Real food ideas for on the bike

Real food ideas for on the bike

Are you sick of sucking back gels and sports drinks all the time?

Are you looking for more real food options to use during exercise?

Over the years, I’ve definitely seen a movement away from commercial sports nutrition products to more real foods on the bike. But what types of foods are going to help your performance?

When is the best time to use real foods in training?

• During the off-season is a good time to try new options – tweaking your strategies as your fitness, training and racing evolves

What types of real foods are good for on the bike?

• Carbohydrate foods should be your focus
• Try adding some savoury options to avoid flavour fatigue
• Something easy to prepare pre-race or the night before
• Something the right consistency and texture (so it’s easy to get out of the container, but doesn’t crumble or fall apart)
• A good balance of energy/ nutrients - carbohydrates with some healthy fats and a little bit of protein
• Something that provides a palate cleanser to avoid getting a manky mouth

What types of foods should you avoid on the bike?

• Be careful with too much fruit – can adversely affect the gut
• Not too high in protein or fat – slows down the digestion of food in your stomach

Where to find recipes to make your own bike fuel

So I put my Sports Dietitian hat on and developed some evidence-based recipe ideas to give you a good hit of carbohydrates, electrolytes and even protein. These recipes will fuel you for what you need but with the advantage of lots of other nutrients as well, including:

• My infamous, (not so) secret stacks
• Rice cakes
• Energy balls
• Bike bars
• and even a homemade Sports drink!
  
  

These recipes still provide enough fuel for what you need but the advantage of lots of other nutrients as well. I’ve even included some savoury options for those who just can’t stomach any more sweets.

To dive a bit deeper into how to best fuel your ride, take a listen to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Podcast, EP 46 – Real food ideas for on the bike

To order your own copy of the Ride Your Adventure recipe book, click HERE

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If you are looking for a Sports Dietitian and want to learn more about working with me, click HERE to see what I offer for private, 1 on 1 consultations.