Let's Talk Breakfast

[slcbelle]

I'm skating 5x a week early in the morning and would like to know what you, or your kids, eat before a 2 hour practice session.  Coffee is a must and I'm still tinkering with beans and brews that don't make my bladder go nuts and require me constantly have to get off the ice for a bathroom break.  (Any suggestions there?) 

I've often make a bowl of Trader Joe's multigrain oatmeal with added pecans and fruit but somedays even that is a pain.  Right now, I'm munching through a Think Thin protein bar and will take a water bottle with protein powder drink mixed in.  That keeps me going better than a carb heavy sports drink.  I just got Invisalign braces with rubber bands (ugh) and I'm not inclined to take all of that out, eat a snack, brush my teeth again, and put everything back in.  I'm thinking liquid and long lasting energy.

After skating, I will go skiing on some days (2 to 4x a week).  Those days I'll need more energy but don't want to feel full.  I also do 30 minutes of cardio (biking, rowing, or ski trainer) as well as 45 minutes of resistance training, off-ice strengthening, and stretching.  And I walk the dogs for 30 minutes.  So, all in, I'm getting about 4.25 hours of exercise on non-ski days and about 8 hours of exercise (I don't count the time sitting on the lift) on ski days.

What are your favorite quickie food or liquid products that keep an athlete going all day without going crazy on the calories or number of times I'd have to go through the braces routine?

[CaraSkates]

I skate mornings 3 days a week - usually for 1.5-2hrs each morning. I eat a greek yogurt for breakfast before I leave - right now I like Fage 0% Strawberry Goji. I usually take a banana or a cereal bar with me but I don't always eat it. I do drink water while I skate (I feel lost without a waterbottle and a box of tissues!).

I always eat as soon as I get home - usually about 3hrs after I ate breakfast. Usually this is another yogurt or I'll make pancakes, eggs, or go right to a small version of lunch. I tend to eat many small meals - I get full very fast so 3 big meals doesn't work for me at all. I only occasionally drink coffee so no help there.

[TreSk8sAZ]

When you get up at 3:40 and have a jumps lesson at 5:00 a.m., sometimes solid food just doesn't work, so I get where you are coming from! I also skate early mornings (and have dietary restrictions) so I have to carefully plan in advance what I will be having during the week. I do not drink coffee (or tea, for that matter) so no help there.

However, smoothies are my best friend. Easy to make ahead of time and stick in to-go cups in the fridge. The nice thing is you can add whatever you want to them, including protein powder or supplements of any sort. I make most of them with greek yogurt (plain or flavored, depending on the recipe). I have a few different recipes that I can throw together and that way I can switch it up so I'm not doing the same thing every time.

I will sometimes do small, light muffins or half a waffle that I have made over the weekend for longer sessions as well. A small bit of carbs like that make me feel full longer, while giving me energy towards the end of the session, but for me it has to be something small or it's too much. Not sure how that would work with the braces, though.

I also generally eat a snack after I skate (usually on the way to work), so if I didn't previously do a muffin or something like that I'll grab it on the way out the door. On days I have a bit longer, then I might eat some cereal, eggs, or a breakfast burrito or bowl with diced hash browns and such.

[Loops]

Wow.  Maybe I need to make some changes.  I can't drink coffee before I skate- sometimes the caffeine upsets my stomach and I won't risk it.  I usually just drink some water and maybe have a piece of fruit.   After seeing what people have written, perhaps I would be OK having more.  I just hate feeling full then exercising.

I keep a liter nalgene with me in the rink, and for the physical training we have afterwards.  The one litre isn't enough and I have to refill.

Then when I get home I'm RAVENOUS and eat something fairly bulky, like leftover quinoa warmed up with some lightly fried garlic, spinach if I have it and a fried egg.   Sounds complicated, but if I have the leftover quinoa (which I try to do) it's basically the same time as frying the egg.  If I have granola on hand, that'd do it too.

[slcbelle]

However, smoothies are my best friend. Easy to make ahead of time and stick in to-go cups in the fridge. The nice thing is you can add whatever you want to them, including protein powder or supplements of any sort. I make most of them with greek yogurt (plain or flavored, depending on the recipe). I have a few different recipes that I can throw together and that way I can switch it up so I'm not doing the same thing every time.

