Avoid Eating to Appetite

Training and eating to Lifestyle

Our lifestyles are busy before we even factor in any training, so it can be easy for cooking and eating to move down our daily priorities. When this happens often we eat to appetite which can lead to more erratic eating habits, overeating or eating the wrong foods at the wrong times. When we factor in training, this is not a good a mix. I don’t accept that there is not enough time to eat well, just like training, some good preparation and some easy meal prep structured into our routine can make a big difference. Here are a few of my favourite meal and snack ideas that are useful to include when you need practical quick prep meals and snacks.

The Cyclist's Breakfast

Porridge and cereals, the amount you have depending on your daily needs, made with skimmed, semi skimmed, soya, almond or rice milks depending on macro nutrient and calories needs and personal choices. A longer life carton is easily stored at your office. Add on some chopped fruit, and, if prepping at work maybe have small tins of mixed fruit available and where avoiding bulk and when additional carbohydrates are needed, add a tsp/tbsp of honey /jam / raisins or dried fruit. This is a stock breakfast for many of us. But don’t forget the protein! It is so easy with cereal based breakfasts to have a lower protein intake than we actually require when training. Also keep in mind when one food group reduces by default another food group increases or we under eat (never a huge issue at Cyclefit Darren). Adding boiled eggs (perhaps precooked if you have breakfast at work), or strained low fat yoghurts / greek yoghurt, and maybe choose a protein powder (trusted in sport product) or skimmed milk powder to boost protein intake. But keep in mind your objectives - are you increasing all the macros or just the carbohydrates???

Cyclist's Lunch

Busy work days and lunches often blend in to the day. Most offices will have a microwave, and although I am not a fan, I do use one fairly often at the office.

A regular lunch of mine is a large bean or lentil based soup, but, on its own this is not enough! I will add in may be a pack of quick cooked rice to boost the carbohydrates and for dinner may be even two packs. Then I need some bulk and some decent micronutrients, so whilst the microwave is ticking, I will chop a red, yellow and green pepper and then I am prepped for next 1-2 days as well.

I will add a handful of cherry tomatoes and super large portion of mixed salad or rocket. I may also need another protein and will add in up to a tin of tuna or a small tub of low fat cottage cheese or small pack of chopped chicken. And when I am running a lower carbohydrate day, ill leave out the rice and make sure the soup is spicy to help with appetite. Then on my high carb days, and I may add in some simpler carbs such as low fat crème caramels, fruit smoothies and so on.

Cyclist's Dinner

Stir fry’s are quick, but I think a challenge to do in under 5 minutes. A super quick meal, can be again using a ready made soup, (or when time permits ready made soups frozen and defrosted when needed). These can be used almost as a stock with vegetables, beans and lentils then add in a very quick cook pasta, such as vermicelli (or many of the fresh pasta will cook quicker.)

An additional protein is possibly needed depending on protein needs, so this may be a case of opening a tin of mixed beans or tuna, or sliced chicken or tofu grilled or fried whilst the soup/pasta cooks. Add some mixed salad and you are done!

Note: Stewed fruits are useful ways to boost carbohydrate intake on higher carb days, without increasing all the macronutrients. Try also sorbets, or yoghurts with fruits and honey or jam.

Cyclist's Snacks

If you ride every day, you are going to needs snacks. The risk is if you eat a high carbohydrate based diet and don’t watch the fats and mixed macros (combination foods and meals with carbohydrates/fat/protein mix) you could be optimising the carbs but over-running on calories.

A couple of my regular snacks include:

· Rice or Quiona cakes (often low salt) - 1-3, then add a protein, being mindful of the calories. Perhaps a slice of wafer chicken , or tbsp. tuna, cottage or low fat soft cheese, low fat hummus, low fat peanut butter, then add some bulk and lower the GI load by including some fruit such as a pear, apple etc.

· Low fat yoghurt (often natural is lower in added sugars, which is helpful when monitoring the carbs) and then few tbsp. cereal and add in some bulk with fruit.

· On higher calorie output days , add in dried fruits, mixed nuts, skimmed milk or soya drinks, raisins, malt loafs, low fat rice pudding, plus or minus extra carbs.

Glossary:
Macronutrients - carbohydrate, protein and fat
Micronutrients - vitamins and minerals A-Z

Further Reading:

Read all about Darren Barclay on his Form Webpage

Read a diary of Trek Segafredo Chef, Kim Rokkjaer by Cyclefit friend James Witts - Chef Diary