As our record number of new riders continue on their Bike the US for MS adventures, a very important topic is on most minds…..FOOD!
As Alumni, we have all dealt with this issue. It is important to keep up the calorie count yet, what is “storable” and appropriate for the journey. Let’s break it down by the meal.
Breakfast
A rider favorite, instant oatmeal: storable, quick, nutritious. After your journey, you will not want to see a packet…until your next journey. A breakfast burrito also works well.
Rest stops
Tortilla and peanut butter. Let’s not forget the ever-present bananas! Chocolate milk is also a great refresher if you can buy it on the route.
Lunch
Same as rest stops only more! Don’t forget to hydrate! Generally, lunch stops are at the 40-to-50-mile point so there is not much more riding for the day! Don’t linger too long as your muscles will tend to tighten up!
Dinner
Pasta, Pasta, Pasta – Many of our Hosts provide dinner for the group. Generally, this meal involves pasta, barbeque, many salads and cookies/brownies. Hosts will also allow access to kitchens, and this allows for your own creativity. My choice is “pepper pasta” (kielbasa, onions, sweet peppers, other vegetables sautéed over your favorite pasta). Others favor heating a can of soup with crackers. Packets of tuna are shelf stable and provide good protein.
Some tips:
- You might want to carry a small shoulder bag with you so if there is a store close to an end point, you can carry your purchases easily to the camp.
- Look to the veteran riders for advice as to what to prepare.
- There is a cooler in the trailer…but it’s for drinks only. Keep that in mind when buying perishable food items.
- In your food cubie, essentials: spray olive oil, salt, pepper and basic spices. These don’t take up much room but will add to the flavor of your creations.
- Many times, what you prepare is more than what one can eat. Offer it to others, it is always fun to share a meal!
- After fixing your meals, please clean up. We rely on our hosts and want to keep them year after year. Also, it is not the leader’s responsibility to clean up!
- Try to eat at local restaurants. In many of the small towns that we visit, our riders make up a big “buying power” and provide a lot of support for the community. Also, it is a great way to spread the word about our mission.
