Breakfast is hands down the most important meal of the day, kick-starting our metabolism and setting us up for the day ahead.  As the partner of a professional cyclist, you need a good collection of recipes that you know are healthy and appropriate to serve before a ride or race.  Here are three simple recipes you can try, depending on the training or race schedule. 

Omelette
Packed with protein that the body can easily process, this recipe is staple breakfast item on race day.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 eggs
3 tablespoons water
Salt
Black pepper
120 grams sliced ham (prosciutto cotto for our Italian friends), cut into thin strips

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat
2. Beat the eggs and the water thoroughly in a bowl
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Pour the eggs into the frying pan and fry until lightly cooked through
5. Top the omelette with ham and serve

**Ham can also be added to the beaten egg mixture and cooked in the frying pan all together**

Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Jam
These pancakes are super healthy and are lactose and gluten free.  The eggs add high amounts of protein which makes this the perfect breakfast for a hungry cyclist!

Pancakes
Makes approx. 6 pancakes
2 ripe bananas
4 eggs
25 grams rice flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cardamon
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional)

1. Mix the ingredients together, except the oil, in a large bowl using a hand blender for a smooth batter
2. Cook the pancakes until golden in a frying pan, preferably using coconut oil

Blueberry Jam
1 vanilla bean
500 grams frozen blueberries
100mls agave nectar
300mls liquid pectin (found in the baking aisle or with tinned fruit, jelly and pudding mixes at your supermarket)

1. Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean and set to one side
2. Boil the blueberries, agave nectar and the vanilla seeds in a saucepan and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes
3. Add the pectin and bring to the boil
4. Leave it to cool

Soft Muesli
This one is so simple and will give you all the fuel you need for a long ride.  Muesli can be hard to digest, so it is best to make this the night before and leave it to soak overnight so it is a little lighter.

Serves 2
90 grams muesli (choose one you like, but try to avoid too much added sugar)
300 grams natural yoghurt
50 grams frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
1 tablespoon runny honey

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and put in the fridge.  Leave overnight
2. If mixture is too thick the next morning, you can dilute it with a little milk
3. Top with fresh berries or fruit and serve

These recipes come from none other than Henrik Orre, Norwegian-born chef for the Norwegian National Road Cycling Team and Team Sky.  He has published three beautiful recipe books, including stories and images as appealing as the recipes themselves.  The books are a culmination of several years of cooking for the world’s best cyclists and are filled with tried and tested food that is optimal for performance and recovery.  To find out more, visit Rapha or Rouleur.