by hattenburrow | Mar 29, 2014 | Kit Reviews, Nutrition
I was sceptical when I got my Zip Vit ZV9 protein bar, I liked the idea of chocolate orange, who wouldn’t, but after trying many flavour protein bars the overwhelming taste in all was the protein and the consistency was also chewy and thick.
The ZipVit ZV9 bar was a totally new sensation, the taste was chocolate with a zingy orange tone with no hint of protein taste. The most important factor after how it tastes was the consistency unlike over chewy, dry bars this one was smooth and almost moist.
It was easy to eat the whole bar and when I arrived home I felt satisfied but not bloated and able to eat dinner.
The Zip Vit ZV9 bar has 20g of high quality protein (milk & whey) alongside 25g of easily digestible carbohydrates and a blend of vitamins and antioxidants to help protect against harmful free radicals.
The ZipVit ZV9 is a great grab and go protein source the silver foil keeps the bar in tact in warm weather and although it crumbled in the packet slightly it was easy to eat whilst stretching.
During a race i would still find this difficult to chew, however during a sportive or training ride it would be easy to eat whilst riding.
by hattenburrow | Jan 1, 2014 | Nutrition
Protein supplements Powder and Bars.
Training sometimes feels like the easy part, it’s simple you have a programme you put the effort in, you get the results out (sort of). The difficulty comes in finding good nutritious, quick food to eat around my training.
I have tried many products during training. When I first started I headed off to Holland and Barrett and got a couple of protein bars and energy gels to try whilst I was training to see what brands were good.
I found the protein bars I had brought all had a tough texture a bit like chewing on a cows butt! They left me bloated and not wanting to eat a meal which meant my nutrition was suffering because I couldn’t get enough nutritious calories in.
I tried protein shakes and found these to be a lot easier and used one from Holland and Barrett after my first race as during training it had been fine, however after racing it did not agree with me and left me again with the awful bloated feeling.
The search for good protein!
I did some research online and spoke to friends who recommend Science In Sport REGO I tried it with milk and also with water and found it had a smooth consistency was easy to drink, tasted good and seemed to help with my recovery as I could train each day and felt like I was getting stronger.
Protein shakes are great for after training and races as long as you can keep the powder and water/milk separate and mix just before you want to drink it. Sometimes this is not easy when it’s hot leaving water or milk in the car is not always a good idea and a warm protein shake is not present! This is where a protein bar comes in handy. My experiments with Holland and Barrett ones where no good and if had given up on the idea of finding a good one until I got a sample from Zip Vit, the chocolate orange protein bar was totally different to anything I had tried before it tasted or chocolate orange and not protein which was a great start and the consistency was less chewy and didn’t leave me feeling bloated.
Over all I think both bars and shakes have their place in the diet of an athlete. Bars are quick and easy but personally I prefer protein shake and to eat something wholesome too.
by hattenburrow | Apr 14, 2013 | Nutrition
Healthy Snacks, Banana and Almond Slice.
We all love a little bit of sweetness in our lives. Having a sweet tooth makes it rather tempting to dig into something chocolaty or a slab of cake before going on a training ride, but these sweet treats don’t sustain you for very long, as they are full of sugar which give you a quick boost but leave you wanting more very quickly.
What you really need are foods that have a low Glycemic Index (GI), these are foods which release carbohydrate more slowly over time in order to sustain the training you are doing for longer. So to combine something sweet with something that will sustain training I’ve started making banana and almond cakes, these are full of slow releasing energy and a sweet treat at the same time. Bonus!
What you will need:
3 large bananas, mashed
Sliced almonds, a hand full
200g (7 oz) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
1 egg
75g (2 1/2 oz) butter, melted
A cap full of vanilla essence
How to make:
Preheat your oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4, then grease a tin, any tin will do as long as its about an inch deep. You could also make this into a muffin mix by using a muffin tray. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl and add in your sliced almonds.
Using a blended mix together the bananas, vanilla essence, sugar, egg and melted butter, once its turned into a yellow goo pour in stirring as you add the dry ingredients once its all mixed together add to your baking tray and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. You will know its cooked when you can lightly tap it and it bounces.
Leave to cool and then cut into slices, grab your bike/trainers and your delicious treat and your good to go.
I hope you enjoy my healthy snack, if you have any alternatives please share.
