Real Food to Take on the Trail

As a runner, diet and nutrition are essential, both for good health and for peak performance. Proper nutrition can make or break a workout or race, and it impacts the rest of your day too.

As a coach, I talk about nutrition with runners regularly, usually covering two main topics. How much you need to eat, and what you need to consume during your run. I'll be clear, I'm no nutrition expert, there are many great dieticians and sports nutrition coaches out there, but I've learned a thing or two through the years through formal training and plain old experience chasing my running goals. I make sure to cover the basics with the athletes I work with. 

Runners are usually asking what to eat before, during, and after a workout. There is certainly a good amount of science about what to eat and when. But when looking at what and when to eat, I like to describe it as an experiment of one; you gotta try it to know if it works for you.

What and how much you can eat before and during a run is entirely individual. One person may have an iron stomach and can eat a giant bowl of pasta and head out the door, while another person may only be able to handle some liquid nutrition, and even that needs to be an hour before a workout. 

I believe the stomach can be trained just like any other system. I call it a muscle (cause it is), but your nervous system responses drive digestion, I dive into that a bit deeper in another blog post. If you are interested in dialing in how you fuel your runs, I encourage you to learn more about the nervous system and digestion. Some things that affect your digestion are as simple as slowing down and give your stomach time to digest or cooling yourself off if it's hot.

There are many options for fueling your run, packaged gels and powdered sports nutrition being popular options. It takes some time and a bit of trial and error to figure out what works for you. 

When you are thinking about fueling your runs, especially those long trail runs, don't forget to include real food options. It's a perfect time to test that stomach muscle to see what you will tolerate on race day. There are no limits to what you can take with you; it's just a matter of practicality and portability. 

Real Food To Run On

Here are some of my favorites.

Banana Bread

Baked goods are my weakness. Banana bread got me through the last portion of a 100 miler in much better spirits than I otherwise would have had. I like sturdy banana bread, and this one gets the job done with lots of good fats (from almond flour) and oats. 

I omit the egg to make it plant-based, and I use white flour since I'm not gluten-free.

Burritos

It's pretty hard to go wrong with refried beans and rice in a wrap. I have discovered if you fold it into a square, instead of rolling it into a burrito, it's easier to eat on the move. They are extra good in a race when you are rolling out of an aid station if your crew grills them up fresh for you!

Veggie Sushi

Pre-make those sushi rolls, and pre -soya sauce them. Avacado and sweet potato are my favorite. These are great on race day.

Boiled, salted potatoes

Yup, the typical aid station food. It's cheap, easy, surprisingly delicious, and simple to portion out into calorie-controlled portions.

Pancakes

Yes, pancakes. These might go into the baked goods category, but they are too delicious to leave out. Especially my buckwheat chocolate chip pancakes.

I don't eat gluten-free, but these pancakes are. Buckwheat a rice flour makes for easy digestion and keeps you fuller longer than plain ol Aunt Jemima, and they are pretty sturdy, so hold together well in your pack.

Fruit

Dried or fresh, try some fruit on your run. Dates and dried figs or apricots are delicious, easy pantry items to keep around. But don't forget seasonal fruit too, like apples or cherries. Bananas are a pretty great go-to for before or after the run, but they don't travel that well.

Sweet Potatoes

Mashed, with salt and maple syrup. Just try it.

Sandwiches

On a recent trip with Amanda, it was made very clear to me that if we were going out for a trail run that was over 3 hours, it is a requirement that sandwiches be packed. I'll leave that story for another day, but my go-to is a chickpea avocado sandwich on white bread (carry the filing and bread separately for best results).

What are your favorite foods to eat on the run? Let me know in the comments.