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As I know that you are all athletes is the peak of your careers, I thought ask you a question.
I volunteer for the RNLI - when we have call outs, they are known as “shouts”. These can last between 1 hr and maybe 9 - 10 hours in the ALB(All Weather Lifeboat) and 30 mins to 3 hrs in the ILB (Inshore Lifeboat). Obviously Lifeboats are not equipped with a Meghan Markle / Jamie Oliver kitchens. Basically there is a hot water urn. And that is it. The ILB has nothing. Nutrition on long shouts is provided by pot noodles/ mini cheddars / Kit Kats.
This is far from ideal where folks may be being asked to perform in terrible conditions with some difficult issues and complex challenges to deal with - and perhaps over a long period of time.
People who are nutritionally in deficit don’t make decisions as well as they can.
One of our volunteers has been looking into this, and with my food industry head one we are pushing this more towards granola bars, flapjacks etc for slow energy release but with a quick energy hit.
I have also suggested that the boat carrys glucose tablets and energy gels, as well as haribo and jelly babies!
I had a look at the hip and groovy cycling products - and the per use cost of the items is prohibitive.
For all of you performance athletes - I want something that is compact, water proof, lightish, high value nutrition/ energy and with long shelf life. And the ability to be undone with cold hands.
Any suggestions?
high value nutrition/ energy
Hang on. I'm not convinced these are the same thing. If you want high energy then as you already said, Jelly Babies is pretty perfect for your requirements.
If you want high nutrition then you're going to get in conflict with your non prohibitive cost stipulation.
I'm very into VeloForte bars at present, which are delicious and full of all sorts of hutricious natural ingredients....
But they're £60 for a ( not huge) taster box ...
Soreen Loaf, thickly buttered
Err....
long shelf life
I regularly do 200 and 300km audax rides and am not fast so these can take up to 18 hours for a longer ride.
We sometimes stop at cafes but I can have trouble with digesting solid food so I have started buying Huel bottles from supermarkets or service stations. These give 400 calories and are supposed to be nutritionally complete so might be worth considering.
They are normally drunk chilled so might not be great comfort food on a stormy shout.
Have a read of the link below.
https://uk.huel.com/pages/about-us
It might be worth contacting them and asking for some trial products. It could be a great marketing opportunity for them to get involved with the RNLI.
Hope this is useful and much respect to you and your shipmates for what you do.
In my trailquesting days (up to 7hr on the bike) I survived solely on Kellogs Nutri-Grain Bars and High5 Orange Energy Drink (which is a powder so can be mixed as needed).
Re the nutrition - I should have been more specific. It is to cope with the short term nutritional needs - so energy needed but not just the mega quick glucose hit. There needs to be some sort of sustainability and longer term "energy" release. It doesn't have to be to be balanced nutrition / high fibre/ calorie perfect.
Effectively it is to stop the low ebb/ reduced decision making that comes with fatigue.
Soreen malt loaf fails on just about every one of those parameters.
I have just suggested the Hi5 gels and drinks ( but ready mixed , shelf stable would be better)- so I am on the right lines.In my trailquesting days (up to 7hr on the bike) I survived solely on Kellogs Nutri-Grain Bars and High5 Orange Energy Drink (which is a powder so can be mixed as needed).
It also has to be cost effective
They're £2-3 each but would the Huel meals in pots or bags (pasta Bolognese, chilli, Thai green curry etc) be a better option than a pot noodle? They're similar calories though (400ish) and I would have thought a couple of pot noodles each would actually be pretty good slow release fuel for that very specific situation.
Off to investigateThey're £2-3 each but would the Huel meals in pots or bags (pasta Bolognese, chilli, Thai green curry etc) be a better option than a pot noodle? They're similar calories though (400ish) and I would have thought a couple of pot noodles each would actually be pretty good slow release fuel for that very specific situation.
Tesco jelly babies 250g for £1.10, tasty too!
Ring pull opened tins of soup, spaghetti hoops etc to eat cold out of tin?
Access to drinking water, plastic bowls and spoons on boat? If so, oats and dried mixed fruit?
Peanuts?
Bombay Mix or similar?
Can't think what they're called now, but you can get packs of tasty wholemeal dry rolls that last ages, maybe to have with jam/marmalade/marmite etc?
For longer events I've made my own rice cakes, with pancetta, egg, soy sauce and parmesan. They're not too dry, tasty (think Carbonara) and have a nice mix of slower- release energy. They only keep a couple of days though so I don't think they might work for your more ad hoc callout stuff. Some long distance runners swear by roast potatoes.
I'd probably go for flapjack/granola bar stuff as one option. Not going to be perfect but isn't pure sugar, gives you energy and makes you feel like you've eaten something.
I like the ones Chia Charge make. Eat them on long steady rides but also when travelling when you want something more substantial.
I've seen these but no experience. https://realmeal.co.uk/
Perhaps, bars with a bit of protein in them might help with feeling full like you've eaten something.
Huel seems like a good option but a liquid diet would not work for me
Then I'm trying to thing what I take away camping. I can normally find a pub or food stall but will always have something just in case the offerings are non existent.
Things like this I find ok, although it you are working hard you'd need 2 to even approach a sensible meal.
https://www.john-west.co.uk/products/range/on-the-go-super-salad/
I wonder if there are other camping options that could work - hiking food - simple, maybe slightly better than a pot noodle.
Smash potato and stuffing mix. Add boiling water. Shovel.
