Riding in the Heat? Don’t Forget to Eat

[Tim Kelley]

Is lunch different than dinner? It’s got plenty of common sense dinner ideas, and if you just double the portions then you’ve got lunch for the next day too.

I’ve only cooked from the “portables” section, but wow are those bacon/egg/cheese rice cakes amazing at mile 80 of a 200 mile ride.

[creadinger]

@GuyContinental 26802 wrote:

And I used this thread as justification to eat:

I’m probably still (well) short on protein and calories in general- riding 3+ hours a day at my height, age and weight I probably need in the neighborhood of 5,000 calories to stay on top of weight loss… yikes, I need to take advantage of my next “car day” to scoot to CostCo and buy some nuts and maybe a block of cheese.

The CostCo Manchego is really good! And it’s a hard enough cheese with a wax coating so you won’t have to worry about it getting moldy!

[eminva]

@GuyContinental 26815 wrote:

Does it cover lunch? I couldn’t find a review that went into detail. Lunch is my problem… a) I hate it for some irrational reason and b) when I ride I need to stay on-site so have to stock up on staples at the office.

Tell me what you’ve got to work with . . . microwave? refrigerator? stove? I’ll look at some recipes to see if there is anything that can be put together in a limited culinary environment.

Liz

[Arlingtonrider]

I was curious about the Feedzone bacon/egg/cheese ricecakes, and found the recipe on the internet.
As I read through the recipe, I realized I had everything in my freezer or cabinets that I needed to try making a quick one or two serving size version – and it seemed that it could probably be done in the microwave oven.

I nuked some bacon bits that I had in the freezer, and then a small container of microwave brown rice, mixed both of those with a beaten egg, some soy sauce and a little sugar, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. I pressed the mixture into a microwave bowl, zapped it until it seemed about right, then let it cool and cut it into quarters. It was good! And I didn’t have to make a lot at once.

I’m not sure I’d like it for lunch, but it was a great quick and easy ride snack.

[GuyContinental]

@eminva 26848 wrote:

Tell me what you’ve got to work with . . . microwave? refrigerator? stove? I’ll look at some recipes to see if there is anything that can be put together in a limited culinary environment.

Liz

I have lots of fridge storage and a microwave plus 1 bowl and 1 spoon (ok, I have a plastic spork that I’ve been saving for emergencies) and whatever else I need I can bring in.

As Tim said, the ideal approach would be to cook for leftovers at home but lets just say that my wife and I are on incompatible diets and forcing mine on her isn’t going to work out. Also, I can’t stand backpacks/paniers and avoid them if I can by driving 1-2 days a week (with armloads of clothing) so bringing leftovers rarely happens except on non-riding days.

The best option is probably sandwich makings, I could keep all the fixings for a 6″ tall Dagwood and pile on the avocado & cheese… mmmmm

[acc]

Reading your ambitious cooking schedules makes me want to lie down and rest until the dizziness passes.
Am I really the laziest human being on this Forum?
At least once a week I’d order pizza for lunch and share it with my fellow galley slaves.
And if I didn’t feel like sharing, I’d eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.
I might keep cheese and crackers and possibly grapes or apples around to munch on, maybe some peanut butter.
Beyond that starts to sound like work and it’s bad enough to be *at work* I don’t want to inflict more misery on myself.
If you were driving every day you’d eat out, yes? Buy twice as much and keep it over for the next day.

[Tim Kelley]

@Arlingtonrider 26862 wrote:

I was curious about the Feedzone bacon/egg/cheese ricecakes, and found the recipe on the internet.
As I read through the recipe, I realized I had everything in my freezer or cabinets that I needed to try making a quick one or two serving size version – and it seemed that it could probably be done in the microwave oven.

I nuked some bacon bits that I had in the freezer, and then a small container of microwave brown rice, mixed both of those with a beaten egg, some soy sauce and a little sugar, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. I pressed the mixture into a microwave bowl, zapped it until it seemed about right, then let it cool and cut it into quarters. It was good! And I didn’t have to make a lot at once.

