Many of you know, I like to ride my bike. I like to ride it quite a bit actually – usually 5 times a week and usually somewhere between 20 during the week, and 70+ on weekends. This is why I work with athletes well in my nutrition coaching, because I am one of them! I take snacks and liquids with me so I can stay hydrated and fueled. I have used processed bars but have moved to using real food more often. Why? Your body can digest foods better in their natural forms and there are no chemicals or preservatives usually in real food.
What food is in your cycling jersey pocket?
I tell you in this video a few things I take while riding and put into my jersey pocket. I list them below:
1 – Baked red potatoes.
I wash, stab (so they don’t explode when baking), spray with olive oil and bake at 325*F for 45 minutes or so depending on the size of the potato. I usually make 4-8 at one time to save time! I prefer organic and red potatoes. They taste good when cold. They have a creamy consistency when cold (sweet potatoes can become mush – and therefore messy and unappealing in my opinion. I may use them in a flask as a gel sometime?) Organic red potatoes taste better than regular ones, too.
I bake them, let them cool. Then slice them and put them into a baggie. This makes for an easy snack while riding or when you stop. You could put some sea salt in between slices, too?
2 – Dates. I use plain dates – the pitted ones. The pit may be a bit hard to bite into! I like just dates, not date rolls which have extra sugar and some coconut. Again, I think the rolls are a bit messy although they would be a good option with some healthy fats from the coconut flakes but that can have added sugar, too. Dates are sweet enough, easy to digest and have more potassium than bananas!
I have replaced using gel with just eating 2-3 dates for when I need a quick energy boost.
3 – Sweet potato plantain (or banana) flatbreads.
These I make in my dehydrator, but I am sure you can drop the batter onto a baking sheet and make cookies, too. I like the dehydrated version as they don’t spoil over time and can last a good 2 weeks after being made, maybe longer if kept in the refrigerator. Here is the recipe for the sweet potato plantain cookies.
4 – Beet almond pancakes.
I made these a few weeks ago, and have been using them before, during and after rides! They have beets, potato, eggs, vanilla and some almond flour. I wonder if I could make these into a flatbread or bake them in the oven vs frying up in a pan….hmm. Here is the recipe for the pancakes.
This is not an exhaustive list by any means as to what you can take as real food options in your bike jersey pocket. If you have any ideas, feel free to share them in the comments below! Or send me an email with your favorite real food snack!
What food is in YOUR bike jersey pocket??