The passion for trail running and the joy of eating every step of the way come together! Whether you're just starting out with trail running or are already a seasoned ultra runner, proper nutrition plays a crucial role in boosting your performance and enjoying your adventures on the trails. In this post, we share a diverse selection of recipes designed specifically for trail runners that not only provide the energy you need, but are also easy to digest and easy to take with you so you can fully focus on your running adventure.
When creating these recipes, we wanted a mix of sweet and savory, and both fast (high), and moderate GI (Glycemic Index).
Always better to snack little and often, so your stomach doesn’t get as full.
The below recipes are also easy and cheap to create at home, and can be adapted to various locations if you’re away on a trail running vacation.
Ingredients: Makes 9 jellies
300 g watermelon
50 ml water
50 g dried hibiscus flowers
10 g sachet gelatin powder
Methods:
Soak the hibiscus flowers in the water overnight.
Remove the flowers, then gently heat the water.
Pour the gelatin powder into the warm water and stir until the powder is completely dissolved.
Purée the watermelon.
Add the purée to the gelatin water and mix well.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Remove from the heat.
Pour into silicone ice cube trays and refrigerate until firm.
Store the jellies in a small reusable zip-lock bag or beeswax wrap.
Ingredients: Makes 1 liter
1 apple, cored and halved
150 g butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cubed.
50 g oat flour
50 g live yogurt
400 ml water
Method:
Heat oven to 200°c
Place the apple and pumpkin on a baking sheet, cook until soft and sticky.
Purée until smooth.
Add the oat flour, yogurt and water.
Purée again.
Store in the fridge or freezer until needed.
When needed, decant into your soft flask.
Will keep in the fridge for 2 days or 3 months in the freezer.
Remember to date if storing in the freezer.
Ingredients: Makes 2 medium pancakes
100 g oats
100 g chickpea flour
1 egg
Pinch salt
100 ml water
50 g mushrooms cleaned and finely chopped
1 green pepper
Method:
Purée the oats until you have a fine flour.
Combine the oat flour, chickpea flour, egg, water and salt together until you create a smooth batter.
Cook the mushrooms in a pan and set to one side.
Grill the pepper and then chop finely.
Add a little oil to the pan.
Pour half the pancake mix into the pan.
Add 1/2 the mushrooms and 1/2 the pepper.
When one side of the pancake is cooked, flip and cook the other side.
Repeat with the remainder of the ingredients.
Cut into pieces and store in a beeswax wrap.
Will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
Ingredients: Makes 3 small pancakes
100 g oats
100 g mix of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
1 egg
Pinch salt
100 ml water
1 apple, finely chopped
50g cured jamon, or other cured ham, pulled into small pieces
Method:
Purée the oats until you have a fine flour.
Purée the seeds until fine.
Mix the oat flour, seeds, egg, water and salt together until you have a smooth batter.
Add a little oil to the pan.
Pour a third of the pancake mix into the pan.
Add a third of the apple and jamon to the batter.
When one side of the pancake is cooked, flip and cook the other side.
Repeat with the remainder of the ingredients.
Cut into pieces and store in a beeswax wrap.
Will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
When it comes to running hour after hour for training, for fun, or in a competition, you need fuel that’s easy to absorb, doesn’t fill your stomach too much, is fast acting – and is also easy to access from your vest.
That’s why we have created the following recipes.
The additional advantage of creating your own gels/jellies, is that you can tweak them to suit your taste and minimize costs.
Ingredients: Makes 200 ml
200 g papaya, peeled and deseeded
Juice and zest of ½ orange
Method:
Purée the papaya, then add the orange juice and zest to the purée.
Decant into reusable gel bottles.
Gels will keep for 3 days in the fridge or for 3 months in the freezer.
Remember to date them if storing in the freezer.
Ingredients: Makes 300 ml (approx.)
1 ripe mango, peeled and stoned
1 ripe plantain (substitute with banana if not available)
Method:
Purée the mango and plantain.
Decant into reusable gel bottles.
Gels will keep for 3 days in the fridge or for 3 months in the freezer.
Remember to date them if storing in the freezer.
Ingredients: Makes 9 jellies
2 ripe peaches - stoned
Juice and zest of 1 lime
50 ml water (warm)
10 g sachet gelatin powder
Method:
Pour the gelatin powder into a small pan and add the warm water.
Stir until the powder is completely dissolved.
Purée the peaches.
Add the purée and lime to the gelatin water and combine well.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Remove from the heat.
Pour into silicone ice cube trays and refrigerate until firm.
Store the jellies in a small reusable zip-lock bag or beeswax wrap.
Ingredients:
300 g ripe watermelon with the rind cut off
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp sea salt
400 ml water
Method:
Purée the watermelon.
Add the salt, water and lime juice.
Purée again.
Strain through a sieve.
Store in the fridge until needed.
Will keep for 2 days in the fridge.