8 time-saving tips

Chef Alan Murchison’s top advice for cutting labour time in the kitchen to maximise time on the bike

Buy packs of pre-cooked rice, noodles and quinoa. This is an effective way of getting in good-quality carbs with minimal effort.

Buy tins of cooked pulses — a very convenient form of protein, they are readily available and can be added to all kinds of different dishes.

Eggs are a cyclist’s best friend. Any number of simple dishes can be knocked-up quickly and simply using eggs as a base: omelettes, poached or scrambled — all good ways of getting some much-needed post-ride protein. Personally, I keep my eggs in the fridge, and always go for free-range.

Invest in a decent non-stick pan. This will make cooking simple things like omelettes and pancakes much easier. Larger Tesco stores do a really good-quality range of pans that are great value.

Be a tosser. Pancakes, sweet or savoury, are the perfect post-ride snack. The pancake batter can be made up pre-ride and then it’s just a quick and easy meal in no time. For maximum simplicity, a jam and nut butter pancake post-ride is hard to beat.

Whenever possible, try to align your training and your post-ride meal. A little thought will make your life a lot easier. If you want to take it more seriously, enter your food plan into Training Peaks.

Shop-bought pesto makes a great base for simple pasta dishes. Grilled chicken and pasta with broccoli and fresh pesto is a perfect meal for a time-pressed cyclist.

Pre-chopped so-called ‘lazy’ garlic, chilli, ginger and the like are a very time-efficient way of getting flavour into simple meals with minimal effort.