mmmmm, Clif's Black Cherry Almond.... now you have me thinking about it! i have one waiting for me at home. i'm "addicted" to Clif/Lunas. I don't generally eat them unless i'm on a long (45+ mile) ride, but since i ran out of bananas (my normal mid-afternoon pick-me-up) i've been mange-ing on lunas at work not the best idea, given the calories in one of those, but it makes me feel "healthy" even though i'm eating chocolate.

back to the actual topic at hand, though:
after work and before riding i have a quick snack (either a banana, toast w/ pb, pb&j crackers, etc). during the week my rides are under 40, so i don't eat during the ride (and just drink water... i can't stand energy drinks!). after riding sometimes i snack on some pretzles before showering, then eat dinner right after my shower (last night it was scrambled eggs w/ spinach and asparagus and a piece of toast- protein and carbs! yay!). i try to drink a liter or two of H2O too.

on weekends the rides are longer, so i bring along a clif or two (i can't handle powerbars) and lots of water... sometimes a banana. my mom made this awesome trailmix last ride we did together... mom, what was in that?? (it was really good! i think there were sunflower seeds, cashews, dried bananas, M&Ms, almonds, walnuts, dried cherries/cranberries, dried blueberries....) mixed nuts are always a good bet too.

i used to eat a luna during or after every 20 mile ride, which i discovered i really didn't need! sometimes i still carry one on short rides, "just in case," especially if i've had a huge appetite recently.

food is far and away my favorite subject... i can be a bit long-winded, sorry!