5 homemade marathon snacks

During a marathon it’s essential that you keep your body fueled and ticking over. On average we burn 100 calories per mile, therefore by the end of your marathon you will have burned a mammoth 2,600 calories. That’s a little over the average amount of calories a man needs / eats a day!

With this information in hand, many of us turn to energy gels and usually use one every half an hour or so. However, not all of us are keen to put unnatural products in our bodies, and some have even found that gels can cause an upset stomach.

We think we have the right answer for you, but like anything with a marathon, make sure you test these out on your long runs first. You don’t want to be eating something new on the day, because you never know how your body’s going to react.

We’ve created a list of five natural, homemade marathon snacks you can consume while running your 26.2 miles:

Fruity flapjack

6oz butter
6oz soft brown sugar
8oz quick porridge oats
berries and/or raisins

We all know how energising porridge gives is, so it should be no surprise that, when compacted down into a snack-sized portion, oats provide a quick and easy boost of energy.

These are really easy to make and should take no longer than 40 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 180C and grease a shallow tin, including all the sides and corners.

Then, over a low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and stir in your oats and fruit.

Pour and spread this throughout the tin and then bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Once this is cooled you can then cut into snack–sized pieces, wrap up in foil and you’re good to go!

Energy bars

These can be very expensive to purchase in the shops and can be packed with process goods which you may not be keen on. Making your own at home will be both tasty and satisfying.

There are plenty of different ones you can make, have a look at this list for ideas: http://bit.ly/1dVY8vL

However, we recommend a chocolate, pistachio and almond energy bar:

300g moist Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
280g pistachio nuts
60g raw almond (without skin)
75g cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
40g unsweetened shredded coconuts
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 to 3 tbsp cold water

Throw the dates, pistachios, almonds, cocoa powder and sea salt into a food processor. In short and long bursts, process until you get a thick texture.

In between bursts, add the shredded coconut, then the vanilla extract, with a little water each time, until you get a dry yet moist doughy consistency.

Scrape the mixture into a lined pan and press evenly, chill in the fridge for at least one hour before wrapping in tin foil.

Flavoured water

You can either go salty or sweet with this one. Adding a teaspoon of salt to your water bottle is a really easy way of replacing all the salt and water you’re losing. You may associate salt with dehydration, but it can actually improve athletic performance and maintain cardiovascular function.

Rather than buying flavoured water or juice, you’ll gain far better benefits by adding it to normal water. Cram in lots of fruit slices (lemon), berries (blackberries) and even herbs (mint). Drinking straight juice isn’t the same as drinking flavoured water; the body will find it harder to process and it could even have a negative impact on your marathon.

Energy Gel

6 tablespoons of honey
5-8 tbsp of blackstrap molasses
6 ½ tbsp of soy protein isolate
pinch of salt
1-3 tbsp of water

The most popular running fuel to have during a marathon is the energy gel, yet these are often filled with unnecessary and unhealthy additives.

Making your own ensures both piece of mind and a healthy stomach.

Simply mix all the ingredients into a large mug or bowl, except the water. Add this when needed to develop the consistency. You should get around five servings.

A good way of storing these is in washed–out hand sanitiser pots or small hotel bath containers. Simple but effective.