T H E C YC L I S T S ’ K I T C H E N
WHERE’S THE HEALTHFUL FOOD?
Eating healthy meals on the road doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think.
by Nancy Clark
job is to balance the grease and goo with
more wholesome choices at other meals.
Think moderation, not good versus bad
foods.
2. Some fat is okay.
Saturated fat (the kind in greasy
able to eat a lot and not gain weight. Even so, I like to eat
burgers, cheese, and fatty meats) and
healthy food that won’t contribute to heart disease or health trans fat (found in such foods as storebought cookies, muffins, and pie crust)
problems. When we were cycling through the midsection of are at the top of the list of dietary no-nos.
the country, the route took us through small towns,
These health-eroding fats are linked to
heart disease, if not obesity. Because they
add a nice flavor and texture to food, they
many of which had only one restaurant
are easy to overeat.
or diner in town. Each of these diners had
Although too much saturated fat is a
about the same menu — hamburger,
dietary culprit, a moderate amount of fat
cheeseburger, grilled cheese sandwich,
can be okay. According to the American
chicken-fried steak, fried chicken sandHeart Association, about twenty to thirty
wich . . . you get the picture.
percent of the calories we consume can
Thank you for providing a nutrition
appropriately come from fat. That means
article on the most healthy choices when
if you are burning at least three thousand
faced with a typical mid-America diner
calories per day (more likely, four thoumenu. Cheryl Hedden, Sitka, Alaska”
sand if biking all day), you can appropriDear Cheryl, and other cyclists who
ately consume at least six hundred calohave experienced the same situation, like
ries of fat. That’s sixty-five grams of fat,
you, I remember the lack of healthful,
the amount in eleven tablespoons of butwholesome foods in many of the diners
ter — quite a lot.
— and also the grocery stores. Hence,
Granted, getting at least two-thirds
I’ve listed a few strategies to help touring
of that fat from health-promoting foods
cyclists healthfully navigate their way
(nuts, peanut butter, salmon, olive oil) is
across the country.
preferable to getting it from chicken-fried steak with gravy. But a
1. You don’t have to eat a perfect diet to have a good diet.
In the ideal world, yummy, healthful foods would be readily low-fat diet differs from a no-fat diet. A low-fat diet can accomavailable in every diner and grocery store across the country. Yet modate one fatty meal per day. The trick is to limit yourself to
one fatty meal per day.
we live in a society where donuts, Ding Dongs, and french fries
The best way to stay within your fat budget is to eat one or
are more prevalent than wholesome cereals, multigrain breads,
two of your meals from the grocery store. You can easily buy
and fresh salads. The trick is to look at your entire day’s food
cold cereal, instant oatmeal, graham crackers, peanut butter,
intake and not just the greasy hamburger. Try to see the forest,
spaghetti, baked beans, canned fruit, and orange juice to complenot just the trees.
No one food or meal is going to sabotage your health. If you ment the fried and fatty stuff at the diner.
3. Make the best of a bad situation.
eat a greasy burger and fries for lunch, you can compensate by
When you’re faced with a menu that’s all wrong for your
having oatmeal or Raisin Bran for breakfast, and beans and rice
health, take a deep breath and figure out how to make the best of
for dinner at the campground. With any luck, you’ll even find a
a bad situation. Make lots of special requests. For example,
few oranges and bananas at the grocery store for snacks. Your
8
ADVENTURE CYCLIST
JULY
200 4
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG
GREG SIPLE
I received the following letter recently: “Dear Adventure
Cycling: In the summer of 2000, my husband and I
bicycled the Transamerica route. It was an awesome
trip. One of the best things about cycle touring is being
– Ask for butter and salad dressing
on the side.
– Request a cheese sandwich grilled
dry (without butter).
– Have the cook hold the gravy.
You can also take control once the
food is served.
– Remove the “fried” (meaning the
skin) from the chicken.
– Place the burger on napkins and
squish the grease out.
None of these remedies will transform the meal into grilled salmon, brown
rice, spinach salad with olive-oil dressing,
and a crusty multigrain roll, but at least
you can degrease the meal to the best of
your ability.
4. Enjoy more peanut butter, the best
cyclist’s food around.
Whether it’s peanut butter cooked
into oatmeal for breakfast, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich for lunch, a spoonful of peanut butter for a snack, or yet
another peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich
for dinner, people who eat peanut butter
(and nuts) five or more times a week
reduce their risk of heart disease by twenty to fifty percent. Yes, even the commercial brands like Skippy or Jif are health
protective. Plus, peanut butter is inexpensive, readily available, needs no refrigeration, travels well in panniers, and tastes
delightful!
5. Choose more of the best foods.
Here are some foods that are readily
available in most convenience stores, have
good nutritional value, and can supplement lack-luster diner food.
Milk and yogurt (low-fat or skim)
If only whole milk is available, consider buying powdered milk. Use it as is,
or mix it half-and-half with whole milk for
a low-fat blend.
Broccoli, spinach, and carrots
Seek out colorful vegetables — the
more color, the more health value. At the
campground, munch on a raw carrot or
cook up frozen broccoli or spinach.
Frozen veggies are easy to prepare and are
nutritionally similar to fresh vegetables as
freezing retains vitamins. Canned vegetables also offer similar nutritional value.
Peppers
Snack on raw peppers like you’d eat
an apple. Half a pepper provides the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
Tomatoes (fresh, sauce, or juice)
If you can’t add fresh tomato slices to
a sandwich, at least choose foods with
tomatoes, such as pizza, pasta, and soup.
This might be your only vegetable of the
day!
Oranges and grapefruit (whole or juice)
Orange and grapefruit juice are nutritionally superior to most other juices.
Eight ounces (fresh or from frozen) provides the recommended daily allowance of
vitamin C.
Bananas
A banana is like a pre-wrapped snack.
Tape one to your bike helmet for safekeeping!
Cantaloupe, berries, and watermelon
Enjoy these fruits as snacks or in a
fruit salad with low-fat cottage cheese —
perfect for breakfast or a picnic lunch.
Chicken and turkey
Remove the “fried.” The grease does
soak into the meat.
Lean Beef
A lean roast-beef sandwich is preferable to a greasy burger.
Tuna and salmon (canned or fresh)
Any fish oil is health protective. Mix
tuna with low-fat mayonnaise when it’s
available.
Peanut butter and nuts
Although peanut butter and nuts are
high-fat foods, their fat protects against
heart disease. Enjoy peanut butter in
sandwiches and with fruit, such as apples
and bananas. Enjoy nuts as snacks, and in
trail mix.
Oatmeal, bran and whole-grain cereals
If constipation is a concern, eat a
daily bowl of Raisin Bran, Bran Chex, or
other bran cereals.
Remember, with a little planning,
you can eat healthily on the road.
Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD, former
TransAmerica tour leader, counsels clients at
Healthworks in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Her
popular Sports Nutrition Guidebook offers abundant information on how to eat well at home and on
the road. It is available from Sports Nutrition
Services, P.O. Box 650124, West Newton, MA
02465 or at www.nancyclarkrd.com.
ADVENTURE CYCLIST
JULY
200 4
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG
9