Low Cal Healthy/Convenient Snack Food

[firerescuefin]

The Good:

Decided late in the game that I would do some racing this year. Found a great group of local guys that formed a team...that doesn't take itself to seriously...and trains close to home.

The bad: I need to drop 15-20 lbs. Exercising or the desire to is not the problem. But my body (especially my stomach) the first 3-4 days into my diet has been telling me "are you f-ing kidding me".

Any favorites (low cal/ healthy convenient snack foods)...remember I work 12-16 hour shifts and have 2 kids and 1 on the way...so convenient/easily prepared/procured is a must.

Thanks,

Geoff

[oldpotatoe]

The Good:

Decided late in the game that I would do some racing this year. Found a great group of local guys that formed a team...that doesn't take itself to seriously...and trains close to home.

The bad: I need to drop 15-20 lbs. Exercising or the desire to is not the problem. But my body (especially my stomach) the first 3-4 days into my diet has been telling me "are you f-ing kidding me".

Any favorites (low cal/ healthy convenient snack foods)...remember I work 12-16 hour shifts and have 2 kids and 1 on the way...so convenient/easily prepared/procured is a must.

Thanks,

Geoff

I'm just now starting the diet grind..been a long winter at the bike shop. Apples and bananas, drink lots of water..I get Pelligrino, 'Con Gas'..chew sugarless gum...drink less beer....BING BING BING-

[Vientomas]

Fresh fruit and water.

[echelon_john]

Hard boiled eggs wit salt, pepper and maybe a little mustard or hot sauce are actually pretty filling/satisfying. Obviously not for the cholesterol-concerned, but otherwise they can help. Make 'em ahead; they last a week in the fridge, travel well, etc.

I've had good luck eating lots of broth-based soups, especially for dinner. Easy way to still feel satisfied but relatively low-cal, and can be made days/weeks ahead and microwaved.

Rice cakes with almond butter are another great snack. As long as you don't go crazy with the almond butter, you can have 2 rice cakes with the stuff and be around 300 calories, and be filled up for a while.

TONS of water. Seltzer's good too. Tea is good for filling an empty stomach and giving a lift without coffee jitters.

It's a battle for sure. A few riding buddies have used 'LoseIt'; a free app available for iPhone/iPod/Pad. Pretty good calories in/out tracking; good food database for both ingredients for homecooked and packaged stuff, which you shouldn't be eating anyway if you want to lose weight. Check it out.

[pbarry]

Raw pumpkin seeds from Natural Grocers or WF. Considered to be a superfood for men. Loaded with anitoxidants, zinc, manganese, and protein. I eat a few handfuls a day-- good clean fuel.

[firerescuefin]

Good thoughts everyone...definitely will go get some of those pumpkin seeds....

keep em comin!

[skijoring]

Geoff, apples are a great snack. Load of fiber that will make you feel full. Fruit satisfies!

[pbarry]

Are you based at the station during the shift? Roller or trainer riding would be awesome. I've got a set of 4.5 rollers you can have.

[AngryScientist]

natures snacks - fresh fruit.

apples, bananas and oranges, clementines. all great snacks.

[67-59]

+1 on fresh fruit and water.

I also like lowfat yogurt. Depending on the brand, many of the calories are in the form of protein, which helps keep you full. And if you get plain or vanilla, you can add your own fresh fruit. You can also cut the calories further by getting nonfat.

[MattTuck]

Kind bars.

http://www.kindsnacks.com/

[Louis]

Raw whole carrots and pita chips.

[MadRocketSci]

not a snack, but pho or ramen (not the instant kind) for dinner....drink all the broth. then drink some plain water to dilute the salt...you won't be able to pack anything else down there until after the 15-20 minutes your endocrine system figures out that you're full.

[cycle_chic]

Fresh fruit for sure, but if you feel like having something else for a snack, I suggest Larabars. They have no additives/preservatives/strange ingredients. Just simple ingredient combinations (ie. dates and cashews) that keep me full for a while.

[veggieburger]

+1 on the Larabars.

Keep away from the white sugar, white flour and beer, ride your bike, and the weight should fall off.

[rice rocket]

What are you all, a buncha nancyboy vegans? :eek: ;)

Beef jerky, greatest snack invented. Protein will keep you fuller, for longer, is "low calorie", etc.

[biker72]

Fat free Fig Newtons work for me.

[Likes2ridefar]

Raw pumpkin seeds from Natural Grocers or WF. Considered to be a superfood for men. Loaded with anitoxidants, zinc, manganese, and protein. I eat a few handfuls a day-- good clean fuel.

FWIW, most "raw" nuts sold in the USA are not truly raw. Mostly mentioning this to save $ as some "raw" nuts are WAY more $, but it's also worth learning more if you are looking for the benefits of raw food.

I was shocked when I finally found a source for truly raw almonds. They taste about 10000000 times better and I finally understood where the flavor for something like an almond croissant comes from :banana:

as for snacks, I like fruits of the season and raw almonds. raw veggies work for curbing hunger too. I've noticed cauliflower makes me feel full but is not the most interesting snack out there.

