The idea was to be like a kitchen for a pro sports team.
Using only high quality, natural ingredients, work with talented chefs and smart nutritionists to make clean fuel for athletes that tastes great. And leave out the chemicals, GMOs and artificial additives that are in most sports food.
But instead of just being open to a small group of elite athletes, be open to everyone.
Hence the name, Team Kitchen.
The food industry’s impact on the environment is substantial, accounting for close to a third of the global carbon footprint. Agriculture is responsible for 70% of water use worldwide, and is a major polluter of ocean and fresh waterways.
We want to help reduce that impact. We’re starting with small steps, and will do more as we grow.
Organic where possible
"Organic" means that food is grown and processed without using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. It is a system of production that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than industrial methods.
We will be switching more of our ingredients over time. Our current ingredient list is: Organic steel-cut oatmeal (water, organic steel-cut oats), apple juice concentrate, dried apples, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic cinnamon, natural flavors.
Our products are shelf-stable
They don’t need refrigeration, and have a shelf life of 6 months. This helps to reduce the carbon footprint, and food waste.
A food-based fuel for athletes, made from natural ingredients, created to deliver a steady supply of energy, without sudden spikes or drops.
Most sports food is junk food; highly processed, full of artificial additives and lab-made chemical ingredients. Nearly all of it tastes like candy.
Clean Fuel is an alternative: the next best thing to home-made. Performance snacks that are delicious, with only natural ingredients, that can be eaten anywhere.
Created to help cyclists and triathletes fuel, Clean Fuel can also fuel any exercise with a cardio element. It’s also great as a snack on the go.
For fueling up before and during workouts.
Pre-workout, enjoy 60-75 mins before exercise.
During longer workouts (lasting an hour or more), use it to replenish energy. Pair with additional energy source, e.g. sports drink.
After workouts, enjoy it to help restore glycogen levels.
Steel cut oats
Organic, gluten-free, non-GMO
Oats are one of the ultimate endurance superfoods. They offer slow-release energy and taste great.
Steel cut oats come from the same grain as rolled oats, and are nutritionally almost identical. With rolled oats the grain is ‘rolled’ and lightly steamed before packaging, which makes them faster to cook. With steel cut oats the grain is ‘cut’ into 2-3 pieces using ‘steel’ blades.
Apples
Sulphide-free, non-GMO, no sugars or chemicals added
Apples are a natural source of carbohydrates. In addition to their energy content, they also bring a naturally sweet flavor.
The apples in our product are tree ripened and hand picked. The variety we use depends on the season, but can include Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Topred, Fuji, Cripp’s Red and Braeburn.
Apple Juice Concentrate
Sulphide-free, non-GMO, no sugars or chemicals added
Like the apples it comes from, apple juice concentrate is a natural source of carbohydrates and flavor. The process of making apple juice concentrate is similar to apple juice, but with one additional step. Once the juice has been pressed from the fruit, it is gently heated to evaporate some of its water content. No sugars or chemicals are added to the apple juice concentrate we use.
Cinnamon
Organic, non-GMO, no artificial or synthetic ingredients added
We use cinnamon for its flavor. Cinnamon is a natural ingredient that comes form the bark of the cinnamon tree, which is dried then ground to a fine powder. It is added in small quantities, too low to offer any noticeable nutritional benefits. The cinnamon we use comes from Indonesia.
Lemon Juice Concentrate
Organic, non-GMO, no sugars or chemicals added
We use lemon juice concentrate for its natural flavor and preservative qualities.
Lemon juice concentrate is made by squeezing the juice from lemons, filtering it, then gently heating it to evaporate part of the water content. No sugars or chemicals are added to the lemon juice concentrate we use.
It’s smart to be suspicious when “natural flavors” appear on an ingredient list.
But let us say this. We began this company so we could have a snack option that wasn’t full of processed junk. We would never put artificial or potentially harmful ingredients in our products.
Why we Use Natural Flavors
Our ingredients are chosen for their real flavors and nutrients. Some of those flavors diminish during the cooking process, so we add natural flavors in minute quantities to compensate.
What are natural flavors?
Natural flavors can contain one or more of the 1000+ ingredients deemed “natural” by the FDA. Food companies don’t have to disclose which of those ingredients their “natural flavors” include. All of those ingredients have a “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) classification from the FDA.
What’s in the natural flavors we use
Our natural flavors come from a spice, fruit, vegetable, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, i.e. they all come from real food.
They do not include MSG (monosodium glutamate), hydrolyzed proteins or autolyzed yeast.
Clean Fuel is free from all 8 major food allergens; milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans.
The facility used to make Clean Carbs is free from all 8 major food allergens.
The oats we use are manufactured in a facility that also uses tree nuts and soy.
If you have questions about our product, where it was produced and the ingredients used, contact us at help@teamkitchen.co
Yes. We use gluten-free, organic steel-cut oats.
Yes. All of the ingredients we use are plant-based.
“Added sugars” are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such (i.e., a sugar product), and include: (i) sugars (free, mono and disaccharides), (ii) sugars from syrups and honey, and (iii) sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices that are in an amount greater than what would be contributed by the same volume of the same type of juice that has been reconstituted to 100% juice.
Examples of “added sugars” are syrups, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, dextrose, sucrose, lactose, concentrated fruit/vegetable juice.
We use apple juice concentrate and lemon juice concentrate in our product. By this definition, yes, there are added sugars.
Clean Fuel is naturally shelf-stable (does not need refrigeration), and has a shelf life of 6 months from the date of production. The “best before” date will be printed on the pouch. Once opened, it must be refrigerated and consumed within 24 hours.
We do not add artificial preservatives. Instead we use ingredients that have natural preservative qualities (organic lemon juice concentrate and apple juice concentrate).
