TimothyH

I'd love to see your "Healthy Cycling Food" recipes.

Please do not argue about the health impact of eating this or that food or of any particular diet.

Please post the benefit to the recipe such as easy to prepare in advance, low in sodium, high in protein, vegan, great for recovery, etc.

I'm particularly interested in easy to prepare foods, recipes with five ingredients or less and only one pot to clean. I would also love to hear about your meat substitutes. Don't let my interests stop you from posting however. Just post your favorites.

Links or recipe typed out is fine.

Thanks.


-Tim-

Seattle Forrest

Tacos, because they're incredibly high in protein. I use Beyond Meat "chicken" strips (60g protein per bag), plus all the regular stuff.

KDTX

Banana. Benefit: easy to prepare, great for recovery

Chicken Wings. Benefit: delicious!

redlude97

Roasted Veggies>>>>>>Steamed for only slightly more calories from the oil. Salt, Pepper, whole garlic cloves, chili flakes, olive oil. Works well on broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots

Hard to beat rotisserie chicken from costco for bang for your buck.

wolfchild

One of my favourite meals at the end of a hard day is:


3-4 cups of steamed white rice
a large skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 tbsp. of olive oil
seasoned with a lot of very spicy Jerk Seasoning


I am a huge big fan of white rice and I eat tons of it, it's simple and easy to prepare, a perfect carb source for hard training people. I also like white potatoes which I sometimes eat instead of rice.

canklecat

I like variety for eating in general, but for cycling I tend to stick with a few familiar dishes.

Even when I cook I tend to go by the Sandra Lee "semi-homemade" approach. There are so many good choices in canned and pre-made sauces and basics I don't feel any need to do everything from scratch.

For breakfast or any pre-ride meal (assuming I need to eat), oatmeal, yogurt and banana. I do mix up the oatmeal yogurt choices a bit for variety -- sometimes Steel Cut high protein, sometimes others. Sometimes high protein vanilla yogurt, sometimes regular, sometimes Greek.

Lots of eggs. Cheap protein. I use butter. Nothing else prevents sticking as reliably. Makes cleanup easier too. Omelets are great for variety. Just toss in whatever leftovers sound good. That last bit of cheese, half strip of bacon, whatever isn't enough to use for anything else.

About once a week I make a big pot of pasta sauce and pasta. Usually shells, rotini or pasta that holds more sauce. I'm not a big fan of plain spaghetti. The meat sauce and pasta seems to give me a good balance of fuel and protein. It's easy and a break from the usual sweet protein supplements -- whether it's peanut butter sandwiches, protein bars, whey supplements, etc., most of those are sweet and I just get tired of it after awhile.

I'll brown a pound of ground beef, another pound of Italian ground pork sausage, add some sliced white onion, maybe some pre-cut onion and green pepper mix, then dump three or four big cans of Hunts or Del Monte pasta sauce, a regular can of fire roasted tomatoes, add some pre-made chopped garlic, seasonings, etc. I'll often pluck fresh rosemary, basil, etc., from a friend's garden -- she mostly grows it for the fragrance and I'm the only one who uses it for seasoning when I visit and cook for everyone. Otherwise I'll use dry herbs or whatever I can find on sale at Kroger.

That's good for a week and easy to warm up in the microwave. Once or twice I'll reheat and simmer the sauce for awhile just to help the flavor, but it probably isn't necessary.

The trick to keep a big batch of pre-cooked pasta easy to handle after refrigeration is to add some sauce and mix it up while it's warm. If the pasta sticks first just dunk it in warm water again, stir, then add the sauce and stir. Cover and refrigerate. When I'm ready to reheat and eat I'll add another big spoonful or two of extra sauce.

In winter I'll often keep a big crock pot of stew running for weeks. It'll start with a big beef or pork roast then becoming stew and soup, adding barley when it reaches the soup stage. Once in awhile I'll add some chunks of browned beef, whatever is on sale at the store. The trick is to keep the temperature high enough to ensure bacteria doesn't form, and low enough not to scorch and ruin the flavor. Some ingredients and combinations don't like to be kept heated for days or weeks and the flavor will become a little bitter or unpleasant. So I'll start over. Just takes some trial and error to figure out what works and what doesn't. Some types of potatoes become tough, others stay tender or fall apart and integrate into the texture.

