To pedal a bike all day the body requires a steady supply of slow-burning energy. The ideal food is easily digestible, simple to make, can be carried on a bike and can be made hours before.
Whole grains are best.
Whole Wheat Couscous: High carbs with a relatively low glycemic index. Cooks fast, keeps well and is great when mixed in with a salad.
Quinoa: Easy to make, very easy to digest, great energy source with a bit of protein and plenty of iron. Great hot or cold
Brown Rice: Takes a long time to cook but is easily digested. Great energy source.
Whole Wheat Pasta: Is very satisfying after a long ride but does not keep well. Spirals can be mixed in with a salad but is not tasty when luke-warm. Hot or cold is best.
Sushi (without the fish): Often if we had a hotel room with a minibar refrigerator I would make a double pot of brown rice for dinner and make sushi rolls in the evening. I would wrap them up in preparation for the long ride the next day. Uncut, they remain intact and can be eaten like a banana.
Early in our tour we began looking at food as a simple fuel. If we ate something sweet we might bonk a few miles down the road. Slow burning carbs would make us feel twice as strong as a sandwich made on white bread.
I enjoy cooking. We have a
pot with a sealable lid with allows us to make food in the morning and have it ready when the ravenous hunger is setting in about noon.
