Internal Mono(b)log

Newest batch of bites recipe follows.  These are pretty darned tasty.

• 250g pitted dates
• 30g organic dried cranberries
• 10g chia seeds
• 10g shredded unsweetened coconut
• 20g brazil nuts
• 30g pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• healthy pinch ground sea salt

Process as usual: 1/2 dates and all other ingredients and process course chop, then add remainder of dates and process until a “dough” ball forms.

Press ball down on parchment lined cookie sheet and roll to consistent 4-5mm thickness.  This batch I baked for about 10 minutes at 425 the edges started to get dark (almost burnt toast colour). Remove from oven and tip onto mesh cooling tray.  I then put the batch back into the cooling oven to continue drying for 15-20 minutes (with the oven off, just residual heat).  I then removed the slab from the oven and cut into 30 bites.

I’m on a roll it seems… really enjoying playing with flavours in these energy bites.  Love having complete control over what I’m putting in my engine.

Here’s the latest version from this afternoon’s Mad Kitchen Scientist:

Apricot, Almond, Cranberry Bites

• 25g dried apricots
• 50g craisins
• 250g dates
• 100g almonds
• 25g raisins
• 20g chia seeds

Course cut the apricots, then put the apricots, craisins, almonds, and raisins in a food processor and process to course meal.  Add about 1/2 of the dates and the chia seeds and process until well incorporated.  Then add the last of the dates and process until a “dough” ball forms.

Instead of dehydrating these I tried baking them.  I pressed them about 1/4″ thick onto a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and baked for  15 minutes at 375 (a you would a gingerbread house wall), but it was too hot.  Next time I’d do 325 for 15 and see how that works.  They’re still pretty good, but a little crispy around the edges.  Cut into 44 bites.

Here’s the nutrition info:

Enjoy!

In my home made nutrition experimentation vein here’s experiment #2:

Peanut Butter’n’Banana Energy Bites

• 250g dates
• 50g dry roasted unsalted peanuts
• 50g banana chips
• 10g chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt

Pulse peanuts and banana chips in food processor until finely chopped.  With the food processor running, add about 1/2 of the dates, then the chia seeds and salt and finally the rest of the dates.  When everything is well chopped and mixed, spread small bar shapes (if you make 9 bars they divide easily into 36 bites) on parchment or a teflex sheet and put in the dehydrator for about 2-3 hours, flip and dehydrate for another 2-3 hours, then place on a normal dehydrator grill for a final 2-3 hours.  Let cool, then cut the bars to produce 36 mini-bars (bites).

Delish and best yet my gut seems to tolerate them well too.  Enjoy!

In an attempt to step away from heavily processed food stuffs for race nutrition, I’m experimenting with home-made “energy bites” for some solid fuel on the bike.

Experiment Version 1:

• 200g dates
• 100g dried cranberries
• 50g raw cashews
• 20g chia seeds
• sprinkle sea salt

Dehydrating for several hours…  will divide into 16 “bites”.    Each bite breaks down nutritionally as 86.25 calories (16.625g carb, 1.8125g protein, 1.8125g fat, 2.125 fiber).  The dates and cranberries will give me some immediate energy, the chia and cashews some fat for longer term fueling and to slow the carb uptake a bit and a little sodium for replenishing sweat losses.

Pre-dehydrating they taste alright: not super sweet.  I’m most concerned with them being too sticky or too crumbly.  I guess I’ll see in a few hours 😉

Follow-UP

So, the bites dehydrated overnight.  They’re about the density of a caramel and not very sticky.  They kinda taste like Christmas Fruit cake (which is good by me 🙂 ).  Riding 90k today @ 200w average, so I guess I’ll see how they sit in my belly 🙂

Experimental Recipe #3: PB&J

Makes 36 “bites”

• 250g pitted dates
• 80g peanuts, dry roasted, without salt
• 10g chia seeds
• 45g smuckers sugar free strawberry preserves (could probably use fresh fruit or dried berries if you can find them)
• pinch sea salt or kosher salt

Directions

1. Put peanuts in food processor and chop until fine, but don’t butter them
2. add about 1/2 of the dates to the running food processor
3. after dates are chopped and mixed with the peanuts add the salt, chia and strawberry jam
4. add the rest of the dates and process until a dough ball forms
5. remove the ball divide it and press it into small bars on a dehydrator non-stick sheet
6. dehydrate at 135F for about 8 hours, flip the bars after about 3 hours and when they’re pretty solid put them on a normal dehydrator grid to finish.
7. once dried cut into 36 bites

I’ve kept the previous batches in the fridge for weeks without any issue.  I imagine these will have similar shelf/fridge life.

Enjoy!

Raisins vs. Jelly Beans for Athletic Performance | NutritionFacts.org.

100 kinds of awesome here!  No real surprise though.  One of the reasons I like my energy bites so much: real food™, no preservatives, minimal processing, tasty and they work just as well (or better) than sports energy supplements costing 10-20x as much.

There are a bunch of recipes on my blog.  Search for “energy bites”

Wow!  Just wow!

Read more… »

Sitting in a cafe at Tremblant drinking green tea and passing time til dinner, I figure now is as good a time to write about my race day nutrition plan as any. So here it is:

My nutrition plan has changed a bit over this summer: I’ve started including more solid and natural nutrition into the mix. I still heavily rely on FirstEndurance liquid shot and drink but now have added my home-made energy bites into the mix with great results.

Today, the day before the race, I’m eating a lower fibre diet, still whole foods and largely unprocessed but no big salads, mostly cooked veg and light, easily digested fish and/or eggwhites for protein. I’ll aim to eat to a zero calorie deficit today and each time I wake at night to pee, I’ll top up with a banana.

For breakfast I’ll have a coffee and a banana, granola and cottage cheese (normal brekkie).

Pre-swim I’ll eat 2 GU Rocktane with some water.

Out of the swim, for the first 5-10k I’ll drink just water and let my system settle before putting any kind of fuel in. On the bike I have 2 flasks of EFS liquid shot diluted with water in a speedfil a2 (800 calories) and 2 bottles of EFS drink (200 calories), a bottle of water and 10 energy bites (500 calories) and refills for each of these at the Special Needs tent. This works out to about 500 calories per hour and since I hope to finish the ride in a little less than 6 hrs, my goal is to consume most of this.

The run is similarly planned. 10 bites, 1 flask and 1 EFS drink per 2 hrs with refills in special needs.

I expect that this will be my last blog post until Monday. Though I may try to do a quick finish time post Sunday night. I’m #1176. You can track me on ironmanlive.com or with the irontac app on a smartphone.

Cya on the other side of hearing: Rick Yazwinski… You… Are… An… Ironman! 🙂