Having had more time to think about what foods I really do like to eat while riding, I've realized that it comes down to this: anything with carbohydrates. Lots of fiber is a huge bonus. If I know I am about to do tons of climbing, I like to eat a few candy bars for a sugar rush. I tend to ride between 65 and 100 miles each day, day after day, and the only way I can sustain that effort is to eat tons of complex carbohydrates during the day and for dinner. I love bran muffins, I love fresh berries and other fruit. Even yogurt is great. But too much protein just sits in my stomach and does nothing other than draw blood away from my legs.
So if I had to name a few foods which I keep in my food bag all the time (the blue one on the back you see in pictures of my bicycle) this would be them:
- spaghetti
- wheat thins
- candy bars
- gatorade powder
- peanut butter
- bran flakes cereal
- red lentils
- bananas, apples, oranges
- whole grain bread
I usually stop by a supermarket at least once, but sometimes several times a day to get more fruit. I also buy a liter (quart) of milk and eat as many bowls of cereal as I can before my stomach starts to go into expansion mode, and then drink the rest of the milk. If I'm near a supermarket, I try to do this for breakfast. Otherwise I just eat whatever appeals to me at the moment (I trust my body to tell me what it needs to eat).
For lunch sometimes I eat more fruit, buy soda and make a few peanut butter sandwiches. It depends.
For dinner I'll eat anything. One example that I can remember is a pound of spaghetti and half a small jar of peanut butter (separate from each other), some wheat thins, and an apple. Another example is a large pizza. I let my stomach go into expansion mode for dinner, because I figure it'll put me to bed easier, and I won't have to ride with all that food.
So those are the main meals. I also snack fairly constantly throughout the day on whatever I find. Fruit pastries, chips, and so on all are prime snacking material.
I've mentioned expansion mode a few times so far. I've noticed that when I eat to the point where I would normally be full, I can feel my stomach start to stretch out. This usually takes a little while to finish, and then I can tuck away another meal or so before I start to get drowsy. I don't think I ever really feel full anymore. Just hungry or sleepy.