Walter S

Been a vegetarian for 38 years and counting (started at 15). I disagree with those that say you don't need more calories. That would only be true if you're going to do something else just as intense if you don't ride.

I estimate my riding burns about 5000 calories per week. And my diet is around 2800 per day. So I guess my food budget is about 25% spent on bicycling. But that's not a cost. I'm committed to fitness and would do other very active things too (and do, but I do love to ride).

Neat to see so many veggie responders.

Walter S

And oatmeal every day. But a 50 lb bag like the op? No. 1/3 cup steel cut oats, cooked in one cup soy milk, dried fruit, add sliced banana when done.

Edit: I'm 5'7, 145 lbs. It pays to be small sometimes

Ekdog

Cycling and a plant-based diet are a great combo for me.

Sixty Fiver

If you do more than the average human you need to consume more food to provide that energy... problem is that many average humans eat even more than 2800 calories a day and don't pay enough attention to what they are eating.

I used to consume 4500 calories a day just to maintain weight when I was on rigorous commuting and training schedule and working extra shifts in a very strenuous job and that was to keep me at 145 pounds.

Walter S

interesting that I need so much less. I ride 40 miles round trip to work, plus errands and recreational riding. I'm very unscientific about the calorie count and might be off by a good bit. But not that much.

In practice I don't count calories. I quote figures based on some study years ago, and the assumption that my activity level and food intake has not changed much. I just eat my usual diet and watch the scale.

memebag

Off topic - I love oatmeal. I use steel cut oats, too, but I cook 1 cup with 3 cups of water, then divide it into 4 servings and put it in the refrigerator. I also toast the oats in butter before I cook it, and I mix in whole milk, sugar and fresh ground cinnamon when I warm it up. It's the best oatmeal in the world.

Walter S

It is isn't it? Such good food and good nutrition to be so cheap! I get Kansas Organic at the farmer's market for $1.19 a pound and then serve that up 1/3 cup at a time. As for butter and whole milk, more power to ya. Those are no nos for me. But there's a million ways to make oatmeal. That's the other great thing about it. And it helps to keep from getting tired of it I know for some people. Me, I can eat the same thing day after day if I like it and feel good about what it does for my health. I don't get tired of good food.

memebag

Yeah, it's weird. I've been eating this oatmeal for breakfast almost every morning for a few years now, and I still wake up excited to eat it again. My wife will back me up on its goodness. She says she can never eat anyone else's oatmeal again.

JReade

True story.. sometimes my work schedule will interfere with riding, and sometimes weather isn't the best for commuting, so I'll take a week off, and eat like I did the previous week. My Heart rate monitor says I burn about 550 calories each way, so -1000 calories per day commuting, or -5000 a week, not including the rest of the stuff I do.

wipekitty

Thanks to this thread, I have been inspired to bake my own bread. My first loaf turned out great!

Not only will this save us money, but it will eliminate my ongoing problem of trying to transport bread in my messenger bag without squishing it. Thanks, LCF!

Smallwheels

It seems that one can eat all of the carbohydrates one desires and not get fat if one doesn't eat oils or any animal products. So if you eat a lot of beans, rice, potatoes, and other vegetables your food bill wouldn't necessarily be higher by very much. I love beans and rice together. I like rice with other things too. I can eat a really huge bowl of rice and vegetables or a lot of baked potatoes and not put on weight. I know this because I eat these regularly.

Unfortunately my favorite sweet potatoes cost 88 cents per pound. I like to chop these into cubes or thick longitudinal slices and put them in my pressure cooker. It only takes about twenty minutes for them to be ready to eat from start to finish. It's much faster than baking them. Even at this price they are much cheaper than any form of meat per pound. Bags of chicken parts are sometimes sold at about the same price but those have bones taking up a lot of the weight.

Bread is one of the most expensive things by weight. I don't eat it unless I'm out and can't cook for myself. It must take a lot of energy to make ones own bread.

One reason I really like my pressure cooker is it uses a tiny amount of energy. I just bought a 2 liter model that works at 15 pounds of pressure. It is the perfect size for me to make individual meals. I'm not saving money on energy because it is included in my rent. When I eventually move into my own place having such an energy saver will be important.

The biggest effect on my food bill was cutting down on eating meat. I had already stopped eating dairy long ago. If I totally cut out buying processed foods my food bill would be very small compared to many years ago.

Spld cyclist

Good for you! Bread isn't all that difficult, but there is a time commitment. I used to cook four-loaf batches of whole wheat sandwich bread about every other week. I would put three loaves in the freezer and take them out one by one as needed. Somehow I got away from the schedule for a while, but I just bought a big container of Red Star yeast to inspire me to get back in the habit.

MEversbergII

Try microwaving them for about 8 minutes.

When the butcher gives you bones, make bone broth!

M.

Smallwheels

I don't use microwave ovens.

cycleobsidian

This is pretty much how I eat as well. Going on 12 years. I have no problems remaining slim and all the beans and potatoes I eat keeps the grocery bill low.

lasauge 

Pretty interesting reading everyone's responses, so far it looks like carb-heavy diets are the common element here.

@memebag and walter - how do you two cook your steel-cut oats? I've tried cooking those overnight in a crockpot, but they always turn out like mush for me, so I've stuck to the much more convenient 'quick' oats that I make first thing when I get up in the morning.

I agree with Spld, congratulations! Making delicious bread isn't nearly as hard as many people assume, the process only becomes difficult when you're aiming for absolute perfection of crust, crumb, and flavor.

Roody

No-knead bread is easy, and close to perfect. You must bake the loaf in a heavy Dutch oven with a lid that can take a lot of heat. It takes about ten minutes to make, but 12 to 18 hours of proofing time. I just use Mark Bitman's recipe from the Times, but substitute a 12 ounce can of mild lager beer (like PBR or Budweiser) for part of the water in Mark's recipe.


https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/di...mrex.html?_r=0

Smallwheels

I have never cooked oats. I have read that Roman soldiers lived on this stuff and it kept them strong. Oats were also said to be one of the best meals for young children. Another thing the story said is that one must have a dedicated pot to cook them because some of the oats will permanently stick to the pot.

Roody

I don't know about the roman soldiers but you can definitely wash the pan.

Walter S

I bring the mix to a slow boil and cut down the heat to where it is just barely bubbling. Stir it every 5 minutes for a total of 15.

Walter S

Not true. After pouring the contents into a bowl, fill the pot with *cold* water. Let it stand a while (or all day) and the pot is pretty easy to wipe clean. I also use my stirring spoon to clear particles stuck to the bottom every 5 minutes and when completely done before serving.

Artkansas 

Well, I just use regular oats, 1/3 cup and put that in a bowl with some blueberries, then pour some water in and swish it around to get all the extra dust and the dirt off the berries and then drain the water. Oatmeal doesn't need to be cooked.

plustax

I always thought it was a PITA to cook oats. My breakfest is a cup or two of oats with fruit and peanut butter (the butter only goes in sometimes, since it's pretty calorie dense).

wolfchild

I eat a lot of fats, oils and animal products and I am very lean and slim. I can eat 3000 calories worth of food, most of it animal products and still have a hard time gaining a lot of weight.
It's been proven that the best way to loose weight is to follow a high fat-moderate protein-low carb diet..... High carbohadrate, low-fat vegetarian diets are not healthy because they spike your insulin a lot and will eventually lead to nutritional defeciencies, diabetes and obesity. I am not making this up, there is actually science behind it. Do a search and you'll find out.

wolfchild

The most fierce and strong warriors in history of the world were the Mongols and they lived on dairy products with meat and not oatmeal or beans.