Nutrition .. for the more mature cyclist ....

[landsurfer]

Pasta or rice ... The carb of choice .. The filler that goes with all the other stuff ... Which. ??? There seems to be no guidance on the best bulk carb to eat. I love both, which will work best for a 57 year old sportive rider. Not obsessed with diet but if there is an advantage then I'd like some advice ..

[maxcherry]

Which ever one you choose.

You have a choice of white or brown rice/pasta. Brown is noted to be healthier due to less processed higher in fiber. Take into account on the amount you choose to eat then consider if you are eating to much of it (I could bulk eat Basmati rice none stop ).


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calori ... tion-facts


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[Heltor Chasca]

I'm in my 40s. Rice is my favourite but when camping pasta is easier to clean out of the pans. Rice sticks like shuzbut nanu nanu ...b

[Psamathe]

These days I don't like eating too much rice due to the high levels of (and more toxic form of) arsenic it contains (or rather might contain depending where it comes from).

Ian

[TonyR]

For a sportive rider it really doesn't matter. Just eat what you would normally eat even if its not pasta or rice.

[661-Pete]

Pasta or rice ...

In a word - yes.

Both are grains and carry broadly similar carbohydrate loads - rice is somewhat less percentage because cooked rice takes up more water than cooked pasta. Best is to have pasta some meals and rice with others.

Wholewheat pasta and brown rice are obviously better in fibre content than their white counterparts. But be aware that brown rice has a distinctively different taste from white rice: not to everyone's taste. We like it, provided it is cooked to our system, when it is very tasty with curries etc.!

Note: rice shouldn't stick to the pan, or itself, if properly cooked. My method (for long-grain or basmati) is this:
Allow ½ cupful rice per person (slightly less if brown rice). Do not wash it. Heat up a small amount of oil (about a tsp or two) in a large saucepan, fry the rice on a high heat stirring vigorously until the grains go opaque. Do not let them burn. Then pour on cold water: 1½ times the volume of the rice if cooking white rice, 3 times the volume if brown rice. Add salt to taste, stir once then bring to the boil as quickly as possible. Cover and allow to simmer until all the water has been absorbed. This will take about 10-15 minutes for white rice, 30-40 minutes for brown. Do not stir the rice while cooking. If you've done this right it should come cleanly out of the pan. And taste good!

[Paulatic]

Thankfully I won't be eating at yours. 30-40 mins for Brown rice OMG must be like sponge.

I give mine 15-20 mins, should have a nutty flavour. No mucking about, rice and water in a bowl and ping it in the microwave = perfect

[beardy]

I give my brown rice forty minutes too (but only 35 for basmati).

Do some suppliers provide a brown rice which isnt a wholegrain rice and can cook quicker?

[Paulatic]

The only LGBR we can find to buy is Tilda. Just had a look at their web site, as we throw the packets away, at their recommendations.
They say 25 mins so maybe me using the microwave cuts the time?

[al_yrpal]

A very nice rice to try is Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain and Wild Rice. It takes 18 minutes to cook and retains the grains and doesnt go mushy. We used to eat Basmati Rice all the time which cooked faster and was softer but we really like the texture of Tescos rice. Give it a try.

As for Rice/vs Pasta my dieting experience says they are about the same except Spaghetti which does have the same calorific value but leaves you less satisfied.

Al

[Paulatic]

Sorry Al I could never say "very nice" and "white" in the same sentence.

"We don't keep the killer whites in our tent, do we Candice Marie"
(Nuts in May)

We use wholefood everything apart from one thing. That is Pasta, we could never get to enjoy it

[al_yrpal]

Sorry I should have said Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain and Wild Rice… I never said white? I dont buy any of the wholefood or organic scene.

Al

[661-Pete]

Thankfully I won't be eating at yours. 30-40 mins for Brown rice OMG must be like sponge.
I give mine 15-20 mins, should have a nutty flavour. No mucking about, rice and water in a bowl and ping it in the microwave = perfect

Hmmmph.... Just as well you don't seem to have posted any cooking tips before now .......

You're probably using 'easy-cook' brown rice which neither cooks nor tastes as well as the standard brown rice. We normally get Waitrose own-label, making sure it's not the 'easy-cook' version. Cooking time does vary, it's true, depends on weather conditions possibly, sometimes it's done in less than ½ hour. But with my method you can't overcook it. You can burn it, setting the house on fire , if you leave it on the cooker unsupervised, of course, but you can't overcook it. And it tastes - nothing like sponge.

[axel_knutt]

I eat brown rice because it's healthier, but I don't much like it, and I particularly dislike the time it takes to cook.

[TonyR]

If you're too impatient to wait for rice to cook try cous-cous. Put in a bowl. Top up with boiling water. Wait five minutes. Eat.