Four simple ingredients.  Three all-new, whole-food, fuel options.  No matter how you do the math, you’re sure to find a sweet potato recipe that will fuel your ride, satisfy your taste buds without sugar overload, and provide some variety beyond bars and gels.  In fact, each of these will work great before, during, or after your ride.

Recipe of the week #1: Sweet Potato Cycling Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (~1 lb.), peeled and cut into fries (any size desired)
• 1 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons real maple syrup or organic honey
• ¼ – 1/3 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Combine oil, syrup, and salt.  Coat fries thoroughly by shaking everything together in large baggie or stirring well in bowl.  Spread onto well-oiled baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and soft. 2 Servings.

Or, for less chewing, try:

Recipe of the Week #2: Sweet Potato Bike Mash

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (~1 lb., washed well)
• 1 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons real maple syrup or organic honey
• ¼ – 1/3 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Pierce potato several times with a fork or knife and bake for ~45-60 minutes, or until very soft.  Remove potato, open by cutting top length-wise.  Add coconut oil, syrup, and salt.  Allow oil to melt and then mix all ingredients thoroughly in skin, mashing potato into smooth consistency.  Allow to cool.  Scoop mashed sweet potatoes out and place in 2 “snack size” baggies.  Eat on the ride by tearing hole in corner of baggies and squeezing out.  2 Servings

Recipe of the Week #3: Sweet Potato Cruiser Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups peeled and shredded sweet potato, about 1 large (~1 lb.)
• 1 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons real maple syrup or organic honey
• ¼ – 1/3 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Form 2 patties. Fry the patties in oil on medium-high for a ~2-3 minutes, then flip and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes (should have crunchy exterior).  Then, reduce heat to medium-low for ~5 minutes, until cooked through (do not flip again).  Allow to cool.  Wrap each patty in aluminum foil or place in a baggie.  They may fall apart during the ride, so make sure they are well-wrapped.  Eat ‘em up! 2 Servings.

Nutrition information (1 serving, any recipe): 161 calories, 24 grams carbs, 3 gm fiber, 2 gm protein, 332-432 mg sodium, 428 mg potassium, 34 mg calcium, 24 mg magnesium.

Comments:

You’ve asked for more real-food fuel options, and we’ve heard you.  While there are decent commercial energy bars, gels, and drinks out there, and they do have their place, it’s a great idea to use real food as much as possible, solely, or in addition to high-quality commercial options.

When it comes to nutrient-dense carb sources, you don’t have to look much further than sweet potatoes.  As Darryl explained a few months back, sweet potatoes provide:

• A vast array of antioxidants including very high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene that fight free radicals and promote reduced oxidative stress.
• Anti-inflammatory nutrients including glycoproteins that promote cellular health
• Carbohydrates that promote steady blood sugars and even-keeled energy

What’s more, you’ll get a great all-natural carbohydrate and antioxidant source in real maple syrup or organic honey, fast-acting, energy-producing fat in organic coconut oil, and nearly all your hourly sodium needs from salt.

To use these recipes as:

Pre-ride fuel: Try 1 serving of any recipe, ~60-90 minutes out, with fluids.

During-ride fuel: On rides >2 hours, eat 1 serving every hour with 20+ additional grams of carbs from other foods or drinks.  I recommend using faster-acting carbs for these remaining grams, as from a sports drink, so that you’ll have a great balance of both quick and sustained carbs.  Make sure to aim for 16-32 oz. fluid, 40+ grams carbohydrates (60+ for intense work), 400-700 mg sodium, 100-300 mg potassium (more is fine from whole food sources) per hour.

Recovery: Eat 1-2 servings (depending on the intensity & duration of the ride) with 16-32 oz. fluid plus an additional 10-20 grams of protein from 2 large cooked eggs, 1 scoop protein powder, 16 oz. milk, 6 oz. Greek yogurt/cottage cheese, 2-3 oz. meat, etc.  

Whole-food, high-carb, brightly colored (why not?) fuel options for lasting energy.   Sliced, mashed, or caked, these sweet potato recipes will give you carbs and nutrients to boot.  How sweet is that?