Interesting/odd nutrition secrets?
 

Just looking for new ideas on what to eat while riding. I usually eat those delicious Stinger waffles, Cliff bars, gels, and bananas. I saw a Pay Day (peanut/caramel candy bar) commercial and thought hmmm that looks like it would work. Pecan pie always seemed like a good source of energy too, but it would be near impossible to carry and eat it while riding. It's too bad..I love pecan pie.:love:

What other strange/interesting things do you eat that gives you energy on the bike?

I hate eating on my bike, so I usually stock up about an hour or so before I head out. Trail mix, bananas, and gatorade. FTW!

I am in the process of figuring out how to bring honey with me. Finding the right container. One time brought a plastic bear with me and I sipped on it during the ride. It helped. Made me more focused.

little fliptop travel bottles (like from REI). The work for bulk Gu-types and are cheaper than the made to fit squeeze bottles...

I'm an occasional fan of carrying a zippy of fig bars (newtons or other)

I eat nutter butters - usually one pack before a race and a pack of peanut MMs (before a road race) and a m&ms only before a crit. I've been doing since i started racing so now I'm superstitious about it. And usually another pack during a road race (amongst the rest of the food i carry - mostly gels)

I ate m&m's (and the yellow Vitamin Water) while taking the SATs, SAT II, and whatnot - and it worked out pretty well :)

How long is your ride?

Waffle sandwiches. Two waffles with a peanut butter/maple syrup mixture inside. A cold, salted baked potato also does wonders.

Honey Stinger packs honey in single serving packets. The reason it makes you more focused is because the brain runs on glucose, which is a basic constituent sugar found in honey.

Don't know about the waffle idea, but sweet potatoes would be a better option overall nutritionally than regular baked potatoes.

btw, I love peanut butter on waffles.

I've eaten other sweets during rides and honey is definitely on a different level. It's probably the healthiest form of sweet out there. I am talking raw honey. Concentrated flower and fruit nectar.

Fig bars are my on-the-bike staple. They have the right kind of nutrition, taste pretty good, and they are a heck of a lot cheaper than energy bars/gels/etc. When I need a break from fig bars, I like various kinds of Honey Stinger bars.

Raisins are cheap and easy. Plenty of carbs and potassium. Other than that pretty much anything that has sugar and is palatable to you without causing digestive stress will work. Sometimes I eat candies like Jelly Belly. :)

Pitted dates and coconut water are good underway but I usually prefer to stop for a few minutes every hour.

You should familiarize yourself with the waffle idea :D Sweet potatoes happen around the holidays, but the rest of the year it is Russet time. It was my nom of choice on my trip to Dallas in '05.

Lately, I've been taking a ziploc bag with a mixture of raisins and nuts. Cheaper than energy bars and probably just as good. I usually stop to eat and drink. I'm not in that much of a hurry.

peanut butter and jelly is my weapon.

Hostess fruit pies and Mt. Dew.

Ok so I heard this from a woman I ride with who is a nutrition professor at PSU, haven't tried it yet.

White potatoes, cooked in the microwave and then add butter and salt to flavor. She says the nutritional value is just like a power bar and is MUCH cheaper and is a good change up to you regular bike related energy food. She uses them on long rides and races.

:thumb:

heard something like this once but they used baked potatoes, skin on and just carry them with you. no butter but could take some along separately up to you

Chocolate milk is the best recovery drink. It's more effective than recovery drinks and 1/3 the price.

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/art...r-drink-25698/

Also Twinkies do a great job of preventing an impending bonk if you're in a pinch.

Incorrect. Beer is the best recovery drink.