Buzz
Workout food has become a whole category in itself these days. From sticky, sugary energy gels (the love-hate companion of every marathoner) to a variety of bars and chews that are expensive and often unpleasant, the options can be overwhelming. Feed Zone Portables offers a better choice: homemade, portable snacks that are both nutritious and delicious.
I’ve read through the book and tried several of the recipes. Here's the bottom line: these snacks taste amazing and store well. However, most of them shouldn’t be kept in your running belt for the entire day as they may become unsafe. More on that in a moment.
Who Will Benefit from These Recipes
The right food for those long runs, or a full day of cycling, kayaking, or any other endurance activity, must meet some tough requirements. It should be easy to eat, even when your mouth is dry (goodbye to saltines), and it must sit well with your digestive system (goodbye to prunes and spicy foods). Nutritionally, these snacks need to be rich in carbs, providing the fuel needed for extended efforts. And, importantly, they can't be ruined by being squished in your pocket for hours.
Gels meet all the necessary criteria, as do other endurance foods like PowerBars and Clif Shot Bloks. However, they're not for everyone, and they can be costly—$1 for a 100-calorie gel is typical. Ask seasoned runners and cyclists what they prefer, and you'll hear about raisins, gummy bears, and the occasional PB&J sandwich. Some even pack a mashed sweet potato in a ziplock bag, biting off the corner when it's time to eat.
While all of these options are sweet, what initially drew me to Feed Zone Portables were the savory packets pictured on the cover. Can you really eat on the go without consuming something that tastes like artificial cake frosting?
The answer is yes, according to the authors, exercise physiologist and cyclist Allen Lim, and chef Biju Thomas. Though the book is geared towards cyclists, the same principles apply to runners and other athletes.
The book begins with the usual chapter explaining its purpose, which I skimmed on my way to the recipes. But hold on—there’s some really valuable content here! Some of the key takeaways include:
A reality check on whether you really need to eat during your workout, and if so, how much. As a general guideline, eating is optional for activities under two hours. Beyond that, aim to consume at least half the calories you burn each hour.
A sidebar on why coconut water isn’t a great sports drink. As we’ve discussed, it’s full of potassium when you actually need sodium.
A detailed explanation of why Gatorade can cause diarrhea. Drinks that contain calories are processed differently from food and water combined. The takeaway? If you've ever been stuck in the porta-potty after a marathon, you’re not alone. Sports drinks can really have that effect.
This section offers some really useful insights, so make sure to check it out if you're curious about how your body reacts while eating on the go.
The Recipes
The recipes in this book follow a few core concepts, offering both sweet and savory variations. Here’s what’s included:
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Rice cakes, which are compact bricks of sushi rice with fillings in the center—essentially a sandwich version of onigiri
Baked eggs cooked in muffin tins, resembling mini omelets
Two-bite pies featuring multiple crust options
Cakes, such as savory potato and polenta ‘cakes’
In addition, there are waffles, 'take and make' recipes that are perfect for hotel room cooking (pro tip: bring a waffle maker), and a section with simple recipes that you can throw together with whatever ingredients you have in your kitchen. For instance, instead of forming rice into cakes, you can just mix it with leftover food blended together and shape it into bite-sized balls.
There's one important caveat about many of these recipes, particularly the savory ones: they likely need to be kept refrigerated for safety. For instance, one rice cake contains deliciously seasoned beef. Would you carry rice and beef in your pocket, then feel comfortable eating it hours later? In a food safety post on the book's website, Lim mentions: 'So far, we’ve had no issues with rice cakes cooked fresh in the morning lasting about 5 hours in the back of a jersey [cycling shirt] pocket.'
Food safety expert Ben Chapman isn’t convinced. 'No one has gotten sick that we know of. But the sample size is probably quite small,' he said in an email. Cooked rice can harbor food poisoning bacteria. At room temperature, it's safe for about four hours. But in the heat, close to your body, bacteria can grow much more quickly.
