Waffle-y Fast: Pre-Ride Breakfast

Keep calm and waffle on

Setting yourself up for success means nutrition, in a big way. The food you eat the night before your ride will be in your system the next day—so make sure to eat a healthy dinner with a variety of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and plant-based protein.

On the day of your ride, having a good meal approximately two hours beforehand will help top up your glycogen stores, so that you can set off on your ride with a full tank of fuel. This Zesty waffle recipe is a nice treat to add to your morning pre-ride breakfast routine.

Gluten-free & Vegan Power

This recipe calls for somewhat of an unknown ingredient to many, Amaranth flour. This gluten-free ancient grain is rich in digestion-aiding fibre and muscle-repairing protein, as well as many important micronutrients. In particular, amaranth is a good source of free-radical fighting and brain-boosting manganese, recovery-accelerating magnesium, bone-building phosphorus, blood-boosting iron, and disease-fighting antioxidants.

Amaranth contains 9 grams of protein per one-cup serving, and its amino acid profile is as close to perfect as you can get for a protein source. Some studies have shown that amaranth also contains beneficial omega-3s and may help reduce blood pressure—giving you even more of a nutritional bang for your buck!

One cup of cooked amaranth contains the following nutrients:

• Calories: 251
• Protein: 9.3 grams
• Carbs: 46 grams
• Fat: 5.2 grams
• Manganese: 105% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 40% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 36% of the RDI
• Iron: 29% of the RDI
• Selenium: 19% of the RDI
• Copper: 18% of the RDI

Almond Flour – Full of muscle-repairing protein, energy-boosting Riboflavin and Vitamin B2, free radical fighting antioxidants and blood sugar and blood pressure stabilizing magnesium.

Flax Seeds – Contain a large amount of recovery-enhancing manganese, inflammation-reducing Omega-3 and energy-boosting Magnesium.

Banana– Bananas are high in heart rate and blood pressure stabilizing potassium. Rich in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals (not the tubular kind of radical.)

Cinnamon – Cinnamon is known to promote heart health and eyesight through beneficial antioxidants, it’s been found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria, and its anti-inflammatory compounds help relieve pain and stiffness of muscles and joints due to arthritis.

Nutmeg – Nutmeg contains tissue-forming manganese, organ and tissue supporting copper, recovery-accelerating magnesium and disease-preventing phytochemicals.

Walnuts – Full of healthy fat, Walnuts have Bone-strengthening ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid), blood flow improving amino acids, disease-fighting Vitamin-E and free-radical fighting manganese and copper.

Pink Himalayan Salt – Containing at least 84 naturally occurring trace elements in their natural mineral form, the benefits of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt range from Regulating the water content throughout your body and promoting healthy pH balance in your cells to preventing muscle cramping and aiding in proper metabolism functioning.