Training & Nutrition - energy foods

Does anyone have a recipe for making a high energy food for on the road. I know you can buy them, but would much prefer to make my own without all the preservatives, etc, etc. thanx

Stan,

Welcome!

I always go natural. I like things like orange juice, natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread (the REAL kind), apple slices, etc. I think a natural peanut butter sandwich is very easy to digest, not like meat. The bread gives you great carb energy and the protein and monounsaturated fat extends your energy.

Natural sources of fructose are good, too, as they take longer to digest than "Powerade." And I tend to avoid the other unnatural foods because of the crazy altered fats in them.

I don't agree with the concept of, "if you cycle, you can eat anything."

:)

I want to add a plug here for orange juice.

Orange juice has over 10 times the potassium of Powerade. Orange juice is fructose, which enters your muscle cells more easily than sucrose and needs less insulin for the process. Orange juice is packed with vitamin C, an important vitamin for muscle rebuilding and also found be essential in preventing cancer and heart disease. Orange juice (frozen) is much cheaper than Powerade, even though the same company gets most of the profits from both drinks.

Orange juice tastes 1,000,000 times better than anything else, and you can dilute it to any strength you desire.

Speaking of "the real kind" of bread--it's so easy to make your own bread the last few years using a bread machine! I was making my own long before anybody thought of a bread machine, but now I hardly see why anybody would want to purchase a loaf.

I bought a Hitachi bread machine at a charity thrift shop for $5; it works like new, it takes approximately three minutes to put the ingredients in and start it up (I've timed this, it's not a guess)--and four hours and ten minutes later you have a fresh loaf of bread and meanwhile you have the good smell of baking it.

The Web has more bread-machine recipes on it than anything else except pictures of cats and bicycle postings.

And when you make your own bread, you can toss in ingredients at will--another thing you can't do with store-bought.

And no preservatives! (One thing I have always wondered about: how come my homemade bread keeps LONGER than store-bought, yet has no preservatives in it? Any non-conspiracy ideas on that subject?) :)

I am ashamed to say (although there are some really good breads out there, if I know where to look), I have neglected my wonderful bread machine! :cry:

I used to make a beautiful (to me) pumpkin bread. I used to make bread (even white) and bring it to work.
People wanted to taste it.

And the smell getting up in the morning! Ahhhhhhhhh...

O.k., I'm corrected!

(Jon is right. With a non-expensive bread machine, you just "throw" in the ingredients, including anything you like--raisins, pumpkin, whatever--set the timer, and just remember to be there when the timer beeps. Fresh, hot, and soooooooo delicious. Cheap, and fun, too! You really have to be careful not to gorge!)

And don't forget, folks, really GOOD bread is delicious, nutritious, and the best cycling fuel around! (Don't forget natural peanut butter...) ;)

Pete

Peanut butter! Yes!

I found out soon after I got my food processor (now, it's not a cheapie, but a Cuisinart, from back in the days when I was gainfully employed :))--that it's so-o-o easy to make your own peanut butter.

The bonus here is that you can control the ingredients and you can make it totally free from sugar and salt, if you want to (though I don't worry about those ingredients in foods, as a rule).

All you need to do is: put roasted peanuts (you can use salt-free dry-roasted if you want to) in the food processor, turn it on and let it pulverize the peanuts, then slowly, slowly (like making mayonnaise) add the oil of your choice till you reach the desired consistency.

Of course this peanut butter like any "natural" kind will tend to separate. Just mix it up before using. You may never wish to purchase the ready-made kind again!

My advice to you is get a food dehydrator. My wife and I have dehydrated many things ovre the past 3 years. We have done cucumbers, squash, peppers, melon's, venicen, turkey, etc. Having said that there are times when I have followed the Stamstad diet while riding.

Why not just throw peanuts in the bread machine?
:D

Originally posted by Hunter
My advice to you is get a food dehydrator.
Food dehydrator? Hmm... Not a bad idea...


Originally posted by aerobat
Why not just throw peanuts in the bread machine?

Peanuts? No...

But peanut butter...Hot dog! (Oops! I don't recommend hot dogs in a bread machine.) :)

Jon, would peanut butter work???? :confused:

Originally posted by Pete Clark

Jon, would peanut butter work???? :confused:

I don't know, Pete...why don't you try it in YOUR bread machine and see? :)

Attached is a scan from the book: Supermarket Backpacker written by Harriett Barker and published in 1977 by Contemporary Books Inc. (Chicago). The Library of Congress catalogue card number is 79-65968.

This scanned page contains several recipes for energy bars including:

Seed Bars
Protein Bars
Peanut Butter Bars

They are all at least as good as anything you will buy in the stores for $1.50+ per bar. If you want more protein, add some whey protein from the health food store.

This book, by the way is an excellent book of creative recipes for outdoors people on the go like us bicyclists.

JonR I agree with you 100% about making your own bread I love to make my own jalepeno cheese bread. I do not know about yours but mine has the ability to make pizza dough which I take advantage of a lot! It is perfect for calzones.

I can't wait to make my own peanut butter! I wish I would of thought of that sooner.