I hope you didn't rush to this post after reading the title thinking I'll actually give a list of meals you can eat as a cyclist, no! It doesn't work that way lol. Just as we have different kinds of cyclists, we also have different feeding habits that works fine for cycling. So I'm not going to point out meals directly for you.
It's not like I could even if I wanted to because we live in different sides of the world and meals are different in every country that may not work fine for another. But instead I'll share a guide on making those meal choices that would benefit your cycling routine and keeping good nutrition habits.
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Having a cycling routine helps with lose of weight and keeping fit for cyclist, and so it is important to put quantity and nutrition in full consideration when choosing meals during rides. One thing to note first and foremost is that, Hydration is a major factor for cycling nutrition.
What I mean is, your mid-ride nutrition would only work when you are well hydrated. A dehydrated cyclist before ride would cause slow rides and even nausea and so it's important to stay hydrated while you about finding the right meals during rides.
Important tips to choosing the best meals for cycling routine.
Consider carbohydrate for high intensity cycling: Cycling needs energy to work, energy is carbohydrate (sugar) and we do know the meals that have as much carbohydrate as we would need. Not all the time you'll need carbohydrate as you don't have to be on high intense riding, slow rides wouldn't need much energy for it.
So what to have in mind when choosing your meals is not mainly the length you'll ride but at the intensity whether on low or high intensity.
Do not eat too much carbohydrate: I'd say this is directed to those who wants to lose weight through cycling. You can't eat meals with too much sugar and calories, they are no help for your purpose of riding. Just the right quantity or lesser to keep energy in your ride and make sure to stay hydrated.
Too much of everything is bad they say, so even to those who doesn't need to lose weight should mind the quantity of carbohydrate taken, the next tip I'll share will emphasize more on this especially from personal experience.
Overeating is worse than eating less: You read that correctly! I'm sure we'd agree that eating too much causes more to you than not eating much. I've once craved for my favourite meal so much that I prepared it with the mind of eating a lot, the end story was that I couldn't stop visiting the restroom for the whole day until I was back to my normal self. Imagine eating too much to ride a bike.
Slowing down, cooling down, sipping water, and waiting during your riding time is inevitable when you eat too much. On the other hand, if you'd be slightly hungry and go on your ride routines, you'll be light enough and comfortable to eat some carbohydrate if the hunger gets too much.
Taking nuts is a good recommendation I learnt from the community Admin recently and I've tried it to confirm that you'll appreciate the addition of nuts to your mid-ride meals. Nuts are not just light meals, they are quite easy to add to meals and help regulate your hunger in cases of eating less.
I'll stop here and look forward to reading more about your experiences choosing the right meals for cycling. What do you think about these tips I've shared?
