30 July 2021
Words and Photos by Seamus Mullen
Seamus Mullen is an award-winning New York chef, restaurateur and cookbook author known for his inventive yet approachable Spanish cuisine. He is a leading authority on health and wellness and an avid cyclist, dabbling in road, gravel, and mountain biking throughout the world.
I recently realized that when I fly and when I go on group rides, I’m one of the only people to pack my own real food. When I’m packing for a flight, I organize all my food the night before, packing little baggies of treats, prepping some snacks, and planning out my airplane meals so I won’t be tempted to eat the garbage served midair.
It’s not unusual for me to pack up some good quality prosciutto, a baggie of macadamia nuts, some hard-boiled eggs rolled in everything bagel spice, and my version of ants-on-a-log (almond butter on celery with dried cranberries or tart cherries). I usually get some weird looks from fellow passengers, followed by a curious question or two by the adventurous and then, inevitably jealousy.
This is why I always pack extras. Good food makes fast friends. I do this not only because I’m a chef and I find it a complete waste of a good meal to eat bad food, but also because I firmly believe in the GIGO principle: Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you want to perform and be as healthy as you can, you need to put good stuff in your body.
I think of long bike rides in the same way that I think of long flights. I prep my food, bring what I’d like to eat, and I’m totally cool with schlepping a few extra grams of weight if it means having a delicious and healthy snack mid-ride. I’m the guy on the ride who pulls out a baggie with salami or olives or even the occasional can of sardines. On group rides, this inevitably leads to some jeers from my fellow riders, but always ends with everyone noshing on some delicious bites and serves as a conversation opener to talk about nutrition, one of my favorite (and most polemic) topics of conversation.
Packing real food on my longer rides may not be quite as convenient as sucking down a gel on the bike but it gives me an excuse to take a break on the ride, have a snack, take in my surroundings, and truly appreciate the ride. Finding the perfect size bike bags to carry all my real food has been a key to bringing everything I want on a ride. This can often include a few hard-boiled eggs (which come in their own natural carrying case and are delicious, perfectly balanced with fat and protein, and super easy to digest!) or some slices of cured meat and a handful of nuts.
My latest favorite snack is a few little Persian cucumbers dipped in sea salt from my friends at Jacobsen Salt Co., delicious and refreshing on a hot ride. I’ve found that having some real food on the ride, that packs easily onto the bike, means less waste, better nutrition and more fun on the bike. And if we’re not having fun, then why are we riding?