I like grilled chicken, homemade burgers, fish, etc., too but need to replace my decade old electric grilling doodad. The non-stick coating finally got so old it wasn't working anymore so I tossed it last week. Got plenty of use from it.

TimothyH

It's Lent and I'm Catholic so I've been making meatless Garbonzo Soup. It is high in protein, low in fat and very satisfying.

1 32 oz carton low sodium or salt free vegetable broth
1 small onion
1 16 oz can garbonzo beans, low sodium version preferred
1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes
1 cup uncooked medium pasta shells
A few Tbsp 50/50 mix of canola and olive oil
Fresh garlic
Salt, pepper, oregano, basil

1. Rinse garbonzo beans and reserve the beans. Discard the juice.
2. Strain tomatos. Reserve 6 to 8 oz juice. Crush tomatoes into large chunks by hand.
3. Thinly slice garlic and chop onion into 1/4" pieces. Saute onions and garlic in oil until the onions begin to turn clear. Remove from heat. Do not overcook or burn garlic.
4. While onions are cooking, bring vegetable broth to a boil and cook the pasta shells in the broth. Do not drain or rinse the cooked shells. Just leave them in the pot with the broth.
5. When shells are done add the cooked garlic and onions, tomatoes, reserved tomato juice (for a little color), garbonzo beans and salt/pepper/oregano/basil to taste.
6. Bring mixture to a boil and serve hot with a large loaf of crusty bread.

-Tim-

wolfchild

Here is my smoothie recipe, which I make everyday and take it to work with me:


1 cup of dry rolled oats
1 cup of water
2 scoops of whey protein ( 50-60 grams )


I soak the oats in water overnight but I don't cook them. In the morning I put everything in the blender. If the smoothie is too thick I adjust it by adding a little bit more water.


Simple, easy, healthy and cheap to make.

canklecat

I've also added a pre-ride/workout booster made from leftover cold coffee with whey powder and creatine. Hate to waste coffee so I'll pour the leftover into a shaker and keep it in the fridge to mix with the whey and creatine. Tastes great, cheaper than ready made liquid energy drinks.

I really tried to supplement my protein intake with more legumes and pulses, but it gives my digestive system fits. Gassy, bloated, just miserable. Even the enzyme supplements and other tricks didn't help.

Shame because I enjoy beans and veggies and do eat them in moderate amounts. I just can't use them as a primary source of protein. Tried a couple of highly recommended protein powders a couple of months ago but had to switch back to whey this month.

I love hummus. Usually I buy premade but might try some homemade since the ingredients are cheap. And occasionally I'll add beans to pasta salads and regular salads. But it's easy to buy reasonably priced hummus locally now so I'm less inclined to make it at home.

noglider 

I like this thread already.

I got a great recipe from Global Cycling Network for fig bars. They didn't give quantities. They just showed how it's done. I've made them a few times, without measuring at all, just eyeballing. I don't remember at this point if I'm following the instructions. Maybe they had raisins instead of dates. Anyway, this is how I made them the last time:

Toss figs, dates, walnuts, and almonds in a food processor. Blend them. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Roll out the mixture on a baking sheet. Form it into a rectangle. Chill it in the freezer for a while. Cut it with a knife into bar shapes. Toss them into sandwich bags.

It's good, honest food, and it's delicious. I swear, I love these as much as chocolate brownies.

noglider 

My normal breakfast is yogurt with granola. Lately, I buy whatever granola has the least sugar. And I've been making a lot of my own yogurt. It's really easy, and it's cheaper than buying it. I have to start with commercial yogurt for the culture.

Boil milk. This gets rid of most bacteria.

Let it cool to about 120°F (50°C). Add two or three tablespoons of yogurt and stir it well.

Pour the milk into a container. Put the container into a place that is about 100°F (38°C). Lucky for me, I have an old oven with a pilot light, so I just put it in the oven with the oven off. If you don't have a pilot light, you should be able to warm it up by sticking in an incandescent light bulb on a cord, but I haven't tried this.

Let it sit for at least 10 hours (10 metric hours). I've left it for much longer, and it's just as good.

