Worth the Weight: The Manual Food Processor
As two people living with type 1 diabetes, eating colorfully on the road is important for Erik, my cycling partner, and me. A manual food processor, like the Zyliss Easy Pull that a family friend gave me years ago, has become the unexpected hero of our bicycle packing list. It makes eating our vegetables easier and far more exciting. Texture, after all, is a huge part of taste.
On our most recent bike tour, at almost every meal from California to Colorado — from gas station floor to campground picnic table — our manual food pro has blended all sorts of delicious slaws, dips, and stews. Across 2,500 miles, we didn’t take out our stoves once, opting to get our hot meal fix whenever we had access to a real kitchen.
Even back at home, I’ve found myself choosing to use the compact manual food processor from my bike trip over the bulky, hard-to-clean electronic one sitting on my kitchen counter.
Here are some recipe ideas for your next cycling or bike camping adventure.
Cabbage Coleslaw
- Wedge of organic green or purple cabbage
- 1 or 2 chopped organic carrots
- Hefty squeeze of 1 lemon
- Hefty squeeze of organic stoneground mustard
- Salt and pepper
- Optional sweetener: organic honey or maple syrup
- Can be added to whole wheat wraps
Simple Trail Hummus
- Can of organic garbanzo beans
- Hefty squeeze of 1 lemon
- Splash of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pairs well with rice cakes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese
Edible Cookie Dough
This recipe is based on one from Sharp Health News and modified for bike touring. Thank you to our San Diego host and friend, Lynne, for passing it along — and for providing us with miniature, bike-friendly portions of the ingredients needed to make it on the road!
- Can of organic garbanzo beans
- 3 RXBAR Vanilla Almond Butter Packets
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
- Splash of vanilla
- Squeeze of organic honey or maple syrup
- Dark chocolate chips to taste
- Salt to taste
- Optional: 1 Tbsp of chia seeds
