[Closed] how balanced a meal is beans on toast, for cycling fuel?

Just about perfect I'd say, maybe add some scambled egg. (and bacon and sausage and black pudding and mushrooms)

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Processed crap 🙂

Processed crap

please explain this.......or give me a ideal unprocessed option.

buy some beans, make your own tomato sauce with no added sugar, salt etc. Maybe add a bit of chilli for extra propulsion.

I was being semi serious . I think it's a decent meal for cycling but there are better options available (in terms of healthyness) , without the sugar and salt

i 'use' this as a meal before night rides. no spread on the toast mind.

Grated cheese on top!

It used to be my pre-ride meal de jour, before I got waaaay fitter and discovered I could weirdly ride for about 3 hours without almost any food*.

Before then, always. Beans on toast. Slow release mega-carby wonderfulness.
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Well, okay. Maybe an apple, or a date or two.

It used to be my post ride meal of choice.
2 toast, tin of beans, mushrooms, olives, grated cheese.
Maybe a couple of rashers of bacon.

Used to get some odd looks off team mates sipping their post ride coffee.

Even funnier looks if i was living somewhere where you couldn't get baked beans, a suitcase half full of tinned beans is unusual apparently.

You can make a bath of really nice three or four bean chilli, freeze some of it, and have that instead of (processed) baked beans on toast. It's lovely and doesn't take that long to make. It's good with an egg as well, and maybe one of those sausages and a little few mushrooms, oh, is that a hash brown?

Careful on the calorie count though! I'd usually have done 3 or 4 hours before eating a plateful like that!

ghostlymachine - Member

Careful on the calorie count though! I'd usually have done 3 or 4 hours before eating a plateful like that!

And here's why I'm not a 9st racing whippet...

I'd quadruple that plate 🙂

You can make a bath of really nice three or four bean chilli

I know it saves labour in the long run but I feel you're taking the bulk preparation approach a little too far.

the more you ride the more you eat, the more you splatter your cycle seat?

I like beans on toast. It's a good meal; carbs, protein and very quick and easy.

Gotta watch for the salt and sugar content but otherwise pretty good if you forgo the Butter/spread on the toast then;

Protein;
Toast Tesco Wholemeal Medium Bread x 2 slices = 9.2g
1 tin Tesco baked beans = 18g

Calories;
Toast Tesco Wholemeal Medium Bread x 2 slices = 188 kcal'
1 tin Tesco baked beans = 364 kcal'

TOTAL; 27.2g Protein in 552 kcal'

I'm interested to understand how they are explicitly unhealthy. There is not much you can do to process a bean other than boil it, so it depends on the sauce. They're low in fat and high in protein and half a can proides you with 40% of your RDA of salt (but there is a reduced salt varient available) and 11% of your RDA of sugar, so depending upon what else you eat for the rest of that day and their salt and sugar content then Beans can be part of a healthy balanced diet.

So as long as its Wholemeal bread and half a can of beans it doesn't seem to be a particularly unhealthy meal to me.

buy some beans, make your own tomato sauce with no added sugar, salt etc. Maybe add a bit of chilli for extra propulsion.

STW at it's best.

Or alternatively...

Open can'o beans and pour into a saucepan.
Bread in toaster.
When bread has turned into toast add butter
and pour on beans.

Five mins tops.

Of course it's not unhealthy, you're just getting classic replies from the dinosaurs of STW.

Oh, and if you don't make your own bread your healthy tomato sauce means nowt.

I love beans on toast and would scoff tons of the stuff. I agree, add some sliced sausages or fried chorizo for a bit of mmmmmm yeah.

You can make a bath of really nice three or four bean chilli

Serving suggestion...
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Sorry, couldn't resist.

In answer to the OP, it's worked for me for 20-odd years - though I do like to add an egg (or two if I'm planning an epic).

I remember feeling vindicated on reading that Michael Owen would have beans on toast on matchday back in his early heyday.

As a big fan of "coffee and cake" for rides, I soon learnt when I started audaxing that all the wizened retired folks who could grind out the miles hour in/hour out tended to refuel on beans on toast at the café stops.

Certainly keeps you fuller for longer, there's less temptation to have another slice than there is with cake, and it seems to keep my energy levels higher for longer.

And after an hour two, the self generated tailwind kicks in as well.

Slightly confused about the salt/sugar comments.

I know levels are high for standard food, but if there's ever a time when you're looking for a little extra salt and sugar, it's before a bike ride?

I know levels are high for standard food, but if there's ever a time when you're looking for a little extra salt and sugar, it's before a bike ride?

Get out of here with your pragmatic common sense ways!