Reader Katie asks: Have you covered sticking to your nutrition plan? Ride weekends turn into trash panda weekends. That’s not really our intent, but it happens.
You are not alone! I’ll bet that if we took a survey of endurance riders (or jumpers or barrel racers or whatever), we’d find that falling off the nutritional wagon during equestrian events is as common as a pee spot on a gray horse.
This post covers five tips for keeping your nutrition on track during ride weekends.
1. Begin with Mindset
Before diving into specific strategies for keeping your nutrition on track during ride weekends, let’s consider why you want to do so in the first place. Approaching this issue with a clear reason and positive attitude will help you accomplish your goal.
Why do you want to keep your nutrition on track during ride weekends?
There is a possible wrong answer: Guilt. As I have said many times, including in the post How I Think About Food, food is not a moral issue. It’s not about right and wrong; it’s about choices and consequences.
You can reframe the “why” question this way: What are the consequences I want to get from my nutrition choices at this event?
Maybe you want to have the energy to support your horse through a difficult 50-miler. Or avoid afternoon brain fog. Or keep your momentum toward leaning out and building muscle. Or keep a medical condition under control.
Whatever it is, go into the ride weekend with a clear understanding of what you stand to gain from keeping your nutrition on track.
2. Make Your Desired Choices Easy
We all know how easy it is to snarf a tube of Pringles when the other option is to spend ten minutes preparing a healthful snack. A little planning and preparation can make it just as easy to keep your nutrition on track as to go off the rails. As you pack for the weekend, be sure to:
Leave the junk at home. You can’t reach for the peanut butter cups if they aren’t in your trailer. Pack what you really want to eat so you don’t have to fight temptation in your own ride camp space. (We’ll talk about navigating social meals shortly.)
Write a menu. You don’t need to plan every bite, but when your brain is overflowing with things to remember (Ride card! Electrolytes! Hoof boots! Water bottles! Advil!), it’s hard to concentrate on food choices. A simple list can help you remember that you prepared some veggies and hummus to go with that chicken wrap for lunch.
Prepare heat-and-eat dinners. Nobody wants to cook after a long day in the saddle, but we all want to eat! Instead of diving headfirst into the Oreos, make some meals ahead that can be ready as soon as you are. Your favorite chilis, stews, curries, hashes, and jambalayas are great for this.
No LQ? No problem! Check out my post on How to Assemble a Kickass Ride Camp Kitchen and you’ll be ready to whip up hot meals with ease.
Include some grab-and-go options. Sometimes, you need something quick and portable that suits your nutrition plan. Bonus points if they won’t get crushed in your saddle bag. (I like EPIC bars, UCAN bars, and Larabars.)
3. Plan to be Hungry (or Not)
Remember that your body will be working harder than usual over the ride weekend. Not only will you be engaged in extended physical activity, but you’ll be dealing with climactic conditions, a challenging sleeping environment, and some mental and emotional stress. (Be sure to check out How to Get Better Sleep in Ride Camp.)
All this can add up to a need for more calories. Even if you’re pursuing a leaner physique, ride weekends aren’t the ideal time to run a calorie deficit. Plan to eat plenty of healthful food to support your effort; failure to do so will set you up for undesirable choices as your body begins to crash.
Conversely, some people respond to busyness and nerves by shutting down their hunger response. However, you need fuel your body whether you feel like it or not. If this is you, focus on packing foods that your brain will register as special or attractive. For example, I sometimes bring along homemade pumpkin-coconut bars that are kind of like bar cookies, but are made with pumpkin puree and almond butter rather than flour and sugar.
4. Snack Strategically for Equestrian Endurance Riding
One of the best ways to avoid turning into a trash panda is to keep your fuel gauge topped up. If you never get to the point of feeling hangry or ravenous, the neighbor’s Goldfish stash will hold less appeal. Try this:
Include some fat and/or protein with your snacks. Carbs are great for fueling endurance efforts, and they tend to be both palatable and packable. However, they often tend to cause a spike-and-crash blood sugar effect. Combining carbs with fat and/or protein will give you more of a steady burn.
Eat before you’re really hungry. Frequent, small snacks are easier on a nervous, bouncing stomach than large meals. Plus, they’ll keep you from reaching that point of OMG I have to eat ALL THE THINGS NOW.
Snack before a social meal. If you’re planning to enjoy a potluck or other social dinner at the ride, but concerned that you’ll load your plate with croissants and key lime pie, eat something healthful (ideally protein) to take the edge off your hunger before you get in line.
For lots of ride-day fueling ideas, check out my post about What to Eat On an Endurance Ride.
5. Don't Let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good
Part of the joy of ride weekends is the opportunity to let your hair down a bit. You’re on vacation! It’s time to chill with friends and wallow in dirt, sweat, and horses!
Humans everywhere include food in nearly all celebrations and social events, and there’s value in partaking together. Here are some ways to balance revelry with reason:
Find “special” versions of foods that suit your nutritional preferences. For example, maybe on ride weekends you grab some of those Blue Diamond packs of flavored almonds instead of your usual handful of plain, raw nuts from the bulk bin. Perfectly clean eating? No…but a heck of a lot better than a mound of last year’s Halloween candy.
Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Just because you decided to enjoy the blue Otter Pop that ride management offered halfway through the long loop doesn’t mean you can’t resume healthful eating for the rest of the day.
Make a deal with yourself. For example, you’ll enjoy a couple beers to celebrate completion, but only after you’ve had a solid dose of electrolytes and some cold cuts with avocado.
Back to #1. Remember the Reward
Throughout the ride weekend, when you have food-related decisions to make, circle back to your why. Saying “no thanks” to the junk isn’t about avoiding something you want. It’s about choosing something you want more.
You’ve got this.
Is there a topic you’d like me to cover? I want to hear it! Shoot me an email at tamara@thesweatyequestrian.com or ping me on Facebook.
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I packed two trays of baklava to handle my sugar or low energy cravings at the last ride I went to. It was nice to be able to gift it out to friends too.
Ooooo, I love making baklava…but I only do it about every other year because it’s so time-consuming. Amazing idea for something I’d want to eat when I don’t feel like eating, but need to anyway.