Snack Time For Less Than 200…

The sports nutrition market is filled with bars designed for energy and recovery, but what if you just want a snack? Enter these four bars—all less than 200 calories—designed to be eaten in between workouts, at your desk or anytime your taste buds need a little pick-me-up. ProBar Halo $1.59 ProBar recently released its line of Halo bars, all dessert-y flavors, such as rocky road and nutty marshmallow, and all 150–160 calories. Triathlete editors sampled the honey graham flavor, and we tasted more honey than graham. Yet the bars are great for you: They’re certified organic, vegan and have a healthy dose of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Theprobar.com

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Snack Time For Less Than 200…

TriathlEats: Orzo And Wild…

Private chef Doug Ruddle of Memphis, Tenn., shares a simple, versatile side dish perfect for winter. Orzo and Wild Rice with Dried Fruit Chef Ruddle says this dish goes well with fish, pork, chicken or beef, and can be served cold or warm, making it extremely versatile. He says you can also substitute your favorite dried fruits instead of the cherries or currants. Plus, it couldn’t be simpler to make. Ingredients 2 cups orzo pasta 1 cup wild rice 1 red bell pepper, diced small 1 yellow bell pepper, diced small 10 oz slivered almonds, toasted 8 oz currants 8 oz dried cherries, roughly chopped 3 T balsamic vinegar 1 T olive oil ¼ cup brown sugar Salt and pepper to taste Directions Cook orzo and wild rice according to package directions. To toast almonds, bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes or until a light golden brown. Drain orzo and toss with olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. The recipe is best if left to marinate for a couple of hours. Meet the Chef Six years ago, Doug Ruddle left behind a 25-year career at FedEx to pursue his love of cooking. He attended the Memphis Culinary Academy and now owns Chef’s Palette, a catering and personal chef company. He teaches cooking classes at health clubs and gourmet kitchen stores like Williams-Sonoma. In addition to his cooking, Ruddle is also the vice president of operations for Start 2 Finish Event Management, which puts on races such as the Memphis in May Triathlon, and he coaches high-school girls’ cross-country and track and field teams. It’s his coaching that helps him train for triathlon. “It all fits together really well,” he says. “I run with my cross-country team, so that helps me manage my time better.” Ruddle has raced everything from sprint races to the half-iron distance, although he says the Olympic distance suits him best. He started racing in the mid-’90s in an attempt to lose weight, and ended up as a USA Triathlon All-American in 1994 and 1995. His favorite race was the Age Group World Championship in Honolulu, Hawaii. Despite living in landlocked Memphis, Tenn., his favorite cuisine to cook is seafood. “I love everything about the ocean, so I love to cook seafood dishes,” he says (he prefers grilling or sautéing). To get the freshest fish, though, “I’ll order it online and have it shipped overnight.”

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TriathlEats: Orzo And Wild…

How Do I Choose The Right…

Photo: Jon Davis Staying hydrated is the greatest concern for an endurance athlete looking to optimize performance, so it’s important to find a drink that works for you. Here are my recommendations for different fueling needs. Heavy/salty sweater? Do your workout clothes end up crusted with salt? All sports drinks contain some sodium and electrolytes, but think about supplementing with a little extra (note: adding too much makes the drink unpalatably salty). Also experiment with salt supplements and/or include salty foods as part of a pre-race or mid-race fuel. Try: Clif Shot Electrolyte or E Load endurance drink for their higher-than-average sodium plus other electrolytes; Nathan Catalyst or Nuun (when fuel needs are low but electrolyte needs high).

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Video: How To Avoid GI…

In this video, Dr Bob Sallis explains the causes of gastrointestinal problems during exercise and how to avoid them. More videos from Triathlete.com.

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Video: How To Avoid GI…

A Caffeine Jolt With Your Salt…

SaltStick, the company behind the electrolyte dispenser that can mount on your bike or fit inside your handlebars, recently released SaltStick Caps Plus, an electrolyte supplement with 30 mg of caffeine. The vegetarian supplement has key electrolytes, plus vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption. If you find that popping pills is tricky while riding or running, the capsule contents can be fully dissolved in liquid—even in water—and have an extremely mild taste. $29.95, Saltstick.com RELATED VIDEO: Nailing Your Nutrition Plan

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A Caffeine Jolt With Your Salt…

Video: Nailing Your Nutrition…

Dr. Bob Sallis helps you create the ideal nutrition plan.

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Video: Nailing Your Nutrition…

Meet Private Chef And Xterra…

Private Chef Jessica Cerra draws inspiration for recipes from all around her. “I watch a lot of cooking and travel shows, read magazines, eat out,” she says. “Pretty much any time I taste or see something, I know the spin I’m going to put on it, or how I’m going to make it healthier.” Besides managing her business, Fit Food by Jess, which includes personal chef service, catering and in-home meal preparation, she’s also a pro Xterra triathlete and a Cat. 1 mountain bike racer, so she eats plenty of calories for her own training. “I just love to eat. I’m always hungry, I’m always training,” she says. In 2008, while getting her master’s degree in exercise physiology from San Diego State University, and after joining a mountain biking team, Cerra was talked into off-road triathlon by her professor, Simon Marshall, Ph.D., a sports psychologist married to Scottish pro triathlete Lesley Paterson. “I didn’t know how to swim,” she says. “He introduced me to Lesley, who taught me. Two months later I did my first race—I came in second and qualified for worlds.” In 2010, Cerra won the national championship for amateur women, giving her the opportunity to get her pro card for the 2011 season. “I knew I was going to be at the bottom of the totem pole,” she says. “I’m lucky if I can stay in the back pack of the pro women’s race.” She improved over the season, though—she raced five of the six Xterra regional championships in 2011, and finished on the podium at the Xterra East Coast Championship in Richmond, Va. And she’s got high hopes for her racing. “I think I’m the least experienced by like five years,” she says. “My goal is to hopefully be part of the next generation of Xterra for the pro women.” Cerra credits her training with helping her get through her demanding work. “Most people want their food in the beginning of the week, so I know that Mondays and Tuesdays are going to be a heavy cooking day,” she says. “I feel like the training is what gives me the energy to get through the day and has given me a lot of stamina for cooking like that.” Despite not having much formal training as a chef, she’s quickly been able to turn it into a successful and fulfilling career. “At first I was afraid the food would be too simple, and it ended up being what everyone really enjoyed about it,” she says. Cerra describes her culinary style as “no frills, no trends, just taking what’s in season [and making] hearty, healthy food. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be organic and you spend $200 at the farmers’ market.”

