by Lindsay Cotter
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I’ve been married to the kiwi for over 6 ½ years, which means I’ve made a lot of gluten free pre-race meals. Some have been at home, some have been in a fridgeless hotel room, and some have been at a home-stay house. Heck, I think I’ve even made pre-race meals in a camping tent! Regardless of where I’ve made these pre-race meals, it’s all about making them simple and effective, right?
Pre-Race Meals (depending on the duration/intensity of your race) need to contain:
- Real ingredients
- Easy to digest carbohydrates
- Not too rich in fiber
- Not too heavy in Protein and Fat (but also not too carb heavy)
- Sodium and Potassium (if the race is long or in the heat of the day).
With this is in mind, I’ve come up with a few of our favorite gluten free pre-race meal ideas you can make for just about any endurance event. Although, ironman race meals take more effort and more than a week to really plan and consume properly. That might be a post for another day, yes?
Okay, here we go!
NOTE: Pre Race Meals need at least 12hrs to digest. So if the race is at 7am, you might consider eating dinner before 7pm the nice before.
The Meatless Option
- 2 cups steamed sticky rice
- 3-4 eggs
- Grass-fed cheddar
- Tomato paste or Natural Ketchup
- Black pepper and sea salt
Heat rice half way. Crack eggs on top and and mix. Heat again in skillet or microwave until cooked. Add 1-2 tablespoon of tomato paste, ½ teaspoon black pepper and seas salt, and mix in large bowl. Top with ¼ cup shredded cheddar or non dairy cheese. Serves 1-2 people. This one is great before a long weekend of training too!
The Fish Option
- 2 cups Spanish rice
- 3-4oz Wild Caught Salmon
- Fruit Salsa
- Avocado
- Small bed of butter or spinach greens with tomato
This one is pretty simple. We steam the rice and add a little seasoning. Not too spicy. The greens are butter greens because they seem the easy to digest, unlike kale or arugula. The Salmon is grilled or baked for 10 minutes at 400F. It’s low in mercury and great source of omegas. We use fresh fruit salsa for a little extra carbs and sweetness. I will sometimes steam the greens for 20 seconds to make them easier to digest. This meal is best for shorter distances races due to higher fat content.
The GF Pasta Option
- 2 cups rice or quinoa pasta
- gluten free chicken sausage (pre-cooked if possible)
- ½ cup summer squash
- ¼ cup –½ cup Tomato sauce
- Black pepper and sea salt
- ½ bunch fresh or 1-2 tablespoon dried basil
- olive oil
Cook Pasta according to directions. Strain, add back into pot with 1-2 tablespoon olive oil. In a separate skillet, sauté your sliced squash and chicken sausage until tender. Add everything into your pasta along with tomato sauce, ½ teaspoon black pepper, sea salt, and basil. I use this dish for races longer than 3 hrs.
**Vegans—> Substitute chicken sausage for tofu or tempeh (sprouted if possible)
The Easy to throw together (and Digest) Beef or Vegan Option
- 1 cups stewed beef (Vegans –> soy free veggie burger, like sunshine burgers)
- ½ cup stewed tomatoes
- Favorite salad dressing or hummus
- sliced pepper
- Black pepper and sea salt
- GF tortillas or flatbread
This one is easy. You throw everything together in a wrap. I like using Udis GF tortillas here because they are so soft! Now, you might be thinking. Why stewed meat? Well, you can make ahead and it’s the easiest on the gut to digest. So maybe the week before the race, throw some meat in a crock pot and stew for a few hours. Then store until that weekend! Again, this one is great for shorter races.
And just in case you are stuck ina hotel with no fridge the night before a race, here’s what we do. Use the coffee pot to heat hot water. Add it to quick cook grits or gluten free oats. I always bring hard boiled eggs, bananas, and nut butters too. Then i just grab butter and honey from the breakfast bar. But this is if we’re on a super low budget and don’t go to the store. haha!
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What’s your go to Pre Race Meal? Do you have one?
Cheers to everyone racing this weekend!
Sherpa Wife Cotter
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