10 quick and easy three-ingredient breakfast recipes for cyclists

Have you ever wondered what to have for breakfast before a ride? Or what do pro cyclists eat in the morning? If so, here’s a list of ten breakfast recipes, each using only three ingredients. We have prepared a ten-ingredient shopping list, all staple, easily available foods. Here they are:

• Bread, rice, oat flakes and bananas, as a source of carbohydrates.
• Eggs, cottage cheese and canned tuna, as a source of protein.
• Avocado, nuts and peanut butter, as a source of healthy fats.

You don’t have to buy all of these ingredients. Just choose what you like best or what you can eat in case of any food intolerances or allergies. You’ll surely find a food combination to your liking.

For some of these recipes you’ll need milk, water, oil, salt and pepper or other spices, but we all have such ingredients handy at home. Some dishes require prior preparation, baking or frying, but the vast majority can be made on the spot.

It is better to make sure your bread and your rice are whole grain so that you get all the fiber and complex carbs you need. Oats can be instant, rolled or steel-cut. You can have a cup of coffee or tea – with or without milk – and/or a glass of juice with your breakfast.

Here are the ten breakfast recipes, each made with three of the ingredients above, guidelines on how to prepare them as well as their nutrition information:

Oat banana and nut porridge

40 g of oat flakes, 1 medium size banana and 10 g of chopped nuts.

If you’re using rolled or steel-cut oats and not instant oats, pour them in a microwave-safe container and cover with water. Let them soak overnight. They will have absorbed all the water by the morning, so add some more water or milk before cooking. If you’re using instant oats add water/milk straight away and cook.

Peel the banana and cut it into two, chop one half into chunks and mash the other one with a fork. Cook the oats in the microwave for 1 minute. Then add the mashed banana and some more milk. Mix together and drop the banana chunks and the chopped nuts on top. Sprinkle with nutmeg, cinnamon or clove.

329 calories. 54 g of carbohydrates. 9 g of protein. 9 g of fat.

Oat, banana and peanut butter shake

40 g of oats, 1 medium size banana and 15 g (1 tbsp) of peanut butter.

The ingredients, measurements and preparation process are similar to the previous recipe, only this time we will be cutting the banana into chunks to freeze it overnight. In the morning, take it out of the freezer and pour the oats in your blender, grind them for a few seconds, add the frozen banana chunks and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Blend together, stopping every now and then to clean the sides of the blender with a spatula and keep blending until creamy and smooth. You can add some milk if you’re looking for a more liquid texture.

350 calories. 55 g of carbohydrates. 12 g of protein. 10 g of fat.

Rice with scrambled eggs and nuts

100 g of whole grain cooked rice, 2 large eggs and 10 g of nuts.

You obviously won’t have time to cook rice as soon as you get up in the morning, so you should do it the night before. You have to use around 45-50 grams of whole grain rice. Cook it in a pot with a lot of water (6 parts water to 1 part rice). Bring the water to a boil, add salt and cook the rice on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, leaving the pot uncovered. Strain your rice to remove the excess water, turn off the heat and then put the rice back in the pot, now covered with the lid. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then stir with a fork. Your rice is ready.

Cook your scrambled eggs on a pan with a bit of oil. Season to taste and move the scrambled eggs to one side of the pan once they’re ready, then add the rice. Serve in a dish. You can mix the nuts with rice and eggs or eat them separately.

322 calories. 25 g of carbohydrates. 16 g of protein. 17 g of fat.

Tuna and avocado rice

150 g of cooked whole grain rice, 60 g of drained tuna and 28 g (around ¼) of chopped avocado.

A simple, cold breakfast. You just have to mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. You can also mash the avocado before mixing to give a creamy texture to the dish.

268 calories. 37 g of carbohydrates. 17 g of protein. 6 g of fat.

Peanut butter and banana toast

1 slice (50 g) of whole grain bread, 15 g (1 tbsp) of peanut butter and 1 medium size banana.

Spread the peanut butter on the toasted bread. You can also cut the slice of bread in two to make a small sandwich with it before adding the banana. One whole banana is too big for just one piece of bread, so use one half to slice it and put it on top of your toast and eat the other half or keep it in your jersey for later.

299 calories. 48 g of carbohydrates. 9 g of protein. 9 g of fat.

Avocado toast with poached, fried or boiled egg

1 slice (50 g) of whole grain bread, 28 g of avocado and 1 large egg.

Mash the avocado in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cook the egg any way you like and toast your bread. Spread the avocado on the toast and crown it with the egg. Add salt, pepper or any other spice to your liking.

229 calories. 22 g of carbohydrates. 20 g of protein. 10 g of fat.

Cottage cheese with banana and nuts

50 g of cottage cheese, 1 medium size banana and 20 g of chopped nuts.

Cut the banana into chunks, not too big, and mix it together in a bowl with the cottage cheese and the nuts.

294 calories. 30 g of carbohydrates. 10 g of protein. 15 g of fat.

Banana and peanut butter oat cookies

50 g of oats, 1 medium size banana and 15 g (1 tbsp) of peanut butter.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Mash the banana in a bowl with a fork, and add the oats, the peanut butter and a pinch of salt. Mix together until well blended. Fix a tray and lay a piece of baking paper on it. Using a spoon, shape the cookies and bake them at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes.

388 calories. 61 g of carbohydrates. 14 g of protein. 10 g of fat.

Rice pancakes

150 g of cooked whole grain rice and 1 large egg.

Whisk the egg, start pouring it little by little on the cooked rice and mix together into a thick pancake dough. Season to taste. On medium heat, fry the pancakes on a pan with oil for a few minutes on each side.

239 calories. 34 g of carbohydrates. 10 g of protein. 6 g of fat.

Banana bread

60 g of oat, 3 large eggs and 2 medium size bananas.

We left the trickiest recipe for the end. Line a 20 cm diameter container with baking paper and preheat your oven to 200ºC.

First, blend the oats to make oat flour. Then mash the bananas and add the oat flour. Now separate the egg whites and the yolks and beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in a big bowl. Start adding the yolks one by one to the mixture while you keep whisking. Add two or three tablespoons of this egg mixture into the banana mixture and blend well. Then pour the whole banana mixture into the bowl with the egg whites and yolks and mix slowly.

Bake at 200ºC for 20 minutes. To check that the bread is done, pinch it with a skewer. If it comes out clean then it’s done. Let it sit before taking it out of the mold.

663 calories (the whole loaf). 94 g of carbohydrates. 32 g of protein. 20 g of fat.

We hope you’ve found some good breakfast options for the morning before a ride. These recipes are quick to make and easy to digest but they will also give you all the energy you need to start pedaling. This is why we’ve picked foods that won’t raise your insulin levels early in the morning, that don’t have an excessive amount of fiber or fats, and that are to be served in moderate amounts so that you don’t end up feeling heavy on the stomach.