[Likes2ridefar]

Fresh fruit for sure, but if you feel like having something else for a snack, I suggest Larabars. They have no additives/preservatives/strange ingredients. Just simple ingredient combinations (ie. dates and cashews) that keep me full for a while.

trail mix is a cheaper, better alternative and tastes the same if you get similar ingredients:)

most of those bars are just sugary snacks with hidden ingredients you probably would not normally choose to consume...thus why they taste so good.

[rpm]

Vic's half-salt light popcorn, or any air-popped corn without butter or oil. Not lo-cal, but very satisfying and healthful, are almonds and cashews.

Also the latest diet is one by an English doctor that has you eat normally 5 days a week, but fast for 2 days. On the fast days, you eat 300-500 calories. Psychologically, I think it's an interesting approach because you have set times to sacrifice and don't have to do it all the time. Of course you want to make sure your fasting days are not also your "fast" interval days in training:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/fashion/england-develops-a-voracious-appetite-for-a-new-diet.html?_r=0

[shovelhd]

It is very, very difficult, if not impossible, to try and lose large amounts of weight while training seriously for racing. It pushes your body to do things that are counterproductive. Something has to give. So if your goal is to lose weight and get fast, focus on base fitness first. Stay away from the high intensity stuff until your weight gets into your target range.

If you are in a base training cycle, one way you can lose weight and gain strength is to do long tempo rides. At least three hours. Eat about 100 calories every hour. Gel, bar, whatever. As soon as you are done, have a protein shake. That will both fill you up and give your muscles the fuel they need to rebuild.

I don't snack often during the workday, but if I do, it's usually something with peanut butter. Beef jerky is also good if you can handle the sodium. Drink a lot during the day when you are off the bike. Water, tea, diet soda.

[Likes2ridefar]

Agree with shovelhd. I was taught to not diet while training. If you have excess fat much of it will be shed with more hours on the bike with a normal diet.

I know my base training hours after a lazy winter quickly shed any pounds I added. 4-6 weeks of that may be just what you need and then start your higher intensity training.

For reference I already commute via bike about 1.5 hours each day but I added 1-2 hours on top of that as well as 4-6 hours each weekend day. The final week base peak was about 30-35 hours. Boring but I found it to be worth every second. Much stronger than other years I did not do this.

[pbarry]

FWIW, most "raw" nuts sold in the USA are not truly raw. Mostly mentioning this to save $ as some "raw" nuts are WAY more $, but it's also worth learning more if you are looking for the benefits of raw food.

I was shocked when I finally found a source for truly raw almonds. They taste about 10000000 times better and I finally understood where the flavor for something like an almond croissant comes from :banana:

as for snacks, I like fruits of the season and raw almonds. raw veggies work for curbing hunger too. I've noticed cauliflower makes me feel full but is not the most interesting snack out there.

+1
For Geoff, I would recommend going to Natural Grocers/VC in Denver. They refrigerate their raw pumpkin seeds, almonds, flax seed, etc., to preserve freshness/avoid rancidity.

[CNY rider]

Fruit has already been mentioned but to be particular I find grapefruit to be very filling.
Just peel and eat.

[thwart]

Fat free Fig Newtons work for me.

Watch out for the HFCS. If they could just eliminate that...

Read something awhile back about Chris Horner's process of getting down to TdF climbing weight. IIRC, he'd do training rides and then not eat afterwards. :eek:

[Likes2ridefar]

Watch out for the HFCS. If they could just eliminate that...

Read something awhile back about Chris Horner's process of getting down to TdF climbing weight. IIRC, he'd do training rides and then not eat afterwards. :eek:

there are so many other things wrong with the fig newton, the HFCS is just the tip of the iceberg.

I remember a few years ago bashing fig newtons on this forum and it caused a minor uproar.

i'll revise my statement (whatever it was but basically said they werent very nutritious) after learning more and more about food composition, ingredients, etc and say these things are GARBAGE and should be avoided at all costs.

[Likes2ridefar]

+1 on fresh fruit and water.

I also like lowfat yogurt. Depending on the brand, many of the calories are in the form of protein, which helps keep you full. And if you get plain or vanilla, you can add your own fresh fruit. You can also cut the calories further by getting nonfat.

be careful with that...the caloric differences from whole to nonfat is not that much. to grossly oversimplify, you are basically stripping the good stuff and replacing it with bad stuff.

my advice is to stick with whole milk and yogurt.

[false_Aest]

I prefer the Butterfield Diet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWgwJfbeCeU)


Fluffy Ruffs and McFortune Cookies are my weakness.

[Likes2ridefar]

I prefer the Butterfield Diet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWgwJfbeCeU)


Fluffy Ruffs and McFortune Cookies are my weakness.

In my neverending quest for enlightenment, a first time with dual strikes doing a google search for what a fluffy ruff and mcfortune cookie is :butt:

[false_Aest]

did you watch the video?

[Likes2ridefar]

did you watch the video?

alas my glorious firewall says NO. I will anticipate it shortly on my 45 minute commute home into the wind and snow along the Hudson.

[false_Aest]

3 words

hoisin crispy owl.