I'm a smoothie freak as well.  I use the GNC Pro Performance AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 (choc, vanilla, or cookies and creme...one scoop), spinach or kale, carrot, banana or apple, peanut butter, kefir yogurt, coconut milk, coconut water, and one other fruit usually a berry.  I need to get a more transportable and reusable cup.  I could make them ahead of time.  Normally, they are my lunch.  I'm a big egg eater.  Yummay.  I'll go out and look for better cups today.   

My one cup of coffee this morning had me off ice 3 times for bathroom breaks during my 2 hour session.  I should probably hold off on the caffeine until after.  But I love it so!

[jjane45]

I cannot eat anything cold in the morning.
Hot oatmeal with milk and raisin will be tomorrow's breakfast before lesson.

[SynchKat]

I can't eat in the morning either.  If I'm skating I'll have a cappucino and a Greek yoghurt. I'll be hungry but the end of skating but if I try to eat something more hearty I just gag

[Skittl1321]

I've been eating Emerald almond breakfast pouches. Only thing I've found that is an 'on the go' that doesn't leave me starving at lunch time.

I tried making them on my own, but it's not cheaper to buy ingredients separately.

[sarahspins]

I normally just have a banana before I skate, and another one after - I do bring coffee with me, but I usually drink it on the way home

[fsk8r]

Having read a lot of this, I'm feeling quite weird. First thing in the morning I eat breakfast. You know breakfast. No different from whether I'm skating or not, so it's either a couple of slices of toast, muesli or porridge (oatmeal). If I'm going to be doing a lot of exercise, I'll take something to snack on later. But I don't eat anything special.

[taka]

That is a LOT of exercise you're doing!!

What about having an espresso instead of a normal coffee? At least it is a smaller volume!

I'm with fsk8r. I don't really do anything much different on skating versus non skating days. (I skate mornings before work twice a week + mid-late morning on Sundays ~1.5hrs each time) It is usually porridge & fruit or muesli & greek yoghurt - I just eat a little more on days I plan to skate a bit longer than normal. I throw in an extra muesli bar or banana or something in my lunch bag, in case I get peckish after skating.

[slcbelle]

That is a LOT of exercise you're doing!!

I love to move it, move it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdcTmpvDO0I

On days that I'm not skating or skiing, I often make eggs with a piece of 9 grain toast and half an avocado spread on the bread.  But that's a pain in the booty at 6am and I'd definitely feel sick exercising with that in my belly.

Today I am having my TJ's multigrain oatmeal with maple syrup, blueberries, and pecans and a very weak cup of coffee with lots of cream (thanks, taka).  I'll bring a banana.   I have an hour with the visiting choreographer to work on presentation and arms for my MIF test and then I will practice for an hour.

[CaraSkates]

I'm with fsk8r. I don't really do anything much different on skating versus non skating days. (I skate mornings before work twice a week + mid-late morning on Sundays ~1.5hrs each time) It is usually porridge & fruit or muesli & greek yoghurt - I just eat a little more on days I plan to skate a bit longer than normal. I throw in an extra muesli bar or banana or something in my lunch bag, in case I get peckish after skating.

My skating breakfast (greek yogurt) is the same as my regular breakfast - I joke that the only "cooking" I am capable of in the morning is opening the yogurt lid and finding a spoon!! The only difference is sometimes on weekend I might make pancakes as a treat and I wouldn't eat that before skating.

[irenar5]

I cannot eat anything cold in the morning.
Hot oatmeal with milk and raisin will be tomorrow's breakfast before lesson.

That is exactly what I have pretty much every time. I also add Craisins.  I make 1 min oatmeal in the microwave- the whole process takes less than 2 min and it gives me time to put my tennis shoes on:-).  I eat mine on the way to the rink. 

[jjane45]

That is exactly what I have pretty much every time. I also add Craisins.  I make 1 min oatmeal in the microwave- the whole process takes less than 2 min and it gives me time to put my tennis shoes on:-).  I eat mine on the way to the .

I decided to skip the milk and make it express. before sleep I put boiling water into a thermal mug, added steel cut oats and raisin. ready to go on the road next morning at the right temperature

I stopped eating craisins after realizing how much added sugar is in there. cranberries are not sweet at all by nature.

[nicklaszlo]

(Any suggestions there?) 

Quit the coffee.  It is bad for you.

without going crazy on the calories

If you exercise that much, you probably should go crazy.  I recommend that you see a nutritionist.

[irenar5]

I stopped eating craisins after realizing how much added sugar is in there. cranberries are not sweet at all by nature.

