There’s nothing that kills a great run faster than the familiar thick, sticky feeling in your throat, followed by that rolling gut cramp 6 miles in — all from a running gel you forced down 15 minutes prior. If you’ve stared at your vest pocket full of unopened gels mid-long run and wondered what else you could eat, you’re far from alone. This is exactly why we’re breaking down 9 Alternatives for Gels When Running that work just as well, won’t wreck your stomach, and often taste far better than the artificial fruit sludge most brands sell.

Running gels dominate fueling advice, but they only work for about 60% of runners according to a 2023 survey of 12,000 road runners by Running USA. For everyone else, the concentrated sugar, thickeners, and preservatives cause bloating, energy crashes, or just plain disgust halfway through a workout. In this guide, we’ll walk through each alternative, when to use them, how to carry them, and exactly how much fuel they deliver per serving. No fancy sponsor hype, just real fuel that real runners actually eat on race day.

1. Dried Whole Dates

Dates are the original running fuel, and for good reason. One medium pitted date delivers roughly 23 grams of fast acting carbohydrates, plus small amounts of potassium and magnesium that help prevent cramping. Unlike gels, dates have natural fiber that slows sugar absorption just enough to avoid the sharp energy crash many runners experience 30 minutes after a gel. Most runners can tolerate dates even at 8 minute mile pace, as long as you chew them completely before swallowing.

You only need 2-3 dates per hour of running to hit the recommended 30-60 grams of carbs per hour. This makes them far cheaper than commercial gels too — a pound of dates costs around $3, and works out to less than 10 cents per serving, compared to $1.50 or more for most name brand running gels. You can prep them ahead of time by removing pits and slipping them into a small zip bag in your running vest pocket.

Follow these simple tips for running with dates:

• Choose soft, moist dates, not hard dried ones that will stick in your throat
• Pre-pit all dates the night before your run
• Keep them in a warm pocket if running in cold weather, as they will turn rock hard when frozen
• Take a small sip of water right after eating one to wash it down

Dates work best for runs between 6 and 18 miles. For ultra marathons, many runners pair them with a small salt packet to make up for the low sodium content. You can also squeeze a tiny bit of peanut butter inside a pitted date for extra fat if you will be out for more than 3 hours. This is one of the most widely used gel alternatives among elite amateur trail runners for good reason.

2. Plain Rice Cakes With Thin Nut Butter

When your gut is completely shot mid long run, there is almost no food more gentle than a plain rice cake. This is the secret fuel most marathon coaches will not tell you about, and it is the go-to choice for runners who cannot tolerate any sweet food after 20 miles. Rice cakes break down cleanly, have zero artificial ingredients, and deliver steady energy without blood sugar spikes.

You do not want thick gobs of nut butter here. A very thin, even layer of unsalted peanut or almond butter adds just enough fat and protein to keep you going, without turning the rice cake into a heavy mess. Cut each full rice cake into 4 small squares before your run. Each square delivers about 7 grams of usable carbohydrates, so you will eat one square every 15 minutes while running.

Serving Size	Carbs	Best For
1 small rice cake square	7g	10+ mile training runs
2 squares	14g	Marathon race pace
3 squares	21g	Easy trail long runs

Carry rice cake squares in a rigid small container, not a soft bag. They will crumble into useless dust if you just stuff them in your vest pocket. This fuel works particularly well on hot days when sweet foods make you feel nauseous. Many runners report they can keep eating rice cakes long after they cannot even stand the smell of running gels.

3. Unsweetened Baby Food Pouches

Baby food pouches went from a joke on running forums to a mainstream fuel option over the last 5 years, and for very good reason. Manufacturers test these pouches to be as gentle on sensitive stomachs as possible, they require zero chewing, and you can squeeze them into your mouth mid-stride exactly like a gel.

Stick to single ingredient fruit or sweet potato pouches only. Avoid anything with added dairy, grains, or flavouring. A standard 4 ounce pouch delivers 25-30 grams of carbohydrates, which is exactly the amount most runners need per hour. They also come pre-sealed, mess free, and fit perfectly into every running vest gel pocket ever made.

When shopping for running fuel baby pouches:

1. Skip organic premium brands — regular store brand works exactly the same for half the price
2. Check the sugar count, aim for 6-8g of sugar per ounce
3. Avoid banana pouches, they turn brown and taste terrible after 2 hours in a warm pocket
4. Test squeeze one before you leave the house to make sure the seal works properly

This is one of the best options for newer runners who still struggle with timing fuel while running. You don’t have to slow down, you don’t have to chew, and almost nobody gets gut cramps from plain apple or sweet potato baby food. They also work perfectly for races where aid stations only stock gel brands you cannot tolerate.

4. Dried Mango Slices

If you hate the heavy feel of dates but still want natural dried fruit fuel, dried mango is your answer. It has a lighter, brighter flavour, chews easier, and delivers almost the exact same carbohydrate profile per gram. Most runners describe the energy hit as almost identical to a gel, but without the chemical aftertaste.

Only buy unsweetened, unsulphured dried mango. Many grocery store brands add extra sugar and preservatives that will cause bloating. A 30 gram serving has roughly 22 grams of carbs, plus a small amount of vitamin C that helps reduce post run inflammation. You only need 2 or 3 small slices every 20 minutes while running.

• ✅ No added sugar
• ✅ Chews cleanly without sticking to teeth
• ✅ Stays edible in both hot and cold weather
• ✅ Does not crumble or make a mess

The only downside to dried mango is the price. It is more expensive than dates, though still cheaper than most commercial gels. Many runners keep a small bag of dried mango as backup fuel even if they normally use gels, for that point in a run when gels suddenly become impossible to swallow.

