Need food help for out of town race

Like the post suggests, I’m headed out of town for a 6.5 hour gravel event on Saturday. The place I’m staying has a microwave, and a mini fridge but that’s it. I’m open to suggestions. The town has most amenities and many restaurants. So a healthy option to get me going for the race is what I’m looking to accomplish. TIA!

Make whatever you usually like to eat as pre-race food and then pack it in a cooler. Warm it up in the microwave if necessary.

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Agree with above. I pack pre-made meals in a cooler and instant oatmeal, etc. A microwave and mini-fridge is all you need. I avoid restaurants the night before and morning of a big event.

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Easy options from the grocery store are foods you just have to reheat either out of the prepped food section or bagged rice, packaged salad, proteins from the heated section. If you just want to keep it super simple research some restaurants in the area and decide what your meal will be know. Breakfast should be easy too - oatmeal cups, bagels, fruit etc.

Two big bowls of cereal and pop tarts morning of for gravel. Quick and easy.
There’s almost always a chipotle or qdoba nearby for night of. Or I just bring my dinner and heat it up at the hotel.

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Chipotle was my original thought, but then worried if it was bad what would happen to my stomach :poop:

Eat what you’d eat at home. Either meal prep and heat it up in the microwave or find a restaurant that serves what your normal pre race meal(s) would be

Personally I meal prep and reheat, very easy with a fridge and microwave

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I’m like Taco Bell. I take precooked rice, black beans, chicken or shrimp, an avocado, and some tortillas. I can make a bunch of meals out of that depending on what I want the night before and morning of.

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You can cook almost anything for breakfast in a microwave for example; poached eggs.
I’ve microwaved pancake mix before an event with some Nutella or peanut butter, honey etc. Oats and cereal are also easy to eat options.
Depending on the hotel you’re staying at, they might even have breakfast for free. I think Hampton Inn has a full continental breakfast, with waffle makers that you have to use yourself. But to have amazing before a race.
Dinner; I’ll sometimes bring homemade pasta with fresh veggies and roasted chicken or buy subs/ sandwiches from a good spot.
Usually I find something to eat the night before by checking yelp or trip advisor for reviews of local restaurants . That helps me decide where to eat for dinner the night before or after a race.

Echoing above, eat how you normally would.

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Uncle Ben’s pre-cooked rice. Scrambled eggs are easy in a microwave. Hot sauce and soy sauce packets.

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I think everyone should have a small camp stove. Makes it super easy to cook up a variety of things, even if you find yourself in a hotel room without Microwave. I like fried eggs, rice, and coffee before races, all easy to do on a little cannister stove. And, there are some great backpacking meals too…

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Grab some overnight oats, Greek yogurt, and fresh fruit – easy to prep and fuel. If you need a restaurant option, an omelet with veggies and whole-grain toast does the trick. However, you can also add pico de gallo for more taste. Good luck on your gravel adventure!

You could grab some pre-cooked rice, veggies, and a protein from a grocery store—quick and nutritious.

For a race day, it’s all about keeping it simple and sticking with what you know works for your body. Oatmeal cups, bagels, and fruit are great for breakfast, and they’re easy to prepare with just a microwave.
If you’re looking for a good place to eat out, make sure to check out local spots in town. If you ever find yourself in, there’s a dining out Sydney spot called Dixson & Sons. They have some healthy options that would be perfect for a pre-race meal if you’re ever in the area.

I trust there is a kettle too.
80g Rice cereal/cream of rice in a prepacked Tupperware, 3-5 teaspoons of brown sugar and 30g of honey. Hot water and stir. A good breakfast option.
Take along an isotonic drink and likely a banana.

In the US, we usually don’t have a kettle, but we can boil the water in the microwave.

Have kettle will travel…

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Have paper cup, will microwave!

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I try to re-use as much as possible…but that’s just me :slight_smile:

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I’ve found a burger and salty fries the night before are easy on my stomach. Easy to reheat in microwave as well.

Morning of races and long rides I have 2 servings of steel cut oatmeal with a banana, honey, and some salt. I usually have another banana immediately before the race.

*pro tip, I have steel cut oatmeal every morning for breakfast. I batch cook 3 days worth overnight in the slow cooker then reheat the next 2 days each morning in the microwave. I’m not diabetic but have used some continuous blood glucose monitors for better understanding of food impacts on my blood sugar. Steel cut oatmeal vs instant oatmeal is a HUGE difference on its impact on your blood sugar.

I also add 3 scoops of vanilla protein after the oatmeal cooks, and before dividing it up, so I have an extra 25g protein with each breakfast.

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