Do you get tired of the same old pre-packaged trail snacks for mountain biking? I sure do. So when I saw a friend pull out a Fillo’s Walking Tamale for a mid-ride snack recently, I knew I had to try one for myself.
A savory source of energy
Most prepackaged trail snacks are sweet, and for good reason. Mountain bikers need calories for energy, and sugar is carbohydrate-dense. Put another way, sugar packs a lot of energy in a small package. However, for long days in the saddle, cloyingly sweet treats can start to get old.
I’ve eaten a lot of Clif bars on the trail over the years, and the familiar snack offers a pretty similar nutrition profile to Fillo’s Walking Tamales. Both deliver about 250 calories, though Fillo’s boasts zero added sugar and nearly double the sodium of a Clif bar. Sodium can be helpful, especially if you’re sweating a lot and aren’t replacing it with a sports drink. Just don’t overdo it.
Beyond carbohydrates, both Fillo’s and Clif bars provide both fat and protein, completing the macronutrition triumvirate. Walking Tamales get some of their protein from beans, while Clif bars generally deliver even more protein thanks to nuts. Walking Tamales feature gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO ingredients.
On the trail, I felt like the energy from the Walking Tamales came on a little more slowly and without the same spike as the sweet snacks I’m used to. However, that energy didn’t seem to last any longer than my usual snacks. I found myself hungry again within an hour of eating a Walking Tamale.
Taste test
I tried Salsa Verde and Salsa Roja versions of Fillo’s Walking Tamales, and both have a slightly spicy aftertaste that keeps things interesting. The Salsa Roja flavor is labeled as “medium” spicy, though honestly, it didn’t taste much spicier than the “mild” Salsa Verde flavor to me.
Compared to my favorite Mexican foods like tacos and burritos, tamales have always tasted a little bland to me, and these Walking Tamales are no different. They’re not overly salty or flavorful, so the corn and bean flavors take center stage. I won’t bring these on every ride, but for multi-day bike trips, I can certainly see adding them to the rotation.
Fillo’s Walking Tamales don’t look particularly appetizing — like wet pieces of cardboard. However, you can see whole beans inside, and the texture is pretty true to a traditional tamale. The pouch makes for a convenient dispenser to keep your dirty hands off the goods, and I can also confirm that the packaging works as a tire boot in a pinch.
In addition to the Salsa Roja and Verde flavors I tested, Fillo’s offers a spicy Habanero version, a slightly sweet peanut butter tamale, and a strawberry coconut flavor that sounds… unusual.
I ordered my Walking Tamales on Amazon, where you can find individual snacks priced at about $2 each, or $25 for seven. For the math wizards out there, it’s actually much cheaper to buy the tamales individually than in a seven-pack. And that’s probably for the best; you’ll definitely want to taste-test Walking Tamales before going all in.
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