Life In The Saddle

" They are what they eat " says Hannah Grant—at the time Head Chef for Team Tinkoff-Saxo – one of the most successful professional cycling teams on the UCI World Tour circuit. It is a motto that I subscribe to very strongly. Food is an integral part of cycling. Food is your fuel, and your conditioning agent, as well as your recovery. Energy bars and gels can do so much, when you are on the bike; but it is what you eat the rest of the time that really makes a difference. Cycling teams realised the importance of nutrition some time back, and that is why a number of the top teams now have Michelin level chefs working for them; their role is to ensure that the nutritional intake of the riders is absolutely optimal for their performance. Hannah Grant is one of those top chefs, and just as the mechanics at Team Tinkoff-Saxo played an integral role in preparing the bikes for the riders each morning and evening, Hannah has a fundamental role in ensuring that the riders are co...

It is an age-old cliché, but You Are What You Eat . As a cyclist perhaps you realise it more than most; but if you fill your diet with processed food and the wrong balance of nutrients, you soon realise it. What you put into your body has a direct correlation to what it will give back to you; both in terms of feelings and performance. Eat Right, and you will perform at your best. Eating natural whole-foods, in their raw and unmodified state, is one step towards eating right. Celebrating seasonal produce is another. Adopting age-old production methods and experimenting with foreign traditional foods and recipes, is a third. It is all part of enjoying and getting the most from your food. That is what Nick Barnard's 'Eat Right' is all about. Nick is the co-founder of Rude Health —a brand that regular blog readers will be familiar with. Their ethos is around the best possible natural products that make the most of whole-grains, nuts, seeds and fruit; through a range of snac...

'Outside Is Free' by Henrik Orre arrives in a waterproof pouch with a titanium spork... a hint at the theme of this latest recipe book from Vélochef—this, is food for adventure. Henrik Orre is a Norwegian chef who was Head Chef for Team Sky Pro Cycling. His previous books ' Vélochef ' and ' Vélochef in Europe ' are two of my favourite recipe books; providing great insights into the nutritional science behind a professional cycling team—with fantastic ideas for performance enhancing and mouth-watering dishes that you can try at home. 'Outside Is Free' delves into Henrik's new passion... adventure cycling. With the rise of gravel bikes and back-of-beyond touring, this book is packed full of simple recipes that could be made when camping out in the wild. The focus of 'Outside Is Free' is less on the performance approach, and more on simple, wholesome, and satisfying natural nutrition. These recipes are meals to begin and end 'epic...

Hannah Grant has fast become one of my idol chefs. I love good simple food and I also love bike riding—riding far and riding fast. Hannah's recipes combine the two adorations perfectly: great simple food, made to be the perfect fuel for endurance sport. 'Eat Race Win' is her latest book release. ' The Grand Tour Cookbook ' was the first cycling-orientated recipe book released by Hannah Grant. I reviewed it, and it would be accurate to say that it has become an almost biblical reference whenever we are looking for tasty and wholesome dishes in our household. 'Eat. Race. Win.' is the sequel to 'The Grand Tour Cookbook'—supplying a new bank of superb recipes to try. The book is beautifully illustrated and holds some interesting and inspiring insights on both cycling and cookery. This is a cookbook worthy of being placed on your coffee table. The recipes themselves are the real talking point though... whether it is the ride-fuelling breakfasts,...

A year or so ago, I reviewed the Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix here on Life In The Saddle. I was impressed by its subtle flavour, natural ingredients, and how effective it was at warding off cramps. In the last month, I have been testing out recipes from their 'solid fuel' solution: the recipes in the Skratch Labs Feed Zone Portables Cookbook. The Feed Zone Portables Cookbook is a collection of recipes for snacks, breakfasts, lunches, and light meals, which you could take with you on any of your outdoor adventures. From rice cakes to panini rolls, and cookies to granola—this is a collection designed for easy transportation and easy consumption. The book is most definitely written for the American reader—with quite a few Americanisms like "grit" and "put it out for 10"; as well as using a lot of ingredients that are far cheaper in the States than they are this side of the Atlantic (such as maple syrup and blueberries). Yet, being selective about ...

My copy of Henrik Orre's original 'Vélochef' (see my book review here ) is well thumbed, and well read. I have tried dozens of the recipes from the collection; all of them have been superb, as well as easy to follow. 'Vélochef in Europe' is Henrik's sequel release, and looks into four European regions, with 80 local recipes. Mallorca, Nice, Girona and Lombardy: four regions that are famed for their great riding, but also for their fantastic cuisine. Henrik combines both passions in this 'Vélochef in Europe'; inspiring you to experiment, and to get out and ride. The book is set out in the four different areas, and the exploration of both the riding and cuisine that can be found in each. Mallorca is the region that I am most familiar with, as I have visited the island on several occasions, including for the Mallorca312 and Mallorca1127 . I have always loved the Mediterranean cuisine that I have been served on the island, as well as the bike riding...

My previous reviews of Henrik Orre's 'Velochef' and 'Velochef in Europe' were super popular posts, and I continue to enjoy making the recipes on a regular basis. At the end of this month, Henrik launches an exciting new sequel - 'Outside Is Free'. Here is a great taster of the motivation and theme of the book. Look out for a review on lifeinthesaddle.cc coming soon.

We've all heard the term 'Superfoods' batted around; often dismissing it as just the latest 'trendy' vegetable or seed to add to your cooking. Superfoods are a genuine phenomenon though: they are individual whole-foods that have an exceptional nutritional profile; be that in the form of vitamins or minerals, or in the form of protein, dietary fibre, or other health-benefiting attributes. Julie Morris is an American LA based chef, who has long touted the benefits of certain food groups. She has created a whole series of recipe books based around the known 'superfoods'; from soups, to snacks and smoothies. In this post, I'm looking at Julie's 'Superfood Snacks' and 'Superfood Soups' recipe books, as they seemed particularly relevant for cyclists (especially in winter). Superfood Snacks Cyclists love snacks. Whether it is on the bike, or 'in recovery'; snacks are the king of satiating an on-going calorie deficit create...

Vélochef by Henrik Orre provides an engaging and very readable insight into the world of professional cycling nutrition. As the chef for Team Sky—one of the world's most successful professional cycling teams, Henrik developed an extensive library of performance maximising meals and snacks—designed to provide one of the significant marginal gains Team Sky were well known for. Henrik demonstrates how simple, natural, and flavourful meals are the key to success. Using ingredients that are easily processed by the body, his recipes are targeted at helping to fuel and repair/prepare the body for sport. From smoothies and juices, to rice cakes and risottos; these are simple and well known dishes, but with a real focus on natural performance ingredients. The book is separated out into Pre-Vélo, Vélo, and Après Velo—each section providing a selection of recipes to keep your taste buds tingling and your legs firing on all cylinders. The recipes themselves are simple to follow—with basi...