Real food to eat during rides

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi all,

Any recommendations for ‘real’ food (as opposed to designer foods like PowerBar or GU or any other gel) you can eat on rides? Something easy to pack, easy to eat and ride at the same time?

I used to eat PowerBars, but then read the ingredient list and learned the #1 ingredient is high fructose corn syrup!

I currently eat a lot of banannas when riding. Any other suggestions? Food with NO high fructose corn syrup, and food that is not made of tons of chemicals. I’m looking for real food.

Thanks

2

A friend of mine eats PBJ sandwiches. I’d call that real food :slight_smile:

3

Try Honey in a GU flask.

Works for me.

Alan.

4

If you eat sandwiches then it is handy to cut off the crusts, roll them (think of a scroll) and gladwrap (don’t know what you guys call it - clingfilm?) from both ends - easy to pull off and eat.

I like vegemite on white bread for the savoury contrast to my sports drink but I don’t expect that many from the uncivilised countries will appreciate this.

5

Banana bread w/peanut butter.

Chicken and hummus on whole wheat bread.

That’s a start.

6

oh man I’m craving banana bread now!

7

My girlfriend swears by the Eddie Merckx special: Ham and Cheese. I don’t know where she keeps them but the only time I can catch her on the bike is when she’s eating.

8

LARABAR

An example of the ingredients list is: Banana cookie bar - dates, almonds, bananas. REI has them here: http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47901208&parent_category_rn=4500619&vcat=REI_SEARCH

not affiliated, sponsored, etc…

9

raisins (Carbs & Potassium)

second the PB&J

Almost every fruit imaginable comes dried now. Costco has dried mango strip and kiwis.

Whole wheat cinnamon animal crackers (cant think of the brand)

Those packaged whole wheat crackers with PB

10

I like to eat pretzels.

11

Bananas and apples.

Time flies like and arrow, fruit flies like a banana. :slight_smile:

jaretj

12

I’m a huge fan of whole foods, and all those mentioned above do work; I just find it hard to eat whole foods when working out hard so I use Hammer gels and other hammer nutrition products. An example of the Raspberry Gel (My favorite) ingredients:

Long-chain Maltodextrin, Filtered Water, Energy Smart® (Fruit Juice, Natural Grain Dextrins), Raspberry Puree, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative), Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride

So not exactly what you asked but definitely better than most easy to eat energy foods on the market.

13

Fig bars aka Fig Newtons. Bite size, won’t melt and tastes good.

14

PowerBagels (Einstein’s), peanutbutter crackers, dried mango strips, bananas.

15

Bananas and apples.
I’ve mentioned taking the Ukrainian National Track team out on an 80 miler a couple of years ago. Bananas and apples were exactly what they ate.

16

I suppose this isn’t exactly in your strike zone, but after 4 hrs of riding with at least a couple of more to get home, a Wendys cheeseburger goes over real well. I stop, though, to eat it. I think I would cry if I dropped it or something.

Of course, if I am riding with others, I forego the treat. ALso, if it is a race simulation or race nutrition ride, the Wendys treat is also out.

17

you could try bringing some jerky - beef, turkey, etc.
unless you’re vegetarian, in which case that probably won’t much appeal to you.

18

One of my friends used to like to eat potatos while riding. He even tried to make a potato dispenser that went on his down tube. It only worked so-so.

I would go with the peanut butter. But I would say that any food you want to eat, and can carry safely would be fine.

Bernie

19

For IM Florida, I trained with and raced with my Bento Box full of Fig Newtons! They’re sweet, have plenty of calories (2 of them have about 120 calories) and are small and easy to take with you. The Bento Box kept them from getting crushed.
I also had a peanut butter and banana sandwich in my Special Needs bag and also ate them during long rides. Worked great for me!
Back in the day, before energy bars, I understand the early Ironmen racers ate Fig Newtons.

20

Hammer gels:
http://www.e-caps.com/za/ECP?PAGE=PRODUCT_CATEGORY&CAT=NUTRI&OMI=10103,10082,10047&AMI=10103
.