David Heatley has
medalled at national and regional cycling events in Found this great article about nutrition for Adventure cyclists. I have republished it here.
Written by Nancy Clark
More often than not, touring cyclists ask me “What is a
well-balanced diet? What should I be eating to help me ride strong day
after day?” They feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of
nutrition don’ts. Don’t eat white sugar, white bread, processed foods,
fast foods, French fries, soda pop, salt, trans fats, butter, red meat.
You’ve heard it all, I’m sure. But when you’re cycling through rural
America and are confronted with a convenience store with limited
options, how can you eat well for health and high energy?
The following nutrition strategy can help you fuel your body with a
“good-enough” sports diet. The suggestions guide you toward an eating
style that’s simple and practical, yet can effectively help you fuel
well, whether you’re at home and confronted with an abundant and
tempting food environment, or you’re on the road and bewildered by the
limited options of squishy white bread and processed cheese.
- Try to eat at least three kinds of nutrient-dense food at each meal and two kinds of food with a snack. Don’t eat just one food per meal, such as a bagel. Add two more foods: peanut butter and yogurt. Don’t choose just handfuls of peanuts for lunch. Add a banana and milk. For dinner, enjoy more than plain pasta with butter; add tomato sauce and ground turkey or canned kidney beans. In general, two-thirds of your plate should be carbs — (whole) grains, vegetables, and fruits, and one-third should be protein-rich foods like (canned) chicken, tuna, dairy, nuts, or other plant sources of protein.
Too many cyclists eat a repetitive menu with the same 10 to 15 foods each week. Repetitive eating keeps life simple, minimizes decisions, and simplifies shopping. But in the long run (longer than a few months of summer touring), the more different foods you eat, the more different types of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you consume. A good target is 35 different foods per week.
- Think moderation. Rather than categorizing a food as being good or bad, think about moderation. Aim for a diet that offers 85 to 90 percent quality foods and 10 to 15 percent foods with fewer nutritional merits. Enjoy a foundation of healthful foods, but don’t deprive yourself of enjoyable foods. This way, even soda pop and ice cream can fit into a nourishing sports diet. You just need to balance the “junk” with healthier choices throughout the rest of the day. That is, you can compensate for an occasional greasy sausage and biscuit breakfast by selecting a turkey sandwich for lunch and grilled fish for dinner. You can also balance the white-bread sandwiches with whole-grain oatmeal or granola for breakfast, and the pale lettuce salad with (canned) carrots or (frozen) spinach another day. Look at your weekly and monthly food intake, not a day’s options.
- Eat foods in their natural state. For instance, when possible, choose oranges over orange juice; whole-wheat bread over white bread; baked potatoes rather than potato chips. Foods in their natural (or lightly processed) state offer more nutritional value and less sodium, fat, and other health-eroding ingredients.
When touring, you’ll undoubtedly use more processed foods — instant potatoes, canned corn, boxed macaroni and cheese — but when possible, plan to also stop at the farm stands and enjoy the locally grown foods. The key is in choosing a balance of fresh and processed foods. Also note that canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can offer more nutritional value than the wilted gems from a small store.
When you’re on the road, you’ll be eating at least 3,000 calories a
day and ingesting abundant vitamins. For example, guzzling one quart of
OJ for a mere snack offers at least four times the RDA of Vitamin C,
plus lots of potassium, folate, and other good stuff your body needs
for good health. Because many foods are fortified with vitamins, you
can consume more nutrients than you realize via enriched energy bars
and cereals.
Given that most people can get adequate vitamins in 1,500 calories,
you’ll undoubtedly get more than enough when touring. (Exercise does
not significantly increase vitamin needs.) Your body also has a
storehouse of vitamins in the liver, so you won’t become deficient
overnight if you happen to go a few days without fruits or veggies. You
need not worry about taking a vitamin pill.
- Fuel your body on a regular schedule, eating even-sized meals every four hours, with a snack or two in between. Instead of saving your appetite for a huge meal at the end of the day, eat on a time-line with at least 500 to 750 calories per meal (that’s the equivalent of two to three Clarkslices of cheese pizza per meal). Whatever you do, do not eat in a “crescendo” with meals getting progressively bigger as the day evolves. You know, the standard pattern of skimpy 200- to 300-calorie energy bar breakfasts and lunches that get followed by too many calories of sugary snacks and super-sized dinners. I call that “eating backwards.”
Here’s how the time-line approach to eating might work. When you are at home, four meals should be fine; add snacks when you are touring.
Breakfast: (7–8 a.m.): hearty cereal + milk + banana
Touring snack: latté + bagel + peanut butter
Lunch: (11 a.m.–noon): hefty sandwich + milk
Touring snack: trail mix + orange juice
Lunch #2 (3–4 p.m.): yogurt +granola + almonds
Touring snack: fig newtons
Dinner (7–8 p.m.): spaghetti + tomato sauce + ground meat
Fueling by day is particularly important for cyclists who want to lose weight. If you have excess body fat, you need to eat enough during the day to support your cycling. You can eat a little less at the end of the day and lose weight when you are sleeping. Knocking off just 200 calories at the end of the day can contribute to 20 pounds of fat loss in a year. Think “small changes” that you barely notice, not huge changes that leave you weak and tired.
- Rather than counting calories, simply honor hunger. Eat before you get too hungry and tired, and then stop eating when you feel content.
Although counting calories is one way to educate yourself, it’s
simpler to pay attention to your body’s signals. Keep checking in with
yourself, “Is my body content? Or does my body need more fuel?” When
confronted with lumberjack portions that would leave you feeling
stuffed, consider letting the excess food go to waste, not to “waist.”
Even touring cyclists have been known to gain excess body fat. Eating,
after all, is a fun and restful alternative to cycling.
Whether you’re in your office or on the road, remember that hunger is
simply a request for fuel. Your body is telling you that it has burned
off what you gave it and needs a refill. To disregard hunger is
abusive. If you do, you will start to crave sweets (a physiological
response to calorie deprivation) and may end up eating “junk,” to say
nothing of having a less-than-enjoyable bike ride.
- Take mealtimes seriously. If you can find the time to train hard or go on an extended tour, you can also find the time to fuel right. “No time” is no excuse. You’ll always win with good nutrition!
Source: http://www.beezodogsplace.com/blog1/2008/12/12/eating-well-adventurecycling/