Had a bypass back at the end of Jan and I am just about to get back in to my cycling. Most cycling energy snacks are pretty unhealthy Flapjacks/Cakes/Gels/Biscuits etc Im thinking that may not be a good way to go now I have been fixed!
Apart from Bananas and dried fruit like Apricots(not a fan at all!) does anyone have any ideas of what I could be taking out on the road with me ?
Thanks in Advance
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CyclingTime
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If you want something biscuity then Nature Valley bars are pretty good, if you get the right flavour (oat and honey) they’re very low in saturated fat. It’s amazing how much variation there is between almost identical seeming products!
I will take a look, I guess I have assumed biscuits are "bad" no matter what they are
Have some good carbs the night before always will help. I used to be able to do over 200 mile day rides but mostly 100 ish Didn't really eat much during the cycling but plenty of liquids a must... Don't forget breakfast
I used to take porridge in tubs (oats, water, malt extract and salt). Quick to eat and you get the water as well as the carbs. Now I'm in less of a hurry, I make a kind of oat cake - with some fruit and malt extract etc in it.
About banana's, some medication don't like the pottasium content.So have a check on the warning sheets, or as your chemist or pharmacist before eating too many.
I should be safe I like them but one decent size is enough for me. I know what you mean though as a mate has 3+ per day!
Unless you are competitively cycling or out all day why do you need to 'snack'? If you have good diet and have the right sort of food with slow release carbs before you set out like porridge you shouldn't need snacks or so called energy drinks. From my perhaps warped perspective it's been brought about by a pressure from the food industry to sell us lots of value added stuff we don't really need.
Rice cake has been popular with cyclists. Google "rice cake cyclists" for various recipes. But personally I don't tend to worry as much when riding. Longer rides will demand energy and so counterbalance the extra intake to some extent. It's just a matter of not overdoing it - Hidden above illustrates how you may not need as much extra as you think, and in practice I don't always eat too much more than normal.
Ew, if you can eat rice cakes, good luck. They are like eating polystyrene and you certainly would need drinks. . Make up some oat cakes or oat biscuits yourself. I think there's a recipe on the BHF main site.
With rice, it depends how you prepare it. Decades ago, as a teenager, I rode a 12-hour race for the first time. I'd read that rice pudding was good to have handed up, in a drinks bottle with the lid removed. What I failed to think through was that they meant Ambrosia consistency. My Mum's otherwise-excellent home-made pudding tended to separate more, so when I tipped my head back, I just got a face full of milk 😅
Unless you are riding for more than four hours, and have really low body fat percentage, I agree you don’t really need snacks. Particularly if you’re not competing. Great way to lose weight and get fat-adapted so you are also better at controlling weight. I find I can do without and don’t seem to slow down much or at all compared to friends who are sucking on gels.
If you would like to buy a Woman's magazine, My Weekly dated April 19th to 26 has recipes for 5 healthy, home made snacks, savoury and sweet. Just use an artificial sweetener instead of the xylitol they recommend, especially if you have pets because even a tiny amount of xylitol kills dogs and cats. (Sometimes called Birch sugar)
I just take raisins and nuts. Or energy bars/gels. I could never eat very sugary, fatty or dairy snacks anyway, or even a meal, even on 100-mile plus rides. I don't think even a few gels are all that unhealthy, unless you have issues with blood sugars...
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