Green Tea and Raisin Ride Fuel
Hot green tea and a fistful of raisins. Caffeine and sugar with almost no weight.
- calories
- 250
- weight
- 2.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 114
- protein
- 3 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 3 min
- total time
- 4 min
- water
- 350 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Snack
- Drink
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Bikepacking
- Day hike
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Green tea | 1 bag | or 1 tsp loose leaf in a small strainer |
|---|---|---|
| Raisins | 1/2 cup | about 2.5 oz |
| Soy protein isolate powder | 2 tbsp | unflavored; stirs into the raisins, not the tea |
| Salt | a pinch |
Method
- Boil 350 ml of water. Pull it off the flame and count to thirty before the tea goes in. Water straight off a rolling boil turns green tea bitter.
- Steep the bag two minutes, then pull it. Longer is not stronger, only harsher.
- Tip the raisins into a mug or bag, add the protein powder and salt, and shake so the powder coats the fruit.
- Eat the raisins, drink the tea. Chase each mouthful of coated raisins with tea and the powder goes down without clumping.
This came off a list of what a cyclist actually ate in a day, not out of a cookbook. Green tea, water, raisins, protein. On the trail that is a caffeine source, a fast sugar, and enough protein to keep a snack from being pure sugar crash.
The protein has to ride on the raisins rather than in the tea. Powder stirred into hot tea seizes into lumps and coats the mug. Sticky fruit takes a dry coat and carries it down cleanly. The pinch of salt matters more than it looks like it should: sweating all day, plain sugar and water without sodium sits badly.
Packing
Raisins, protein powder, and salt live together in one small bag. Tea bags go in a separate bag or they end up dusted in protein.
Variations
- Skip the stove and cold-steep the tea bag in a bottle for an hour while you ride. Same caffeine, no fuel.
- Swap raisins for dried cherries or chopped dates if raisins have worn out their welcome.
- A spoonful of sugar in the tea makes this a real calorie hit rather than a nibble.
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.9906