Feed Zone Portables
A Cookbook of On-the-Go Food for Athletes

I’ve tried his rocket fuel recipe (basically a boiled potato rolled in olive oil, salt and some parmesan) and it works really well, something a bit different to an energy bar or gel.

yeah I’ll just stick one of those eggs in me pocket 😕

maybe wrap it in foil though.

Some good videos on YouTube where he (Allen Lim) shows how to cook alternative snacks they used at Garmin.

Real food always wins hands down over pure muck energy gels and bars

When summer arrives you’ll be att he back of the group then, not that they’ll affect your fitness, but not sure I’d rather follow someone with energy gells in their back pocket or eggs which have been kept warm and sweaty all day.

I’ve used plenty of the portables from the original feedzone cookbook on long fast group rides without issue.
Take gels if you want, they have their place, if you are not worried about what you are putting into your body, and don’t mind being lazy and unprepared, and don’t want to get the most out of yourself.

Portables for me are super useful for XC racing. You need a good healthy snack 1 1/2 – 2 hours before your race, so ideally I will have something nutritious and ready to eat prepared by the team chef at around 12 midday after i have done my practise laps. Except I dont have a team chef. I’ll just go back to the car and dig into my food bag with feedzone portables in it instead.

A quote from his book seems to sum it up pretty well.

I know exactly what to eat for energy thanks and eggs ain’t on my list. no way am I promoting energy gels and bars, it’s just that I can’t find whereabouts the carbohydrate is in eggs, anyone know?

Omar Little – Member

I’ve tried his rocket fuel recipe (basically a boiled potato rolled in olive oil, salt and some parmesan) and it works really well, something a bit different to an energy bar or gel.

Agreed

kcr – Member

Some good videos on YouTube where he (Allen Lim) shows how to cook alternative snacks they used at Garmin.

That’s where I got the recipe from.

rewski – Member

maybe wrap it in foil though.

Oddly this works. 🙂

Take gels if you want, they have their place, if you are not worried about what you are putting into your body, and don’t mind being lazy and unprepared, and don’t want to get the most out of yourself.

???

What are you on about? Gels, like any other food stuff, have to list their ingredients. Torq, for example, pride themselves on using only the best ingredients & ALL are listed on the pack. Thats reflected in the price. I’m not sure where you are getting the idea that energy foods are junk….

As for lazy & unprepared? Not everyone has the time to brew up their own energy supplements, and if done properly you know exactly what you are getting from a gel, a bar or a drink.

I don’t think Sports Science/Nutrition is trying to “outsmart” nature at all, help yes but outsmart no. Its a fun tagline the guy has put there but it has hints of being a bit evangelical. As always there is always two sides to every story…

Thanks for the heads up on this book…I bought the last one for my evening meal ideas, but only use the breakfast and snacks from it.

Sainburys have it on pre-order for £15, that’s my nectar points spent. 🙂

Yeah I’ll probably get this to although in reality I’ll prob jsut stick with more convenient stuff like bananas & flapjacks (along with gels on certain rides). I thought I’d try a CNP gel the other day, partly curious due to the Sky connection and partly due to the flavour being called ‘victory’. Jesus H it was rank, I’ll be sticking with good old Torq rhubarb & custard.

Hah.

Food is just chemicals. Energy gels are just the extra chemicals you need whilst riding. It’s not bad for you if you only have it during riding.

This whole ‘natural is wonderful, manufactured is junk’ thing is, well, junk. Your body doens’t actually give a shit if the food was made in a factory or grown.

The reason that whole natural foods IN GENERAL are good for you is that they contain more nutrients than processed foods and in combinations that help your body use them. However when riding, if you just need some extra carbs, then gels are fine.

Outsmart nature? Someone show me where nature’s tried to create maximum easily absorbable energy for cyclists in minimum bulk and in packages that don’t go off and don’t get squashed in your back pocket, and I’ll compare them to gels.

You have to admit the taste and lower cost of real food is appealing, don’t get me wrong I will continue to use gels and bars, but I’m pretty keen to try out some of these recipes.

But surely if you enjoy food and cooking, why not take real food out on a ride? If you can make good tasting food that’s easy to eat on the bike why would you stuff your pockets with expensive, rank tasting slime?!?

OP, cheers for the heads up- maybe my next ride will be fuelled by bacon rice cakes as well as homemade flapjack!

Cheers,
Jamie

if I do ever feel the need to eat an energy bar, it’s one of these

Product Details
Most bars are smothered in sugary syrups, chemically processed and low in protein. This isn’t a recipe for sustained energy, appetite control or good nutrition.
Trek bars are different. They are a precise balance of powerful wholefoods cold-pressed together with no added sugar.
Ingredients
Raw dates 40%, soya crispies 15% (soya, tapioca starch, salt), oats, raw raisins 13%, raw peanuts 8%, apple juice, cocoa 4%, maize starch, ginko biloba extract, ginseng extract, a hint of natural flavours.
Nutritional Information
Per 100g:
Energy 1331kJ/318kcal, Protein, 17g, Carbohydrate 51g, Fat 6g.

I had one of those brownies the other day. Not too bad, a bit dry, did the trick though. Fair tasty too.