Nutrition Q

I knew this one guy that seemed to eat his handlebars....

But seriously:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Feed-Zone-Cookbook-Flavorful/dp/1934030767/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1382719726&sr=8-4&keywords=cycling+nutrition

Portions - well you have to work out your own dietary needs (bulking up, slimming down, reducing body fat and keeping your weight), and so portion size is a personal thing. Some great recipes in there.

They also do a feedzone for on the bike too. Broadly speaking though, avoid sugars and sweets, and avoid too many fatty foods, alcohol is also not great (transforms testosterone into oestrogen - which is usually the root of moobs). Maintain a healthy balance between meat and veg, and eat fresh, and you're golden. You can try for the low-fat diet etc. but fat is actually protective to your joints and body, and too much sugar (usually the means by which we replace fat) is as bad if not worse in some respects (diabetes, sluggishness, sugars converted into fat anyway).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paleo-Diet-Athletes-L-Cordain/dp/1594860890/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382720198&sr=1-3&keywords=paleo+for+athletes

The paleo diet is just a fad really - all healthy food, but not the beginning or end of a healthy diet. Some good recipes in there.

Ultimately, if you have balance between your food groups (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1hEKqZz-OY) then really it's down to the old equation of balancing energy in and energy out.

Or did you want some proper advice?

Real food. Fresh vegetables, eggs, fruit, meat and fish (unless you're veggie/vegan). The less processing it has had - the nearer it is to the state it was in the field - then the more nutrients remain.

There is a move nowadays away from large quantities of starchy cereals so piles of pasta, half a loaf, breakfast cereals etc isn't considered the best source of carbs, the traditional pyramid should be inverted:
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/rebuil...

More and more nutritionists are saying that saturated fats have a bad rep,though you must avoid the processed ones. And you should cut back on sugar in and with food. Barry Murray presents good arguments in his articles at www.optimumnutrition4sport.com

While a pro cyclist's diet isn't necessarily a model for everyone, there are lots of useful pointers. Sky's Nigel Mitchell also has some great ideas:
http://road.cc/content/news/88399-nigel-mitchell-reveals-team-skys-nutri...
http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,17547_6869125,00.html
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/sportives/article/sp-Sportive-Tips---Wh...

Some ideas over at Bikeradar: http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/ and http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/2558/cycling/cycling-nutrition-tips/

A nutritionist from Birmingham Uni recommended 'Fuelling Fitness for Sports Performance' by Samantha Stear. It's very straightforward, not as 'sciency' as the title suggests. I found a copy on ebay for £1.

Quinoa