There's nothing worse on a long bike ride than your muscles giving out on you. One minute you're fine and the next your legs feel like lead weights and the pedals cement blocks you can't break free from. It teaches you very quickly the importance of eating enough and the energy your body can't live without.
There's a lot of great products bikers use that are specifically designed to replenish energy so we can keep going another 25 miles. The everyday 3pm energy slump is another matter. I always feel a little dip around then and instead of reaching for a giant cup of coffee or potato chips (which scientifically taste better from 3-4pm), I started looking around for a healthy snack that would give me the energy I need to make it to dinner, but also taste really good.
Most of the things I found that market themselves as energy snacks have tons of sugar, real or artificial, and a lot of calories. Luckily, when I was in Seattle this summer I stopped in a juice bar and found the best homemade energy bites ever. The owner was nice enough to share her recipe and voila! They're totally no-bake, great for an afternoon or post-workout snack and, I think, taste like coconut fudge. Here's the recipe, enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup dry oatmeal
2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix everything together and then chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Then roll into bite size balls or press into a pan and slice as you would brownies.
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