Monthly Archives: August 2015

gluten-free egg-free vegan vanilla custard

Vegan Vanilla Custard – a low saturated fat, egg and gluten-free custard

This is a simple, delicious vanilla custard that doesn’t require the traditional egg yolk or cream. It is gluten free and egg free and low in sugar. What’s even better, it can be adjusted to suite people with a soya intolerance by simply switching the soya milk used in this recipe with your dairy milk alternative of your choice. I enjoy this custard with wintery baked fruit desserts as well as with fresh spring and summery fruit such as strawberries or peaches. It is lovely when used as a base for creamy chilled desserts like in the featured ‘peachy fools’ at the end of this post. read more

healthy homemade energy bar

Race Biscuits – Healthy Homemade Energy Bar Alternative

Healthy homemade energy bar for runners have been the subject of some of my latest posts. I’ve also reviewed some that were featured in a recent Runner’s World article. Today I want to share a recipe with you for a high energy fuel snack perfect for your post run recovery. They are made with high protein egg whites and nuts as well as unrefined brown sugar for quick release carbohydrates. I really like these because next to the protein for tissue repair after a long run your body gets instant fuel instead of having to break down complex carbohydrates. There is a lot of research that suggest to refuel with exactly those to things immediately after a race. Any complex carbohydrates take too long to break down in the initial post run phase (you can read more about refuelling after exercising here). read more

Great Energy Bar for Runners

Great Energy Bar – El Guapo’s recipe put to the test

Recipe for Runners

As a long distance runner you have to figure out what to eat when you let’s say set out on a long trail run in the forest, down a quiet country lane,  run around the blocks in your neighbourhood or in a city park where you live. You need to replenish your energy stores if you want to be able to sustain training for a long period of time. That’s usually about 3/4 hour to an hour before I personally start to notice that my energy is dropping off. It means my body has used up it’s stored sugars and is starting to fatigue. At that point I need to refuel. Fast. It means my body needs sugar that is easily absorbed. read more

recipes for runners

Recipe for a Spread – Vegan Homemade Almond Butter

Recipes for Runners – Make Almond Butter as Part of a Fuel Snack:

If you do a lot of cardiovascular exercising, this is a good recipe to have. Almond butter can be part of a nice before workout fuel as it contains a lot of protein. Plus the fats in almonds are healthy fats. Simply spread it on a slice of homemade bread, add some banana and honey and you have a simple energy food for your 1 hr plus workout provided you eat it about 30-60 min before you run.

Why Homemade Almond Butter is so much better:

Homemade almond butter is probably one of the tastiest, healthiest choices for a nut spread for your toast. When you make your own nut butter you know what’s in your butter. In this recipe that is natural almonds. Period. Nothing else. In this nut butter there are no fillers, no salt, no trans-fats, no cheap fats or preservatives – all things you will find in many store bought products. And you might not think it, but it is really, really easy to make! Simply follow the recipe below. Once you’ve made your first batch you will ask yourself why you’ve ever bought any nut butter in a store. read more

homemade energy bars for runners

Reviewing Runner’s World Homemade Energy Bars for Runners

I was intrigued by the Runner’s World article on diy or  homemade energy bars for runners which featured the recipes of four professional chefs who also run. In the article they shared the recipes for their own, as they say, perfect fuel snack. I decided to investigate them to see if they are compatible for people who avoid trans-fats and eat a low saturated fat diet that is both gluten and dairy free.

The first featured chef in the article is Dennis Marron from Pittsburgh. For him taste, texture and sustained energy are the important features of an excellent energy bar. His personal best homemade power bar contains steel-cut oats, dried apricots, dried cherries, goji berries, unsweetened shredded coconut, hemp seeds, blanched almonds, non-fat dried milk powder, toasted wheat germ, semi-sweet chocolate baking chips, agave syrup, honey, turbinado sugar, chunky peanut butter, orange and zest and orange extract. read more