Every year, the 5th grade class at the school my kids attend does a week-long, 300+ mile bike ride from Yuma, AZ, to the beach in Carlsbad, CA. I did this with them a couple of years ago, and I’m preparing to do it again this year. Last time, they had a stop set up every 2.5 hours or so in order for the kids to take a break and get some food. The snacks that were provided consisted of crackers, fruit snacks, trail mix, granola bars, even cookies, and a bit of fresh fruit.
The meals they provided are pretty typical for what you’d expect a school to feed 5th graders. At the time, I knew the food was less than healthy, but being in the middle of nowhere much of the time, I didn’t exactly have a lot of alternatives. By the end of the week, despite working myself to near exhaustion every day, and trying to make healthy choices, I’d gained 5 pounds. I’d like to avoid that this year.
I know my way around the nutrition needed to build strength and muscle, and how to lose fat, but I’m kind of at a loss here. What kinds of food should I be looking for to keep my energy levels up for prolonged periods over several days?