Flapjack is 100% the answer here. I assume you're looking for something prepackaged for a long shelf life? I buy the Higates ones from Home Bargains that are 50p or something. They're pretty ultra processed (but anything with a long shelf life is probably going to be) so I try and use homemade flapjack and other real food when I have the time, but it's handy having a box in the cupboard for the other times. They're 4-500 calories each IIRC and pretty filling. I'm sure there are a range of options of varying quality/price if you shop around, especially buying in bulk from a wholesaler, but that's what I'd be looking for.
Mcvities Genuine Jamaican Ginger Cake has always been one of our favourites, with Golden Syrup Cake for the occasional bit of variety. Easy to eat, long shelf life. Nicer than Soreen (YMMV) but basically similar. Doesn't need buttering though that would be even better (at the cost of additional faff).
Mixed nuts and raisins.
Those dry rolls, are KrispRolls, a Swedish thing by the looks of it. The 225g pack delivered this week has a BBE date of end April '26.
Jerky or biltong
For a quick, long shelf and cheap option jelly cubes are a good choice. A packet fits easily into your pocket also so can be eaten as you ride or in your case work. If you have access to a tin opener and spoons tins of rice pudding will give you a longer energy hit.
Mcvities Genuine Jamaican Ginger Cake has always been one of our favourites, with Golden Syrup Cake for the occasional bit of variety. Easy to eat, long shelf life. Nicer than Soreen (YMMV) but basically similar. Doesn't need buttering though that would be even better (at the cost of additional faff).
The problem with this isea is you'll go to it when you need it then remember you tanned it on the way back from the shop.
Thanks all - I can’t seem to leave individual thanks, so some great suggestions there (other than the tuna). Off to mull over some of the suggestions. I will let you know.
Thanks again
There's a pretty varied mix above... but some simple criteria - do you want hot or cold? OK to rehydrate? YOu want to buy or make?
Ham and pease pudding sandwich,toasted and with lashings of mustard.
I'd be really careful around allergies - make sure anything with nuts etc is well-labelled or just not included.
Personally, I could live 10 years on oats and peanut butter alone, but the last thing i'd want to be dealing with is a crew member having an anaphylactic reaction in the middle of a rescue!
Fig rolls.
I wonder if it'd be worth approaching a nutrition specialist company directly with your situation. You might find they could help/tailor something directly for your application.
A quick note on Huel. Some people (like me) really can’t stand anything with artificial sweetener in it. So Bol (or some other meal replacement drinks that don’t have sweeteners) might have wider appeal.
On longish (5-8 hour) trail runs I’ve recently discovered Gu gels, which are a bit more solid than your average energy gel.
Neither look cheap at retail prices, but this has to be a marketing opportunity. Loads of free gels in return for being able to put “as used by the RNLI” on the packet.
I have also suggested that the boat carrys glucose tablets and energy gels, as well as haribo and jelly babies!
The perfect way to provoke an insulin spike which will produce a blood sugar drop, tiredness and fatigue.
Much better to fuel regularly with lower glycemic index foods.
Eating too much in one go also makes you tired as blood is diverted to the stomach during digestion.
A high level of fat in quite sugary foods drops the glycemic index so chocolate and fatty cakes are better than low-fat sugary biscuits.
When racing ironman distance events I had little sandwichs, bananas, fatty almond cake things... .
In those conditions I would go for a combo of energy bars, Soreen and savoury nuts (fat = warmth) in small packets. Soreen dipped in peanut butter?
I'd avoid gels, they're meant for intense effort levels and can be bad for the stomach, not what you want to risk with people not used to them.
pot noodles/ mini cheddars / Kit Kats.
Chocolate bars are ok in moderation but Pot Noodle is a faff for little energy/calorie value and Mini Cheddars are junk. Either could supplement something more energy-sustaining though and warm stuff must be good to have.
I wonder if it'd be worth approaching a nutrition specialist company directly with your situation. You might find they could help/tailor something directly for your application.
This, and this -
in return for being able to put “as used by the RNLI” on the packet.
Flap-jacks, sandwhiches and pot noodles etc. are fine. I wouldn't worry about nutrition unless you're doing these extended shouts every day. I appreciate you're out for long periods of time in rough conditions, but its not extended periods of high exertion.
Sorry if it feels like I'm underplaying your valiant efforts but I don't think this needs high-end sports nutrition applied to it. A lot of people that do 24 hour endurance events at medium level intensity stick to food that they are happy to eat all day long, variety in taste, high carbs and won't cause GI distress.
Jelly babies are good for a very quick fix but don't last... probably done in under 10 minutes...so grab a handful but also have something else like a granola or muesli bar so you get long lasting energy as well.
I may try making my own flapjacks as I'm really needing to sort my food out whilst biking.
Rice pudding pots - the non-chilled ones as they have longer life.
I'd agree with the basic and cheap approach, you don't need sports nutrition for this. Granola bars, cheap flapjacks. Good points on avoiding pure sugar too.
I have a feeling you may have rules about nuts and other common allergens so you'll need to check. I'm guessing the last thing you need is crew or rescuee going into anaphylaxis.
Being mindful of that I would look at
Mixed Nuts and/or trail mix
Protein bars rather than just basic granola bars. You can get retail packs on Amazon at reasonable price. These are my go to when I'm climbing - I go for ones with 20g of protein, they also provide reasonable levels of carbs.
I have a feeling you may have rules about nuts and other common allergens so you'll need to check. I'm guessing the last thing you need is crew or rescuee going into anaphylaxis.
Being mindful of that I would look at
Mixed Nuts and/or trail mix
Protein bars rather than just basic granola bars. You can get retail packs on Amazon at reasonable price. These are my go to when I'm climbing - I go for ones with 20g of protein, they also provide reasonable levels of carbs.
Cooking stuff, when you are being churned around by south coast chop and any swell isn’t going to work …