long ride nutrition & IBS

[Dianyla]

If you have stringent dietary requirements, you should plan to self-support and bring your own food as much as possible. If the rest stops happen to have something that is friendly to your body, great. If not, you can't rely on it. My ex had a list of food allergies a mile long and for him to chance it and hope that there was something that he could eat was asking for trouble.

I do think it's unusual for a rest stop to offer fatty/meaty food for a bike ride.

[Duck on Wheels]

IBS and other IBD's are pretty individual. My Crohns does better on ham and cheese than on pb&j, although pb&j can also be fine when I'm well out of my flare-up zone. I agree that you're best off taking your own food along. I can be pretty sure of finding bananas and water to refill, but other than that I feel safer knowing I have enough along of things that won't give me trouble.

[KnottedYet]

Gluten enteropathy here. I bring my own food EVERYWHERE, because it is extremely hard to be sure there will be something I can eat other than fruit. I generally assume I won't be able to eat anything, and plan accordingly. Then if there is something I can eat, it's like a special surprise!

[betagirl]

I second what Bikeless said. I can eat pretty much whatever if the crohn's is quiet, but if it's cranky I tend to bring foods I know to be pretty safe. There are rides where I am just not hungry, so for those I always make sure I have multiple packets of chocolate gu. I usually can eat a power bar also on those days. But anything other than that, it's tough. I do try to take any symptoms in stride that may happen on the bike. Cramps will pass if I just slow down or stop for a minute usually. There's usually a bathroom or at least a field within sprinting distance if need be

[Dogmama]

I dunno about PB&J - too much fat for my IBS. Obviously, we're all different.

Somebody asked about training ride foods - THAT is the time to experiment with what works for you.

I've been a CLif bar fanatic for years, but the ladies here keep talking Luna - so I tried a few. MUCH better for needed energy fast & they seem to stick around just as long as CLif. So...I'm breaking up with Clif.

[KnottedYet]

Clif doesn't mind much. (if you call Cliff Bar you get the real Clif's voice on the message system) Since they make Luna. So, if one breaks up with Clif and takes up with Luna, does that mean.... they've changed teams?

(sorry, couldn't help myself)