Yes. This is what it's made for!
The pouches can be stashed in a gym bag, back pack or desk draw. Do not consume if past the best before date. Once opened, it must be refrigerated and consumed within 24 hours.
No. Do not microwave or heat Clean Fuel.
We offer free shipping in the US on all products.
There will be an additional charge for products shipped outside the US.
We ship from New York City. Shipping times are:
East Coast US - 2-3 days (NYC is 1-2 days)
West Coast US - 4 days
Faster 2 day shipping is available for an additional fee. This option will appear at checkout.
If you’re unsatisfied with your product in any way, please contact us at hi@teamkitchen.co
Bars have been the go-to form for energy snacks since…forever. But there are a lot of natural superfoods that don’t work so well in a bar, but are great in a pouch. Clean carbohydrate sources, that haven’t been offered to athletes before, like rice, sweet potatoes and cassava are just a few examples. Fueling up can be a delicious experience. New ingredients mean more flavor variety.
The contents of a pouch are semi-liquid, too, which makes for a snack that’s easier to eat.
Our pouches are made from a 3-layer material, which does not have any phthalates, bisphenol-A, bisphenol-B or melamine. Materials include:
Polyethylene
The inner layer, the layer in contact with the food, is virgin food-grade polyethylene and is FDA-approved for this purpose. It has been widely used for decades, is chemically resistant, repels microorganisms and will not leach harmful toxins when used to store food at a variety of temperatures. Spouts and caps are also made from polyethylene.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
The outer layer is made from PET, a polyethylene blend that is designed for durability. While this layer does not come into contact with the food, PET is approved as safe for food and beverage contact by the FDA, and is the material most commonly used to make bottles for carbonated drinks.
Nylon
The middle layer is nylon for moisture and vapor impermeability. This is not a food-contact layer.
Our pouches are made from a 3-layer material, which does not have any phthalates, bisphenol-A, bisphenol-B or melamine. Materials include:
Polyethylene
The inner layer, the layer in contact with the food, is virgin food-grade polyethylene and is FDA-approved for this purpose. It has been widely used for decades, is chemically resistant, repels microorganisms and will not leach harmful toxins when used to store food at a variety of temperatures. Spouts and caps are also made from polyethylene.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
The outer layer is made from PET, a polyethylene blend that is designed for durability. While this layer does not come into contact with the food, PET is approved as safe for food and beverage contact by the FDA, and is the material most commonly used to make bottles for carbonated drinks.
Aluminum Foil
The middle layer is bonded aluminum for moisture and vapor impermeability. This is not a food-contact layer.
The short answer is yes.
But most municipal programs don’t have the capability to do it.
We are working with a potential partner to set up a recycling program. It will likely involve mailing pouches back to us, and us sending them on for processing to begin their second lives as chairs and other useful items.
We will announce that program once it is in place.
No.
Do not microwave or heat Clean Fuel.
Created to help cyclists and triathletes fuel, Clean Fuel can also fuel any exercise with a cardio element. It’s also great as a snack on the go.
Pre-workout, enjoy 60-75 mins before exercise.
During longer workouts (lasting an hour or more), use it to replenish energy. Pair with additional energy source, e.g. sports drink.
After workouts, enjoy as a snack to help restore glycogen levels.
We’re starting with one flavor; Steel-cut Oatmeal with Apple & Cinnamon, and every ingredient has a purpose.
Every ingredient has a purpose.
Oats are a natural energy food, offering complex carbohydrates, which are slower to digest and offer a steady delivery of energy over a longer period. Apples and apple juice concentrate offer simple carbohydrates, which are quicker to digest, offering a more immediate supply of energy. We add cinnamon for its flavor, and lemon juice concentrate for its flavor and natural preservative qualities.
As a quick reference guide, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) recommend:
More detailed guidelines, based on an individual athlete’s daily needs, can be found here.
The most important fuel source for exercise is carbohydrate in the form of glucose.
Glycogen is the storage form of glucose in muscles, and because glycogen storage is limited, it can be depleted. The depletion can occur in 1-2 hours of intense activity and can significantly compromise endurance exercise performance.
Most studies define an “endurance” athlete as one who consistently engages in continuous aerobic exercise lasting 30 minutes or longer.
To help maintain a steady supply of energy, the ACSM and AND recommend that athletes consume 30g to 60g or more of carbohydrates (120-240 calories) per hour of exercise. It is suggested the source has less than 5g of fat, 5g of fiber and 5g of protein. Ultra-endurance athletes can require more carbohydrates.
In addition, when pre-fueling for endurance, easily digested, low-fiber complex carbohydrates in the 60 minutes prior to a workout are best.
These are general guidelines. To calculate guidelines that are specific to you and the type of exercise you do, scroll further down the page.
*Every athlete will have different nutrition requirements depending on body weight, exercise duration and a number of other factors. Any athlete whose demands go beyond a single serving can consume additional quantities, or combine with a carbohydrate drink, using the ACSM/AND guidelines as a reference.
The body’s fuel sources
Carbohydrates are the first source of fuel that the body goes to; they are the quickest to absorb and metabolize, and therefore the most immediately available as energy. Fat can also be an important source of energy and, to a lesser extent, so can protein, and there are fueling approaches that prioritize these nutrients.
The guidelines we used to develop Clean Fuel were published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). They are the result of rigorous scientific research.
American College of Sports Medicine
An independent body, with over 50,000 members and certified professionals, that uses scientific research to provide practical applications of exercise science.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
The world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Based in America, it represents over 100,000 credentialed practitioners, including registered dietitian nutritionists, dietetic technicians, registered, and other dietetics and nutrition professionals.
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