like the mix packets, all of the cereal cups can be mixed with plain water, but I found that they all tasted much better with milk.
So my experience with Rokit Fuel was something of a split decision: I’d give a definite thumbs up to the cereal cups, but I’m not quite as crazy about the mix packets until they improve the convenience of use. The cereal cups are offered in a 4-cup sampler pack for $12.99, or in single-flavor six-packs for $17.94. Energy mix packs are also sold in sampler packs for $8.99, or single-flavor six-packs for $11.94. All of these are available on the Rokit Fuel product page – but if you’re feeling lucky, you can take a stab at winning some sampler packs for free.
Leave a comment below this post, and I’ll select three winners at random to receive the same Rokit Fuel sampler packs that I tested for this review (well, not the exact same, because those are empty now. You know what I mean.). Check back this weekend to find out if you won, and very big thanks to Rokit Fuel for providing this giveaway.
*Products provided by Rokit Fuel
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
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The appeal of the product is its back-to-basics simplicity. Rokit Fuel is made with all natural products that were the nutritional building blocks of a few generations ago: simple ingredients such as grains, nuts, seeds and fruit, with no additives and minimal processing, in a variety of flavors that appeal to different tastes.
There are two types of products the company offers: a 2.3-oz energy mix that comes in a soft rectangular packet, and 2.7-oz cereal cups with a sealed lid for portability. Each product comes in 4 flavors, and can be mixed with either water, juice, or milk. Complete ingredient lists for each product are available on the company's nutrition page.
I honestly wasn’t terribly impressed by the energy packs – mainly because of their relative user-unfriendliness, and partially due to taste. I found a few problems with using the packs: the tops tear off with kind of a ragged seam, and it’s fairly difficult to actually mix water or milk together inside the packet without some spilling out of the top. I also found it awkward to eat the mix directly from the packet; it’s a much wider opening than an energy gel or other products that you squeeze directly into your mouth. And one of the flavors, spice cookie, I really didn’t like – but that’s probably just a personal preference.After some trial and error, I found that I like the energy mix much better when I just cut the top with a scissors, pour the contents into a bowl, and mix with some milk instead of water. Of course, that’s much easier to do when you’re at home, so you lose the portability appeal. So I guess I’d recommend that they tinker with this product just a bit.
On the other hand, the cereal cups were pretty tasty, easy to use, and all four flavors taste great – especially the cherry almond, which is my favorite. These aren’t as easily packable as the mix packets, but I got into the habit of stuffing one in my workout bag for whenever I stopped into Starbucks, where all I needed was a plastic spoon and some nonfat milk to have a convenient healthy breakfast. Like the mix packets, all of the cereal cups can be mixed with plain water, but I found that they all tasted much better with milk.
So my experience with Rokit Fuel was something of a split decision: I’d give a definite thumbs up to the cereal cups, but I’m not quite as crazy about the mix packets until they improve the convenience of use. The cereal cups are offered in a 4-cup sampler pack for $12.99, or in single-flavor six-packs for $17.94. Energy mix packs are also sold in sampler packs for $8.99, or single-flavor six-packs for $11.94. All of these are available on the Rokit Fuel product page – but if you’re feeling lucky, you can take a stab at winning some sampler packs for free.
Leave a comment below this post, and I’ll select three winners at random to receive the same Rokit Fuel sampler packs that I tested for this review (well, not the exact same, because those are empty now. You know what I mean.). Check back this weekend to find out if you won, and very big thanks to Rokit Fuel for providing this giveaway.
*Products provided by Rokit Fuel
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
