The Pedalshift Project 251: Meal and Snack Planning Strategies

The Pedalshift Project 251: Meal and Snack Planning Strategies

I used to do it all wrong, now I do it better. On this episode, comparing how I used to handle snack and meal planning on bike tour, and how I do it better now.

The Pedalshift Project 251: Meal and Snack Planning Strategies

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Snack and Meal Planning

 

Oregon Coast ride

About a week
Many towns, never a day without resupply options
But many long stretches with nothing
 

The old way

Buy a lot of snacks in advance
Have several meals on me
Have little to no space and very full bags at the beginning of the tour
Despite having “meals” on me, carrying at least one or two of them the ENTIRE length of the trip because I eat in the towns or grab better/fresher grocery items in the towns
Make fun of myself for the smashed boxes of mac and cheese I discover in my panniers when I unpack later
 

The modified way

No pre-purchasing
Buying what looks good in the first town rather than buying something I think I’ll want in advance
Being realistic about cooking – I’ll do it, just not as often as I want/think
Knowing where resupply options are before campsites is big – can carry a lot less over the miles, and carry the meals for a shorter duration
Frozen peas trick
 

What do I tend to like?

Coffee – probably going to do pour-over (less stuff to bring)
Pop-tarts – great calorie to weight ratio, excellent for breakfast or snacks
Nuts – a savory option
Cheese – stays ok without chilling for a few days
50/50 water and sports drink – grape is the only flavor
Sugary caffeinated drinks for hills and second half of days – don’t underestimate the need for simple carbs when cycling, if that helps you
Big sandwiches – Subway footlong keeps pretty well
Occasionally, chips/crisps to mix things up and Snickers
 

Beer?

I don’t like drinking until the end of my riding day – YMMV
I’ll often get beer at the last town’s store and keep it cold with some frozen food item
 

Vegetables?

I love me a bagged salad mix for dinner.
Easy to prepare, can eat out of the bag
Vegetables are very helpful to eat on the road to mix in with all the junk calories we often eat!
 

Eating out

I’ll frequently grab lunch “out”
I’ll usually do dinner with freshly purchased food from grocery stores, with some exceptions

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Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields has a new album available NOW, AND Jason has a new solo album coming this year, AND his first solo album is now streaming on Spotify, including America, the Pedalshift theme. Go listen!