That's it. Refrigerate it.

khyricat

a few go to recipes...
roasted veg
summer time we do rice paper wraps- I keep a bunch of matchsticked vegetables ready to go, have several sauces (I like just siracha, but sometimes balsamic dressing is DD's or mustard go in), protein is either sliced up chicken breast or hard boiled eggs... when its time to make and eat we just use the kettle and fill a bowl with boiling water, dip the wrapper, set it on plate, put filling on and roll up... then on to the next one.. with 2 or 3 of us at a time (DD isn't home now, but I've done this since she was) we'd either make a plateful then sit together to eat or after a join work out each make one, eat, then take anotehr turn.. healthy, simple and great post workout...

I use the electric pressure cooker a lot.. I can set it and leave and have hot stew/soup on return... I also make my own stocks and broths in it.

my go to smoothie is 1 tsp powdered PB, or 2 of regular, 1 scoop chocolate orgain powder, 1 banana, water and ice to 20 oz... I take that to work and it ges me through the first 4--6 hours of the day... sometimes with a big spoonfulof oats powdered in the blender first, sometimes without- depens on how much of a hurry I am in...

TimothyH

I'm going to try the yogurt. Sounds interesting, even just as a curiosity or fun project. Maybe I'll do it for when I have some company just for the novelty.

What is a metric hour?


-Tim-

TimothyH

Baked Avocado with Egg

Large avocado
eggs beaten
Your favorite cheese
Sliced ham, smoked turkey or your favorite meat subsitute
Salt and pepper

1. Cut two large Avocado in half, remove the pit and cut a small portion off the bottom so that they sit with the cavity facing up. Set the avocados in a glass baking dish
2. Beat a couple of eggs and pour into the cavity until almost full
3. Add a layer of cheese on top of the egg
4. Chop ham, turkey or meat substitute and layer on top of avocado
5. Salt and pepper to taste
6. Bake 400° F until eggs are no longer runny - 30 to 35 minutes
7. Serve hot

Baked avocados can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Microwave for 60 seconds to reheat. Makes a fantastic breakfast before a long Saturday group ride.




-Tim-

KraneXL

Well you really don't need to cook oats. Just place them in boiling water until absorbed, if you don't want to wait all night.I'm not really an avocado fan but that sounds healthy and looks delicious.

wolfchild

I forgot to mention that very often I will also add 1-2 tbsp of tahini and about 4-5 dried dates to increase the caloric content and make it taste a little better.

TimothyH

1 container Sabra Roasted Red Pepper hummus or your own homemade or whatever flavor you like.
1 bowl Garden Salsa flavor Sun Chips.
Dip and enjoy in moderation.

Easy, filling, good source of protein and better than many other snacks. Just don't eat the whole bag of chips.


-Tim-

Seattle Forrest

Tried Trader Joe's Super Extra Lot of Protein Veggie Burgers last night. Mushy. Texture like Quinoa Cowboy burgers.

KraneXL

I used dates before but found them too powerful and drowned the flavor of the oats. Same with prunes. I found that raisins are the best balance for my taste when I want to add some variety. I love nuts too but not sure I'd like them together -- in a hot cereal. I would say I prefer it all soft or all crunchy, but I have a cake recipe with walnuts so that can't be the case.

wolfchild

My breakfast is very healthy and simple:


-- 6-8 whole eggs scrambled with a little bit of olive oil
-- 2-3 slices of coarsely ground whole grain pumpernickel bread ( real bread )
-- black coffee

noglider 

I can't stand oatmeal.

My breakfast is granola and yogurt plus coffee. It's the one meal I rarely vary. I like regularity for breakfast. Today's breakfast had my homemade yogurt. Making it is fun and saves a little money.

TimothyH

I know a monk who has eaten the same breakfast for 65 years.

I'm the same way and will probably eat oatmeal (the real kind, not instant) with blueberries and wheat germ for the rest of my life.


-Tim-

TimothyH

Charred Brussel Sprouts

These are not your grandmother's soggy, smelly brussel sprouts. These are amazingly good and kids love them.

Brussels sprouts
50/50 mix of canola and light olive oil
Kosher salt

1. Cut off ends of sprouts and cut in half
2. Toss sprouts in oil until coated
3. Place sprouts in a single layer on a sheet tray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Roast until outsides begin to get charred, 40 minutes at 350° F or 30 minutes at 425° F. The exact temperature doesn't matter as long as they start to get crispy on the outsides.

Sorry, no photos.





-Tim-

caloso

We do these often. Brussels sprouts have gone from my most hated to most loved veggie. I love my mom, but she nearly ruined this for me by boiling the crap out of them.

KraneXL