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Meet Private Chef And Xterra…

Everything You Need To Know…

How they work, as well as why, when and how to use them. It wasn’t long ago that runners relied solely on water, sports drinks, and maybe some flat cola as their primary carbohydrate supplement during longer races such as half marathons and marathons. Luckily, our understanding of sports nutrition (specifically how glycogen is used during the marathon) has improved to the point that we now have a plethora of products to choose from, each designed to speed glycogen to our working muscles. The problem these days is not in finding a glycogen delivery product, but rather in sorting through the myriad of possible choices and then developing a strategic nutrition strategy to ensure optimal fueling on race day. In this article we outline how energy gels and other carbohydrate supplements work and help you understand when–and how often–you should be taking them to ensure maximum performance and optimal fueling on race day.

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Everything You Need To Know…

Make Your Own Granola Bar

This decadent granola bar comes from Josh Allen, the owner of Companion Café in St. Louis, Mo. The combo of chocolate chips, cranberries, nuts and seeds is the perfect fuel before a long ride. Ingredients Granola filling ½ cup sugar, granulated 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed ½ tsp sea salt 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened 1/8 cup honey 1 T vanilla 1 egg, large ½ cup cake flour 1 T milk ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, roasted 1/3 cup sunflower seeds ½ cup chocolate chips ½ cup pecans, small pieces ¼ cup dried cranberries Granola bar base 1 ¼ cup brown sugar, packed 3 sticks unsalted butter 1 T honey 1 tsp sea salt 4 ½ cups rolled oats 2 cups all-purpose flour Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees (conventional) or 325 degrees (convection). For filling: Blend at low speed the sugar, brown sugar, salt, butter, honey and vanilla for 1 minute. Add the egg and blend for another 30 seconds. Scrape bowl and beater. Add cake flour and milk and mix for 1 minute. Add the seeds, chips, nuts and cranberries and blend to evenly distribute. Set aside in small bowl. For bar base: Cream at medium speed the brown sugar, butter, honey and salt to a light consistency (2-3 minutes). Adding oats and flour gradually, blend to a crumb-like consistency on low speed. Don’t overmix. Lightly spray a 9

Two Superstar Foods You’ve…

Learn the benefits of adding beetroot juice and freekeh (aka roasted green grains) to your diet. Is Beetroot Juice a Magic Elixir? Photo: Nils Nilsen Drinking beetroot juice may help improve your cycling performance according to a recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise . In the study, the juice helped male cyclists ride an amazing 2.8 percent faster over 4K and 16K time trials. Researchers randomly selected athletes to drink 0.5L of beetroot juice (an excellent source of nitrates), while others took a placebo without nitrates immediately before performing a simulated time trial. The athletes who drank the beetroot increased cycling power output by 2.8 percent compared to a previous time trial performed at the same VO₂max. Nitrate blood levels nearly doubled after drinking the juice, which reduced the oxygen cost of exercising muscles and allowed for higher power values. This is not the first study to show that nitrates improve athletic performance. Previous studies showed that nitrate supplementation reduced the “steady-state” oxygen cost of submaximal exercise by 5 percent and increased the period of time to exhaustion for high-intensity cycling by 15 percent. Where to find nitrates: Nitrates are not just found in beets (note: Be cautious of drinking too much beetroot juice—some athletes have reported that excessive amounts can cause GI distress). You can also get them from celery, lettuce, radishes, spinach and many other vegetables. //Melanie McQuaid Get Your Freekeh On You may never have heard of freekeh (aka roasted green grains) but the super food has been around the Middle East for centuries. Why you should try it: Freekeh contains more protein, vitamins and minerals than mature whole wheat and most other grains, it’s high in fiber, low in starch and fat and it’s even a source of beneficial prebiotics, promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the digestive system. What it tastes like: It has a firm, nutty texture and a rich, slightly smoky flavor. How to use it: You can cook it on its own, simply seasoned and drizzled with olive oil, or use it to replace barley, pasta or potatoes. The simplest way to cook freekeh is to use the absorption method (similar to cooking rice) or steam it in the microwave. Or try one of these ideas: For breakfast, create an oatmeal-like concoction by adding dried and fresh fruits, a little juice or yogurt and some nuts and cinnamon to cooked grains. Form veggie burger patties of cooked grains, beaten egg and chopped herbs and spices. Add it to soups and stews in place of barley or potatoes. Make a summer pilaf —add chopped fresh vegetables (such as tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped carrot), herbs (mint, parsley) and plenty of good-quality olive oil to cooked and cooled grains. Use in place of rice to make a hot risotto . Find freekeh in the natural food section of your grocery store, typically in a brown box near rice and other grains. For cooking tips, recipes and recommendations for where to buy, check out Freekehlicious.com .   //Pip Taylor

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Two Superstar Foods You’ve…