Food is fuel - and fun!

Running a long way involves lots of eating, and this is something I truly excel at. In fact I spent a large proportion of my running time thinking about what I'll eat when I get home. That is, what I'll eat after the compulsory piece of toast and Vegemite.

I've taken the step of seeing a sports nutritionist: Kath Fuohy, so my eating keeps pace with but doesn't extend beyond my training, and so I don't get bored in an endless pasta rut. Based on her advice, I've delved around and found some recipes that satisfy as food and fuel - for me it has to be both, and be fun to cook.

Steel cut oat porridge, recipe and image from Ruth Pretty

Here are a couple of my favourites.

Perfect porridge

For a breakfast of champions (or least those dreaming of finishing), I love Ruth Pretty's recipe for steel cut oat porridge, which you can find here. It's deliciously nutty and creamy (without any added cream), and keeps brilliantly. I load mine into an empty Collective Dairy Straight Up container, and take it to work, where I eat it with big dollops of Straight Up, some bananas, chia seeds and cinnamon. Excellent fuel base for lunchtime running.


Yoghurt hotcakes

Straight Up deliciousness, from the Collective

This lovely recipe comes from the Wellington City Mission's book "Food for a Mission". Good for after run refuels, and for brekkie when running later on a weekend day. Nom noms!

2/3 c flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 c milk
1/3 c yoghurt
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c berries (optional)

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Stir in egg, milk, yoghurt and butter. Fold in the berries until just incorporated. Heat a heavy-based frypan to medium-hot (a wee drop of mix should sizzle), drop in 1/4c lots of the mixture and cook until golden on both sides - about a minute each way. Enjoy with more yoghurt (plain or flavoured), fruit, syrup, or whatever your favourite toppings are.