5 staple foods for health and cycling success
Posted by Payson McElveen on January 23rd, 2017
Those who read my “New Year’s Resolution” Hand-Up will know that I’m not big on diets in most cases, and prefer much more sustainable lifestyle changes. Resolutions involving diet and nutrition are undoubtedly some of the most common. I believe one of the main reasons some folks have trouble sticking with them is because it is too drastic, or structured in a way that is not sustainable. My “special diet” revolves mostly around just paying attention to my body and keeping the big picture in focus. What macronutrients do I need to perform? How diverse and balanced has my diet been? Is my body craving salt? In most cases, following three simple rules will get you well on your way to success: 1) Variety 2) Balance and 3) Moderation. Instead of trying to completely cut out sugar or gluten, or eat the exact same pre-race meal every time, I’ve found much more success and consistency in following those three rules. So, with that in mind, here are five of the foods that I eat most often:
1) Avocados Avocados are one of the healthiest sources of fat around. They’re also incredibly versatile, and make an awesome snack at any time of day. I usually eat at least one per day, and like to add a sliced one to breakfast if I have an especially large training day on tap. Tip: If all of your avocadoes aren’t quite ripe yet, I like to slice one in half, then make cross-hatch cuts so that the fruit is cut into cubes, but still in its skin Next, I’ll sprinkle each side with some salt and pepper, then go kinda crazy with squeezed lemon. Then I walk away for 5-10 minutes. When you come back, the acid of the lemon juice should have “ripened” the avocado significantly, and, it’s now beautifully seasoned.
2) Sweet potatoes For those brave souls who try to be gluten free, sweet potatoes are probably a staple source of carbohydrate. As much as fad diets want you to believe otherwise, endurance racers run on carbs. Like the avocado, sweet potatoes make an awesome self-contained snack or addition to a recipe. They’re also so, so tasty completely unseasoned–I’ve never understood that practice of drowning them in sugar or butter! For those with an extra busy schedule, try baking a handful of these up on Sunday evening, wrapping them in foil, and sticking them in the fridge. Later in the week when they’re needed, dice one up and after a quick pan fry they make a great base for an egg scramble or breakfast tacos, or pack one as a mid-morning snack at the office.
3) Eggs I know I said variety at the beginning of this, but I’m guilty of eating eggs for breakfast 6.5 days out of the week. Some of that habit probably has to do with growing up with chickens, but I just haven’t found many other meals that will stick with me in the morning long enough to carry through a longer ride. My go-to is 3 eggs with two pieces of quality toasted bread, or a bagel or English muffin. I rotate between butter, jelly, and almond butter on top of the gluten of choice. If I’m needing a bigger breakfast, I’ll toss a few pieces of bacon on and make it an egg sandwich, and avocado for the really big days.
4) The seafood counter My old basketball coach used to always say: “the fewer legs the better for your protein source.” i.e. red meat last, fish first. I’m not one to shy away from a good steak or carnitas burrito, but I do enjoy browsing the fresh seafood options at the grocery store. I like to try to eat seafood 3 times a week or so, with salmon being the most common choice. If you’re not a huge fan of fish, I’d encourage trying a wider variety. Even though some fish does taste, well, “fishy,” you’d be surprised at how different one kind can taste from another, kind of like cheese. For the vegetarians among us, good ol’ rice and beans is one of the best complete proteins around, and a combo I rely on heavily (much to Jenna’s chagrin).
5) GREEEENS. Again, like the chicken coop, I was lucky in some ways to be brought up in a family that put a premium on fresh, healthy food. We had a garden that seemed always to be bursting at the seams with kale, asparagus, tomatoes, squash and more. With the unbelievable access to all kinds of tantalizing processed foods these days, it’s very easy to forget our greens. Sorry, but iceberg salads don’t count. Generally, the deeper the green, the more nutrient-dense the food. I like to start most dinners with a salad and will chop a bit of kale or spinach to toss in with the rest of the mixed greens to up the nutrient content. You can also sneak them into pretty much anything if you’re not a huge fan. Just add them to the pan you’re cooking meat or potatoes in. You’ll never notice you’re eating them.
Although not the most exciting of all time, these five foods are some of the bread and butter of my diet. In the coming weeks we’ll go a little deeper with the help of some reputed chefs that will spill the beans on their best recipes. The first few dishes will be a piece of cake so y’all don’t feel too fish out of water, but I’m planning to offer a couple of more souped up recipes too so that soon you’ll really know your onions when it comes to tasty fuel.
Anyway, I hope the above paragraph didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth As always, please subscribe and share if you have friends that might enjoy The Tuesday Hand-Up!
