BACK-POCKET ENERGY BITES
Cycle at your peak for longer thanks to these homemade snacks
“THANKS TO A MIXTURE OF FAST- AND SLOWRELEASING CARBS, THE EFFECTS WILL KICK IN FAST BUT LAST A LITTLE WHILE”
Running out of energy is a real possibility on longer rides of over 90 minutes, so it’s best to keep refuelling little and often (around every 30 minutes) to avoid hitting that metaphorical wall. While gels have their place, they can cause stomach issues and aren’t always that appealing. That’s where these mouth-watering homemade snacks come in. Just try not to eat them all in one go!
Banana and Apple Flapwiches (V) Sweet, gooey fruit sandwiched in a flapjack: what’s not to like?
Thanks to the mixture of fast- and slow-releasing carbohydrates in these, the effects will kick in fast but last a little while too.
Details
• Prep time: 10mins
• Cook time: 25mins
• Makes 9 in a 20 x 20cm square cake tin
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g unsalted butter
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 tbsps demerara sugar
• 150g jumbo rolled oats
• 2 tbsps wholemeal spelt flour
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 small apple, cored and very thinly sliced
• 1 large, ripe banana, peeled and mashed
Method
01 Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
02 Gently melt the butter and syrup in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the orange zest, sugar, oats, flour and spices. Stir to combine.
03 Spread half the mixture onto the base of the tin. Carefully spread over the banana, then layer the apple slices on top.
04 Spread the final half of the flapjack mixture over the top to completely cover the fruit.
05 Bake in the oven for 25-30mins, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place tin on a wire rack. Leave to cool, cut into portions. Wrap in foil.
Nutritional info (per slice)
• 206 kcals • 10.6g fat • 6g saturates • 24g carbs • 10.3g sugars • 2g fibre • 2.7g protein • 0.02g salt Key ingredient Spelt flour A subspecies of wheat, spelt has a nuttier flavour and contains a little more protein and fat and a little less fibre. Like wheat, it also contains gluten. It’s particularly rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and niacin (vitamin B3) and is an excellent source of carbohydrate.