When you get in the door after a ride you want something to eat that's tasty, healthy and above all quick and easy to prepare. Happily, that's something we can help with.
We've got 10 tasty meals that are ready to eat in 15 minutes, from fresh and fragrant Thai-style shredded chicken salad to warming and nutritious pasta with kale, garlic and chilli.
We've partnered with Olive magazine (also published by Immediate Media) to bring you the very best recipes for cyclists. All the recipes are easy to follow and take you through step-by-step how to create everything from homemade nutrition products to tasty, hearty post-ride meals.
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Best of all, these recipes don't require tonnes of fancy ingredients. With a few cupboard staples you'll whip them up in no time. Eating the right food after exercise is important, it can help your body repair and refuel itself, aid recovery, and ensure that you're at your peak when you next get on the bike.
1. Thai-style shredded chicken salad
This dish is a riot of colour and flavour, and packs in a serious variety of veggies. Cabbage, carrot, mint, Thai basil, cucumber and chicken are dressed in a mouthwatering ginger, chilli, garlic and lime dressing. Fresh, fast and delicious!
Thai-style shredded chicken salad recipe at Olive Magazine
2. Pasta with kale, garlic and chilli
This tasty recipe may only have five ingredients, but it packs a flavoursome punch. The zing of the garlic and chilli add a fresh and warming flavour, while the pasta provides those all-important carbohydrates and iron-rich kale gives you a serious nutrient hit.
Pasta with kale, garlic and chilli recipe at Olive Magazine
3. Super-quick chicken and pea broth
For this recipe you only need rice, chicken, peas, stock and a handful of parsley, and it clocks in at a mere 235 calories per portion. Not bad! It's the perfect way to use up leftover rice and chicken, and give you a protein and carb rich soup that's tasty, warming and nutritious.
Super-quick chicken and pea broth recipe at Olive Magazine
4. Prawn and mushroom miso soup
The combination of miso, chilli and coriander make this light soup fragrant and enticing, and like the chicken and pea broth above, comes in at under 300 calories per portion. The soba noodles satisfy hunger pangs, while shiitake mushrooms and pak choi provide a double dose of your daily fruit and veg count.
Prawn and mushroom miso soup recipe at Olive Magazine
5. Linguine with fresh puttanesca sauce
If you're after something a little more hearty, what could be better than a bowl of tasty pasta. The salty tang of capers cuts through the linguine and combined with fresh cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil it makes for a delicious and satisfying post-ride feast.
Linguine with fresh puttanesca sauce recipe at Olive Magazine
6. Little gem and salmon salad with yoghurt mustard dressing
As well as being an excellent source of lean protein, salmon is also full of omega-3 oils which help your body repair itself — and may even help lower the risk of heart disease, depression and arthritis. This healthy salad is quick to whip up, with mint and mustard providing a tasty flavour kick.
Little gem and salmon salad with yoghurt mustard dressing recipe at Olive Magazine
7. Pasta alla genovese
A little pesto and Parmesan go a long way and give this light, but satisfying dish plenty of delicious Italian flavour. The carbohydrate kick provided by the pasta and new potatoes should satisfy even the hungriest of cyclists.
Pasta alla genovese recipe at Olive Magazine
8. Quick pad Thai
Pad Thai is a popular street food in Thailand, which is whipped up quickly and packed full of flavour. It's one of our favourite post-ride meals. Rice noodles, egg and prawns are mixed with chilli, coriander, garlic and lime juice flavours, a dash of sweet chilli sauce and crunchy peanuts to add texture. Substitute with chicken if you don't like prawns, or swap out for some extra vegetables and ditch the fish sauce for a veggie version.
Quick pad Thai recipe at Olive Magazine
9. Dan Doherty's Colombian Eggs
Don't just keep eggs for the breakfast table. This tasty recipe is taken from chef Dan Doherty's book Duck and Waffle: Recipes and Stories, and piles tomato, egg and avocado on toasted sourdough bread. If you want to get experimental, try adding some chorizo or smoked salmon to the mix. We reckon this would make a perfect brunch after a weekend's morning ride.
Dan Doherty's Colombian Eggs at Olive Magazine
10. Duck stir-fry with ginger and greens
This dish works equally well in winter as it does in summer, with ginger and chilli providing warmth and freshness — and the rich duck provides a pleasing protein kick. Add plenty of pak choi for a dish that satisfies those take-away cravings and at a fraction of the calories, only 160! If you want to make this dish more substantial then serve with rice or noodles.