I’m not sure I’d like it for lunch, but it was a great quick and easy ride snack.

It’s even tastier with real sushi rice! I’ve also experimented a bit with the recipe–sausage is a good substitute for the bacon, but a softer cheese like swiss instead of parmesan messes up the consistency.

[Jason]

Sorry to be blunt: Nobody likes panniers and backpacks. Nobody. But eating healthy (and cheaper) is worth it. Your body and your wallet will thank you. Plus you will know what is actually in your food, a big plus. So suck it up, and strap on a rack and pannier. Once you go through a month of adjustment, you will wonder how you were buying all those lunches.

[Tim Kelley]

@GuyContinental 26871 wrote:

so bringing leftovers rarely happens except on non-riding days.

How about bringing in ingredients for salad on driving days? They’d keep easily in the fridge and you could mix up however much you were ready for each day.

My personal favorite consists of some or all of the following:

kale
spinach
tomato
cheese
avocado
hard boiled egg
dried cranberries
can of tuna
cottage cheese
nuts

And a big tub of homemade mashed sweet potatoes keeps well for several days and can easily be reheated.

[mstone]

@Jason 26884 wrote:

Sorry to be blunt: Nobody likes panniers and backpacks. Nobody.

I do. It’s quite nice to be able to simply stick whatever I need onto the bike. I can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t like being able to do so.

[vvill]

I usually just load up with my bought lunches at work every day. American serving sizes are big! A burrito from Chipotle with most of the fixings, or a salad from Chop’t is usually enough to keep me fueled up until my dinnertime (which is usually by 6pm). I do keep peanut butter, vegemite, and nuts at my desk as well (I bring in some bread/bagels once a week).

[Greenbelt]

@Tim Kelley 26883 wrote:

It’s even tastier with real sushi rice! I’ve also experimented a bit with the recipe–sausage is a good substitute for the bacon, but a softer cheese like swiss instead of parmesan messes up the consistency.

I’ve had trouble getting the rice cakes to not be crumbly, even with sushi rice, even following the recipe exactly (I think). Suggestions?

[dbb]

@vvill 26892 wrote:

American serving sizes are big! A burrito from Chipotle with most of the fixings, or a salad from Chop’t is usually enough to keep me fueled up until my dinnertime (which is usually by 6pm). I do keep peanut butter, vegemite, and nuts at my desk as well (I bring in some bread/bagels once a week).

How do you think we got to be the world leader in obesity?

Vegimite? Now that is an acquired taste!

[txgoonie]

@Tim Kelley 26885 wrote:

How about bringing in ingredients for salad on driving days? They’d keep easily in the fridge and you could mix up however much you were ready for each day.

My personal favorite consists of some or all of the following:

kale
spinach
tomato
cheese
avocado
hard boiled egg
dried cranberries
can of tuna
cottage cheese
nuts

I do this except I make a monster salad at the beginning of the week that I keep at home and just refill a plastic container that I bring to work. I rotate proteins between tuna, other fish, and sometimes chicken or beans (kidney, black, garbanzo) to keep it interesting.

If I’m riding after work, I’ll make a smoothie or bring some kind of bar and an apple with peanut butter to eat late in the afternoon. Then I’m golden. I have impulse and portion control issues, so I can’t keep stuff in my desk. A 1 lb. bag of M&Ms that I intend to “share” with my officemates will disappear in the course of a day if I “forget” to put it out.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@vvill 26892 wrote:

I usually just load up with my bought lunches at work every day. American serving sizes are big! A burrito from Chipotle with most of the fixings, or a salad from Chop’t is usually enough to keep me fueled up until my dinnertime (which is usually by 6pm). I do keep peanut butter, vegemite, and nuts at my desk as well (I bring in some bread/bagels once a week).

I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who likes both peanut butter and vegemite.

[Author]

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