Before a morning ride, long or otherwise, I eat a bowl of instant oatmeal with a spash of milk and a cup of yogurt. If the ride is longish, I'll also eat a banana. I also drink at least one glass of water first thing when I get up (so I have time to expel as much as possible before the start of the ride). Hydration, rather than nutrition, is my Achilles' Heel. I try to focus on hydration on the days leading up to a long ride.

The night before a long ride, I'll usually eat pasta of some sort. I've found over time that as long as I eat a good meal, I feel just fine the next day. My body's not all that picky.

Afterwards, I'll eat whatever's available. I used to religiously drink some chocolate milk, but I've gotten kind of lazy about it.

As for eating while riding, I usually stop to eat, but I also keep some food in my top tube bag to nibble on for long rides or those where it might be hard to stop because I'm with a group. I find it easiest to put the food (and to cut it into small pieces if necessary) into snack bags. I can generally get to them without too much trouble. They came in really handy during the Ride Across Indiana since the SAG stops on that ride are about 35 to 40 miles apart.