Because of this, I probably wouldn't risk eating a rice cake after several hours on a hot day. I might keep one chilled until the run starts, then eat it within the first hour or two (reserving gels for the later stages if I’m going for a long run). Cyclists or hikers could carry them with an ice pack, as long as the extra weight doesn’t bother you. These would also work if you have access to a cooler, such as passing the same spot multiple times during your run.
Since I'm not currently training for a marathon, I find these recipes really useful as quick, grab-and-go snacks before or after a short workout. They’re so tasty that I’ve ended up eating them for lunch on more than one occasion.
Road Testing
I made five different recipes, three of which were rice cakes. I also wrapped them the recommended way, similar to the method we've described for wrapping a sandwich. If you get the snack-to-paper ratio just right, you'll end up with two flaps at the bottom that you can tuck into each other. I was doubtful, but it actually worked really well. (Alternatively, you can secure the little packets with rubber bands or tape if that's more convenient.)
All of the recipes I tested survived being carried in a pocket for hours without falling apart or breaking. They all came out as compact bricks or pucks, just like when I first packed them, and they tasted great. Here's a summary, and while I’ll explain how to make them, you’ll need to check out the book for the complete recipes with measurements:
Red Lentil Rice Cakes
How they’re made: Cook red lentils and sushi rice together. Season with a blend of yogurt, tomato paste, onions, and spices.
How they taste: A bit on the bland side, but the seasoning can easily be adjusted. These actually satisfy my pizza crust cravings during long runs. (Why pizza crust? No idea.)
Spiced Beef & Onion Rice Cakes
(Apologies—no photo, they’re all in my stomach now!)
How they’re made: Cook ground beef and onion in a skillet, then season with fresh ginger, soy sauce, and molasses. Once cooked, layer the mixture with sushi rice and cut into blocks once they’ve cooled.
How they taste: I devoured half the batch before the other half had cooled down. Let’s just say, they’re delicious. The beef is savory and full of flavor. I would have preferred more beef and less rice, but that might have messed with their perfect little brick shape.
Raspberry and Mint Rice Cakes
How they’re made: Layer fresh raspberries and shredded mint leaves into sweetened sushi rice.
How they taste: It’s just sweet rice and simple raspberries. A bit underwhelming compared to some of the other fantastic recipes in this book. But hey, it’s still better than a PowerBar.
Mushroom and Swiss Frittata
How they’re made: Sauté onions and mushrooms, then combine with eggs, rice, and Swiss cheese. Bake in muffin tins (silicone works best because the frittatas don’t stick and they pop out easily).
How they taste: Fantastic. Delicious. Incredible. I’ve tried mini omelets before and hated the taste of cold eggs, but somehow, the added ingredients mask that flavor and eliminate the slimy texture.
Banana Walnut Two-Bite Pies
How they’re made: Combine chopped bananas, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. I went for the 'quick crust' trick, using sandwich bread as a stand-in for traditional pie crust. Just place a spoonful of the filling between two slices of bread, cut out the shape with a glass or cookie cutter, and bake until toasted.
How they taste: Another hit. The toasted bread actually formed a surprisingly good crust, and the filling made it taste like a dessert without being overly sugary.
Our Take
These snacks pass both the taste and portability tests with ease. Every recipe I tried was at least tasty, with many being downright fantastic. The book is full of recipes I’m eager to try, like the Curry Potato and Chicken Pot Pie, Sweet Cream Grits, and Baked Pasta. Plus, there’s a chapter dedicated to 'sticky bites,' like these chocolate and sea salt ones. Yummy.
I do find the food safety concern a bit disappointing. If you decide to carry these snacks in your pocket throughout the day, it’s at your own risk. But, if you're nearing the end of a long run, you can still rely on one of the recipes that resemble traditional cakes or cookies, like the Snickerdoodles or the Spiced Pumpkin Cakes, to fuel up.
For those who are used to grabbing packaged snacks like Clif bars when pressed for time, any of the recipes in this book make for a satisfying alternative. They’re great for a lunchbox, or as a snack before or after a workout. Of course, these aren’t just for exercise. I'm actually enjoying one right now and am tempted to try a warm raspberry rice cake with a scoop of ice cream on top.
