What does everyone snack on during the day?

[Rumblefish]

I haven't ever really been all that active until I started cycling and now that I've been doing it more often I've noticed I am hungry a lot more than I used to be! I'll eat a pretty hefty meal (such as wheat pasta, a salad and veggies somestimes fish) which used to be more than enough and about 2 hrs later or so I'll be hungry again My stomach is turning into a black hole!

I've never had to actually feed myself so much food before and my BF just keeps telling me to snack all day...snack on what?! Obviously snacking on french fries isn't the best idea, but I'm just not sure what things are good snacks that will help with cylcing. I could munch on carrots all day, but would those aid on rides. I just don't know

So I guess my question is what does everyone else snack on during the day and what are good things to eat which will help fill me up and avoid what feels like near constant hunger? What foods have you all found that provides energy for you on rides? I know everyone is different and eating habits need personal tweakings, but a starting point would be helpful.

[surgtech1956]

To work I take things like pretzels, string cheese, pretzels stuffed with peanut butter, fruit, or iced animal crackers. I need to lose weight so I try to limit my snacking.

[Aggie_Ama]

I am on a weight loss plan (weight Watchers), so fruit (usually grapes) and these little WW Cakes after lunch. I also like dry cereal or pretzels. I try to drink lots of water, it curbs hunger.

[Artisan]

I'm hungry all the time too. I try to watch what I snack on or I'd pack on weight for sure. I like to snack on different things throughout the day. I'll eat nuts, beef jerky, slices of rolled up turkey, watermelon, oatmill (yes, I use it as a snack), bananas and I love apples. I also have a protein drink two hours after my breakfast.

Like Aggie_Ama I also drink lots of water. I've actually seen my performance on rides dramatically improve since I've increased my water intake. I think I must had been dehydrated prior to the watching my water intake.

[uk elephant]

I usually take a mix of pretzels and dried fruit to work for a mid-morning snack and I always take fresh fruit such as apple or banana for an afternoon snack. And I drink lots and lots of water and some juice. And I keep a box of granola bars at work for when I get really hungry in the afternoon.

[han-grrl]

Everyone has different needs nutritionally, since a lot of it is based on genetics.

For myself, i know i am getting super out of balance hunger when i don't eat enough protein. My body tends to need more protein than the "recommended daily" and that's normal. The recommendations are rough, and its hard to make a nutritional plan for entire countries of mixed genetics.

To give an example, hubby can eat a bowl of oatmeal and last all day. I can eat that oatmeal and i am starving in an hour. So i try to add in protein at every meal including snacks

A lot of time snacking on single foods (like pretzels or an apple) can throw blood sugar off, so it is a good idea to think of snacks as mini meals - e.g. apple with cheese and some crackers. ie fat, protein carbohydrate. that tends to keep things more stable.

For rides i will bring bananas and fig newtons or granola bars. I DO NOT eat granola bars on anything BUT rides.

For everyday, yogurt with nuts and some berries, piece of toast with sliced meat and cheese....because of my job i rarely have a time when i can eat a full meal until dinner, so i have to eat small meals through out the day.

I always start the day with a bowl of fruit, cereal (measured out), milk and sometimes an egg (i try not to eat more than 4 eggs per week).

If i do get a lunch - salad with crumbled tofu, yogurt and salsa is one of my favorites.

Good luck!

hannah

[maillotpois]

Super high end dark chocolate.

[nicole309]

I can so relate to being hungry all the time. When I first started riding I found it nearly impossible to convince everyone at work that I wasn't pregnant with my eating habits.
I can say that it has gotten better, but if I do a ride over 50 miles I feel like I am hungry for days!! I find that I do the best if I eat the majority of my calories early in the day. So, I take lots of early day snacks to work. I bring fresh fruit, berries now that they are in season, yogurt, and almonds. Bananas are really the perfect bike food. I eat two every day. I find that if I pack everything in early I ride much better and really don't snack at all at night. I usually crave bad snacks at night and this really doesn't happen if I eat well all day. My only downfall is Fruit Snacks. I eat them or Jelly Belly Sport Bean while I ride. I really need the sugar then, or I just die!

[Rumblefish]

Thanks for all your responses and sharing what your snacking habits. I've a better idea now what is helpful and the things I should steer myself towards.

I do generally drink a lot of water, but maybe not enough. I'll have to start being more conscious of drinking more and see how it works out for me.

Again, thank you!

[equus123]

to answer the original question....

i don't snack on anything. i eat 3 square meals a day. i actually tried the whole 5-6 meals a day thing and it ended up really messing with my brain. i'm not kidding. it gave me anxiety, made me always hungry or full, and it TOTALLY messed with my sleeping and digestion. it was really weird so i stopped doing that and went to just breakfast - lunch - and dinner. no problems since then.

so no snacks for me! i eat breakfast before work at 6:15am. lunch at 12pm. dinner any time between 6 - 10pm. that's it for me and i've found over the past 2 years that it's also what works the best for my body. i tried a few different things and all they did was mess me up.

[kfergos]

Bananas are really the perfect bike food. I eat two every day.

How do you carry these with you?? I commute and although I love bananas, by the time I get to work, that thing is banana soup inside.

I second (third? fourth?) the comment about being hungry all the time after starting to bicycle. I've slowly been ramping up my miles, and I end up starving all the time. For my snacks:

Milk and a vitamin before my morning commute
1/2 C. oatmeal, fresh berries, and yogurt all combined for breakfast
String cheese
1/2 a cookie or something small but sweet (I can't resist sweet foods)
Small spinach salad with feta, cranberries, and walnuts for lunch
Banana or apple
1/2 a cookie

I usually don't eat much in the evenings, and I find that nibbling more through the day keeps me going better than having large meals.

[Triskeliongirl]

I actually rarely snack, but try to eat food during my meals that satisfies me so I don't get too hungry between meals. For me, that is a low carb/high protein diet, but that is also because I am a type 1.5 diabetic with impaired glucose tolerance. If you mean what do I eat for snacks on the bike, I find beef jerkey, hard boiled eggs, and almonds work. If I am really hungry I do allow myself a snack, but then something protein rich like a hard boiled egg or lean chicken sausage usually does the trick. I noticed you are getting hungry after a pasta lunch. How would you feel if you ate a grilled chicken salad or veggie rich stir fry instead? I do eat a ton of non-starchy veggies along with my leans meats.