Searching for Savory
For the past few years I've been all about eating "real food" out on long adventure runs. It feels healthier, and the range of options is far wider. But most of all, I get sick of sweet foods and I love salty things.
My go-to was a small tortilla with hummus, spinach, and some kind of pickle (okra, please!). Sure, it gets warm, the tortilla can get soggy, and the spinach wilts... And sometimes it's just not what I feel like eating.
This year has brought a new roadblock, too. I seem to be unable to work up the motivation to make the damn things. AKA too lazy, but can I really call myself lazy when I go for weekly long runs that are almost marathons?
So here is my challenge: What are some delicious, healthy, store-bought savory options for running nutrition? Let us know if you have a favorite, and come along while we do some trail-testing to find our own.
First up: Mediterra Savory Bar with Sundried Tomato & Basil
This bar came in my monthly vegan snack box, Vegan Cuts. It's a great way to try things I haven't seen or maybe wouldn't buy on my own. I was excited to see this savory bar and immediately set it aside to try on a long run.
I tried it on a "short" long run, so as to avoid stomach upset on a very long day. Around halfway through the run, I broke it out. The bar itself looks like a nice granola bar, with small round puffs that look like millet and other interesting bits embedded within-- pea crisps, cashews, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and basil.
The first bite was chewy, also like a granola bar, but a bit more crunchy upon chewing. Maybe it was the resemblance, but the bar tasted sweet to me. I looked at the ingredients list and saw brown rice syrup pretty high up the list. Everything else in there sounded reasonable and delicious. I guess they needed something to hold it all together.
After one more bite, I ditched the bar. It just wasn't salty or savory, but rather a strange in-between. Not what I was in the mood for at all. I dug a bag of chips from the bottom of my pack and enjoyed those instead, satisfying my taste for savory.
My go-to was a small tortilla with hummus, spinach, and some kind of pickle (okra, please!). Sure, it gets warm, the tortilla can get soggy, and the spinach wilts... And sometimes it's just not what I feel like eating.
This year has brought a new roadblock, too. I seem to be unable to work up the motivation to make the damn things. AKA too lazy, but can I really call myself lazy when I go for weekly long runs that are almost marathons?
So here is my challenge: What are some delicious, healthy, store-bought savory options for running nutrition? Let us know if you have a favorite, and come along while we do some trail-testing to find our own.
First up: Mediterra Savory Bar with Sundried Tomato & Basil
I tried it on a "short" long run, so as to avoid stomach upset on a very long day. Around halfway through the run, I broke it out. The bar itself looks like a nice granola bar, with small round puffs that look like millet and other interesting bits embedded within-- pea crisps, cashews, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and basil.
The first bite was chewy, also like a granola bar, but a bit more crunchy upon chewing. Maybe it was the resemblance, but the bar tasted sweet to me. I looked at the ingredients list and saw brown rice syrup pretty high up the list. Everything else in there sounded reasonable and delicious. I guess they needed something to hold it all together.
After one more bite, I ditched the bar. It just wasn't salty or savory, but rather a strange in-between. Not what I was in the mood for at all. I dug a bag of chips from the bottom of my pack and enjoyed those instead, satisfying my taste for savory.
Tailwind!
ReplyDeleteMohd, which Tailwind flavor do you like? Do you use it without any additional food? I add some plain flavor to my Skratch Labs Lemon & Matcha because I like a lighter flavor, but I want the electrolytes. I haven't tried relying solely on Tailwind yet.
ReplyDeleteNaked. Always! :) . I have a nervous stomach, i find Tailwind works well for me. For OC50k, i alternated between 1hr of Tailwind and 1hr of plain water + Clif bar to combat palette fatique. At TNF50 recently, I switched to 200cals of Tailwind + 1/4 of Clif bar every hour. Once i started racing (mile 38 onwards) i used buzzed Tailwind and buzzed Clif bar and aid station soda, worked like a charm. Great thing about Tailwind 200cals packs, it has ~600mg of sodium, the recommended amount I read in Jason Koop's book. I didnt have to think about salt tabs or anything, and I take the Tailwind with Salomon's soft flask 17oz, so i can dial 17oz (cooler day) per hour of hydration. It simplified a lot of things for me.
ReplyDelete