Sesame-Nori Porridge

Let’s begin at breakfast, shall we?

Or really, lunch, or post-ride, or dinner…this easy little bowl can be eaten anywhere, really. It can be amped up, pared-down, enjoyed at home as much as it can be in your campsite on a chilly morning.

Whether you’ve been following along for a while, or you’re brand new to this Club, I want to let you know that macronutrients are important. But flavors are JUST as important. (If you’re very new here, do a little search for flavor as fuel in the archives to read more about this topic!) Flavors are the indicators that help to signal to our bodies how to prepare our digestive systems to properly break down, assimilate + utilize the nutrients in our foods. Each flavor has a specific function in our bodies, and it’s important that we get as many of the Six Tastes that we can perceive into our meals as possible.

Exploring using more flavors in our foods also helps us to better learn what foods really make us tick. This insight is what helped me to recognize that it’s not candy that I crave when I want a grounding in the afternoon, it’s the bitter taste of chocolate. Understanding our cravings for salt is what helps to inform our decisions to eat something or drink something when we’re doing a hard effort on the bike. And it means the difference between ordering a burger or a built-up-salad on a day when we’re particularly hungry.

Sweet breakfasts are a dime-a-dozen, but when I’m traveling I’m constantly in a state of searching for fresh vegetables, bitter and astringent flavors that help my body to reduce inflammation, detoxify from the inherent stress of moving around too much…and often, I’m trying to recover from a big bike ride or hike (or many days of the above.) This is where Sesame-Nori Porridge comes in.

I pack the oat, chia, spices, salt + nori mixture in reusable baggies and keep them in my suitcase. If I’m in an airport, or in a pinch, I just need hot water + a packet of Untapped Maple and a slice of smuggled lime to make my meal happen. If I’m in the van, or at home, I’ll add a fried or soft-boiled egg, maybe some avocado, maybe some sprouts. If I have them available, I’ll add Bragg’s Liquid Aminos + a splash of rice vinegar. No matter how I prepare it, I’ve got all the tastes in + it keeps me grounded and ready for anything out there.