Yep!  And that is why they taste soooo good! ;-)

[Neverdull44]

Coffee.  I was yelled at by a coach for drinking coffee while I was skating.  She warned that my heart was working hard enough skating, and I didn't need to hype it up more.   It was about the time of Grinkov's untimely heart attack.   Today, I only bring water to the rink.  My tweenaged girl and her friend think Starbucks is cool.   So, I think it's a bad example for the skating tweens to see an adult drinking coffee.

As far as food, I am a big fan of a "Cliff Bar".  It's my "go to" snack/meal replacement when I am running to the rink on my lunch hour.  They are sold almost everywhere, and they taste the best of all the nutrition bars, in my opinion.  They have some carbs, but I need carbs to skate.   Bananas are great food too!

I love oatmeal.  I buy the regular type and just add boiling water to it.  I let it sit for a few minutes, add ground flax seeds and peanut butter.

I also love greek yogurt.  Add ground flax seed to it too.  Can be eaten very fast.

[slcbelle]

I drink my coffee before skating (right now, actually) and not on the ice.  On ice it's water or water with a tiny smidge of GNC protein powder.  Four years ago I bought boxes of Cliff bars at Costco for skiing and now I can't bear the taste of a Cliff bar.  I'm loving Gu for a really quick glucose pick up and PowerCrunch protein bars.

I'm finding oatmeal (Trader Joe's mixed grain) with banana, pecans, and a dash maple syrup is simplest and easily digestible.  I come home and have a green smoothie with protein.

[dlbritton]

I have a question about carbs (oatmeal/toast) vs. protein (bacon/eggs) for breakfast.

On ski mornings I generally eat a bowl of oatmeal along with a slice of toasted whole grain bread, lunch is a ham and cheese sandwich with a cup of yogurt or a banana. Some of the other instructors say I should eat more protein for breakfast and cut back on the carbs.

Since skating is also an intense physical activity I wonder what this groups opinion of carbs vs protein is.

[Cush]

I like to eat something balanced but more on the carb-rich side prior to doing a very aerobic workout. If I don't, I find I run out of energy too quickly. Plus something too heavy tends to get me upset when I start moving. However I pack in the proteins immediately after the workout to help repair my muscles. From what I read, this is a good way to do it.

[4711]

I am starving just reading what you have for breakfast.

I used to have a slice of bread or two, with honey or jelly, back in the day (it was also good rye mix bread, not white) plus tea, seldom coffee...
now I am happy when I remember to eat a banana and take my vitamins (with a big glass of water), along with that daily morning routine of coffee (cut way down to one cup, vs one pot a little while ago)

I enrolled in a gym a few month ago, with the goal of gaining muscles, not losing weight.
Needless to say, that routine did nothing for me. Just not enough fuel.

I read this workout book, making the most sense so far in terms of nutrition. Toss sensible amounts of carbs and protein in for maximum performance.
But I have to say, I could simply not eat what the author suggested: 5 egg whites plus one whole egg? That's more than what I can stomach, rather literally!
Not to mention I could probably not keep it down during skating.

The carb thing, you have to have the glucose in the muscle to perform, but not sugar so you crash later (yes I know, poor expression, glucose IS sugar)
So you want the complex carbs (like rolled oats) vs the sugar junk.

but you need to have proteins to build the muscles, after.

I have tried a couple of the bars, to supplement my nutrition, the excess sweetness made me feel sick. Same with protein shakes.
I wish they could come up with a non-weird way to make that stuff savory.


PS: if coffee makes you go, hold up on it til later. It's touch when it has become a ritual/habit, but it beats leaving the ice frequently.
coffee is not bad for you, if consumed in moderation.

I am still working on my diet...

[accordion]

I have a small food thermos. I put I serve of rolled oats then boiling water. I put my tea in my commuter cup, take a small tub of Greek yoghurt, pack the water & go. By the time I get to the rink I've drunk my tea & the porridge is perfectly ready to eat. It stays warm until my first break when I eat it. I eat the yoghurt after my skating is done.

So I guess that is simple carbs for energy & protein for recovery. The quantities are small as I am trying to lose weight.

[KateSkates]

I cook my oatmeal on the go too doing a similar thing minus the thermos. (Short drive, it stays warm enough in my Tupperware and I eat while warming up & putting on skates.) I also love banana and Greek yogurt. At the rink, I need tea if its a morning practice or I just can't take the cold.

[johnallocca]

In my professional opinion, one should avoid wheat or gluten before skating. Wheat and gluten have an effect on the brain and the body even if one is not allergic to wheat or gluten.

John