When the Swedish trail and ultra runner and nutritionist Mimi Kotka one day suggested to her Swedish teammates Emelie Forsberg and Ida Nilson that they develop natural, vegan sports nutrition themselves, she actually expected a rejection. She could have imagined that runners would say “yes” to an adventurous project more quickly.

The new founders very quickly adapted to the most important cornerstones. All three attach great importance to natural and vegan ingredients in certified organic quality. Not only that, the products had to provide enough energy, of course, but they also had to be easy on the stomach, convenient to take away and, above all, they had to taste good. With these high goals, we then went into product development. The result is the Moonvalley brand, named after the small, picturesque farm in Norway that Emelie and her husband Kilian Jornet live and run.

As the first product, the energy bars were ready and today they are available in the following flavors: apple & cinnamon, lemon & ginger, beetroot & orange, chocolate & sea salt and cardamom. Date paste serves as the basis for all bars, which makes the bars nice and soft and not too dry.

Our favorite bars are Beetroot & Orange and Cardamom. While these flavors may sound a bit adventurous to some, they taste delicious. We have also tested the bars over very long distances and can only report good things. Of course, the bars are also ideal for a coffee break, which is called fika in Sweden and is a kind of cultural institution.

The second product category is the Organic Endurance Fuel , a sports drink powder that mixes easily with 500ml of water per single pack. One serving provides approximately 164 calories and 39 grams of carbohydrates. The powdered drink is available in two flavors: Blackcurrant and Queensberry, a combination of raspberry and blueberry. The special thing here is again the quality of the ingredients: real berries and no flavorings that simulate the berry taste. The drinks can also be drunk hot and are therefore particularly well suited as an energy supplier in winter sports.

Just over a year ago, the founders told us for the first time that they were almost done developing a vegan protein bar . It is probably due to the high demands that it took a whole year longer until these bars were ready for the market. It was really worth the wait as the bars are not only extremely tasty but also not as gritty and dry as some other vegan protein products. Still, they pack 12-13 grams of pea protein per bar. The three didn't want to reveal their recipe completely, but they did tell us that the key lies in the quality of the pea protein.

We are very excited to be working with these three amazing runners. The high standards and ethos of everyone involved is clearly reflected in the products. Natural, vegan sports nutrition with a Scandinavian touch: why not? Other products are also planned, but we will have to be patient until all three are satisfied. We'll let you know when the time comes. Until then, stay hungry, your Jonas & Florian

Here you will find our Moonvalley range

This text was first published in RUNTIME 3/22.