5. Salted Mini Pretzel Bites

Most runners forget that you need salt just as much as you need carbs on long runs. When you hit mile 18 and everything sweet makes you want to gag, plain salted pretzel bites will be the best thing you ever put in your mouth. This is the number one fuel choice for runners doing 50k+ ultra marathons.

Small mini pretzel bites deliver about 5 grams of carbs per 10 pieces, plus 120mg of sodium. That sodium replaces what you lose in sweat, and actually makes it easier for your body to absorb carbohydrates. Many runners cycle between one sweet fuel and pretzel bites every hour to avoid flavour fatigue.

Temperature	Pretzels Per Hour	Extra Salt Needed?
Below 60°F	20 pieces	No
60-75°F	30 pieces	No
Over 75°F	35 pieces	Yes, add 1 salt packet

Carry pretzels in a hard container, not a bag. They will crush into crumbs if squeezed. Always test pretzels on training runs first — some runners find the dry texture hard to handle while breathing hard. If that happens, just take one tiny sip of water with every 3 pretzels and you will be fine.

6. Homemade Oat Energy Bites

If you like prepping your own fuel, homemade energy bites are the most customizable gel alternative on this list. You can adjust the sugar, salt, and flavour exactly to your taste, and you will know every single ingredient that goes into them. Most recipes take less than 10 minutes to make and last a full week in the fridge.

A good basic running energy bite uses rolled oats, peanut butter, a small amount of honey, and a pinch of salt. Avoid fancy add ins like chia seeds, protein powder, or cocoa — these will slow digestion and cause cramping at race pace. Keep them simple, keep them small, and roll them into balls about the size of a marble.

1. Make bites 1-2 days before your long run for best texture
2. Keep them chilled until 30 minutes before you start running
3. Never make them larger than a marble, big bites require too much chewing
4. Freeze extra batches so you always have fuel ready

Each small bite will deliver roughly 8 grams of carbohydrates, so you will eat one every 10 minutes while running. This is a great option for runners with food allergies, as you can avoid every common trigger ingredient that most commercial gels use.

7. Frozen Banana Chunks

For hot summer runs, nothing beats frozen banana chunks. They are cold, soothing, gentle on the stomach, and deliver steady, slow burning energy that won’t spike your blood sugar. Most runners don’t even consider bananas as running fuel because whole bananas are awkward to carry and eat mid stride.

The trick is to cut bananas into 1 inch chunks the night before, freeze them on a baking tray, then dump them into a small zip bag. They will stay frozen for roughly 90 minutes even on 80°F days, and thaw slowly into perfect soft bites. Each chunk has about 5 grams of carbs, plus more potassium than most running gels.

• Only use fully ripe bananas with small brown spots
• Freeze them flat first so they don’t stick together
• Take them out of the freezer right before you put your shoes on
• Don’t coat them in anything, eat them plain

This fuel is only good for runs under 2 hours. After that point the bananas will thaw completely and turn into mushy mess. For runs in that 45 to 90 minute sweet spot though, there is no more pleasant fuel on a hot day. You will forget you are even eating fuel at all.

8. Single Serve Salted Honey Packets

If you like the convenience of gels but hate all the extra garbage they add, plain salted honey packets are almost perfect. Honey is 100% simple carbohydrates, absorbs faster than almost any other food, and almost never causes gut cramping. You can buy pre-portioned 10 gram honey packets online for pennies each.

Add one tiny pinch of fine sea salt to each packet before you seal it. That’s the only modification you need. One 10 gram packet delivers 8 grams of carbs, so you will squeeze one packet every 12 minutes while running. You can drink water right after, there is no sticky aftertaste or thick coating on your throat.

Fuel Type	Carbs Per Gram	Average Gut Tolerance Rating
Commercial Gel	0.7g	6.2/10
Raw Honey	0.8g	9.1/10
Dates	0.75g	7.8/10

This is the closest you can get to the experience of using gels, without all the downsides. They fit in gel pockets, squeeze exactly the same, and don’t require any chewing. Many runners who switch to honey packets report never getting that heavy, full stomach feeling that comes with regular gels.

9. Boiled Mini Potatoes

Yes, really. Boiled mini potatoes are the secret weapon of every elite ultra marathon runner. When you have been running for 6 hours and every other food on the planet makes you want to throw up, a plain salted boiled potato will feel like the best meal you have ever eaten.

Boil baby potatoes for 12 minutes until they are just soft enough to squish between your fingers. Let them cool, toss them with a tiny bit of salt, and put them in a zip bag. One mini potato has about 10 grams of carbs, and almost zero flavour, which is exactly what you want when your senses are overloaded from running.

1. Don’t over boil them, they will turn to mush in your pocket
2. Leave the skins on for extra nutrition
3. Add extra salt, lots of extra salt
4. Only use small baby potatoes, not large cut up pieces

You will not want potatoes on your 10 mile training run. That’s fine. But when you hit mile 30 of a 50 mile race, you will be glad you have them. This is the fuel that gets thousands of runners across finish lines every single year, and nobody ever talks about it.

At the end of the day, there is no single best running fuel. The 9 alternatives for gels when running we covered all work for different runners, different distances, and different weather conditions. The biggest mistake most runners make is waiting until race day to test new fuel. No matter which option sounds best to you, try it on at least three separate training runs before you ever take it to a start line.

Next time you head out for a long run, skip the gel aisle at the running store and grab one of these options instead. Try one new fuel per run, take notes on how your stomach feels, and build a fueling plan that works for your body. Once you find something that doesn’t make you double over mid-run, you’ll wonder why you ever put up with energy gels in the first place.