What do you VL commuters recommend as far as before, mid and after commute snack goes to keep the blood bumping and energy levels at maximum.

I am going to get back into my groove. I will commute twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon (to and from work) The commute will be 18 miles one way for a total of 36 miles.

I used to chomp down on any fruit 30 mins prior to my commute for a good carb/energy source. What other snacks, fruit or even drinks can I consume for good carbs and energy sources.

Mine is 28 in the am and 17 in the afternoon. I take the bus partway on the way home.

I generally eat half an energy bar on the way in and nothing on the way back. Yes, this is not much food. Apparently my body is more efficient nowdays
Now that I am sick of energy bars, I plan on trying a few other options. The only foods I have tried are mixed nuts and trail mix. They worked fine.
Being a PB&J addict I am attempting to figure out how to use that sandwich instead. I may cut it up into small squares. Yummy!

Oat meal and Peanut butter about 1 hour before you ride. And a banna just before you ride. Also eat before you go to bed. The energy will be ready for you in the morning. What you eat right before the ride is for after the ride. Also after the ride a energy bar to help you recover.

bananas
other fruits
mixed nuts
almonds
trail mix
energy bars
granola bars

I'm getting hungry.

so am I.
thanks

How about veggies? I have had a constant craving for them for quite sometime. Last week I ate a small bag of salad mix by myself. I wonder if the energy provided would be worth the trouble of packing around something like a carrot.
Dang it! Now I want a carrot. *grumbles*
Why the heck do I crave food that is good for me?

I take my lunch with me everyday and ride 15 mi ea way so my eating goes something like this on most days:
before ride:
Big bowl oatmeal and 3 cups of coffee
after ride at work:
2 peanut butter sandwiches on Whole Wheat
While at work as I feel hungry:
2 apples
2 carrots
1 green pepper
2 oranges
1 oz beef jerkey
before I ride home:
1 cliff bar
during ride (if hungry)
1 cliff bar
after ride at home
cooked dinner by my loving wife
1 or 2 beers

That seems to keep me in pretty good shape both for energy and weight - I've lost 20lbs since I started riding and can have the occassional ice cream cone or 3rd beer without worries.

I keep what I can in my desk or the office fridge, and on the 2-3 days a month when I don't ride, I'll haul in a whole box of cliff bars and apples and oranges by the bag so I don't have to carry so much on the bike.

Fig newtons, 50 cal in each little piece. Seem to sit easy in guts too.

Clif shot blocks are surprisingly palatable, but may be a bit pricey. The good thing about Clif bars are that there are several varieties that don't have chocolate in them. As a result they won't melt on you, either through body heat or ambient temperature.

Ive racked up on fruit. I prefer natural/good carbs.
For breakfast today I had 2oz of pineapple, 2oz of papaya (not very tasty) 3oz some other fruit, which I forgot its name (its orange inside, and its just like a watermelon, but smaller and its completely round, brain fart going on right now), one big strawberry, sliced up, I would say around 2oz of seven grain cereal with raisans and dantes, flak seeds over the fruit and 3oz of non-fat vanilla yogurt to top it off. It is a hefty fruit bowl and it took me a while to eat it all. But its a sure energy-carb booster. This will keep me going till lunch.

For lunch I packed a sandwich (on white bread, I like my white bread) 2 slices of turkey, one slice of american cheese, half a tomato, a good ammount of lettuce. A banana and some pringles for crunch and salts. For 30 mins prior to my ride home I will eat a seven grain granola bar that has some honey in it. Gatorade will keep me hydrated on my way home.

Ummm...cantaloupe?

My commute's not very long, but I start the morning with a cup of either yogurt or oatmeal. Then most days I eat a PB&G burrito -- peanut butter, yogurt, honey, granola, and possibly a bannana if I have one. Even a small one is filling along with a side of carrots or fruit as available.

Yeah that one! hmmm! good. Papaya, not so good but healthy

I'm probably not the one to be giving advice, but I just eat a PB&J after my morning ride. I do nothing, not even a drink of water, before, I just get up, hit the bathroom, suit up and leave. Then a normal lunch, ride home and have a snack after I get home then dinner. I like to charge up on chocolate; I probably eat at least 4oz of chocolate a day, I just munch down on semi-sweet chocolate chips out of the bag.
My ride is 11 miles one way, 5 days a week. I should probably start eating more bananas or something.

I just started eating steel cut oats. They really have a long "burn" time. I was stunned. I munch all day long but after eating a bowl I didn't need to eat until lunch. Go over to nutrition and training for some good recipes. You have to soak in water overnight then cooking is quick and easy.

Yea, steel cut oats don't grind out all the good stuf (protein and fiber, I think). Instant oatmeal is about as good as eating cardboard. I get slow cook Quakers rolled oats and it's noticably better than instant, though it doesn't taste quite as good as McCann's steel cut.

Aparently I am doing something right. I felt full of energy the entire ride into and out of work. Tomorow will be the same deal. No papaya though. LOL

My commute is 15 miles each way, rolling hills. My routine:
Before leaving have my vitamin pills, and a bananna
Ride to work - drinking lots of water. I leave at about 6:00am, and arrive at about 7.
Arrive at work, after cool down, shower and dress.
Breakfast is oatmeal, coffee, english muffin or bagel with margarine - usually at about 7:30
Around 9:30 or 10:00 I will usually have another peice of fruit - whatever is in season, lately been apples.
11:30 lunch - noodle soup with tofu or Rice with beans or pasta with tofu (I eat a lot of tofu)
4:00 snack, usually another piece of fruit and some peanut butter & crackers
5:30 ride home, more water.
7:00 dinner fixed by my lovely wife. Lately she has been doing weightwatchers which means that there are never enough carbs at dinner, so I sometimes sneak back to the kitchen afterwards for some bread or something.

I've tried that...my stomach starts trying to digest itself. otoh, if I eat very much at all in the morning I want to hurl.

I don't consider myself a VLC'er (6 mi each way) save that on one route that's 6 miles worth of a pretty intense hill-repeat session, but there are these chewy quaker-oats squares (I'm partial to oatmeal raisin) they sit pretty well and I don't even feel like I need to eat something after the ride. I tried carnation instant breakfasts but had to keep something like a nutra-grain bar at work to keep me satisfied before lunch.

Anyway, that's my experience with morning fuel. For the ride home I just have a couple of five crackers and that seems to keep my stomach happy during the ride.

DAMN! Today I did not bring any extra fruit and I forgot my grains bar! DAMNIT! dont you hate it when you feal like you forget something only to figure it out three hours later!

Anyway, breakfast today was the same as yesterday with the exception of the papaya.

You and me both. ugh
Mine needs some time to wake up. Hence the reason I nibble throughout my am commute. My real breakfast is at work.

well here's my plan
wake up at 4:30
5:00 wake up dad
5:30Eat nothing watch news
6:00drink some water then coffee! ( i can't eat early in the morning )
6:05 prepare bike
6:30 leave house (this may vary)
7:?? get to school
!2:00 pm have lunch
3:25 yay schools out ! pedal to store down the big hill and get some granola bars
4:30 pm? get home and relax for 30mins
later on have something to eat what idk lol