Unless you are blessed with genetics that let you eat fast food and drink soda for every meal and still look and feel great, nutrition will play a vital role in your success in endurance sports. But you have to choose the right nutrition plan to fit your needs.

I would say that Precision Nutrition and The Paleo Diet are the two hottest diet and nutrition plans in sports today. Precision Nutrition is widely known in strength training, MMA, and some other sports, while the Paleo Diet is all but a contractual obligation for anyone doing Crossfit.

The question is, what is the best choice for the endurance athlete?

In this article, I will compare both diets from this perspective and give you my opinion…

Precision Nutrition Pros and Cons

Precision Nutrition is a full-out eating system meant for everyone, but especially athletes. It was created by Dr. John Berardi, a former competitive bodybuilder. He knows his stuff and looks the part.

He refers to PN as a complete system for body transformation through nutrition. PN starts by covering everything you need to know about nutrition, then follows that with teaching you how to develop a custom nutrition plan unique to your physiology.

If you want to see proof that it works, just check out the before and after pictures from Precision Nutrition’s “Lean Eating” and “Scrawny to Brawny” coaching clients. It’s mind-blowing the body transformations I’ve been seeing year after year (I’m on the PN email list.)

I should point out, Precision Nutrition does have endurance athlete support. Chandra Crawford, 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist in XC skiing, and Eddie Hilger, US Masters National Champion cyclist, both provided their testimonials (and you can read their full stories at precisionnutrition.com.)

Precision Nutrition Pros:

Precision Nutrition is not restricting – it allows you to eat all types of foods. Your suggested food choices will vary depending on your current condition and your goals, and certain foods are only allowed at certain times of the day, but overall, PN doesn’t throw out entire groups of foods.

I really like that method, because it allows you some leeway in your own choices. PN is very customizable. It doesn’t matter what your body type is, what your preferred sports are, or if you’re a vegetarian – Precision Nutrition is still going to work for you.

But at the same time, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any sort of food ideas or preferences. The course contains tons of recipes, everything from Super Shakes (i.e. smoothies) to Pecan-Crusted Seared Salmon. Surely something in there will inspire you.

What could be better? If Precision Nutrition gave you an entire cookbook! Well, they do! It is called Gourmet Nutrition and it comes free in the PN package. It is packed with about 200 recipes over as many pages. I’m a very picky eater and I still found plenty of meals I’d eat! Full pictures and instructions are included.

Worried that it is too complicated? Don’t be. The PN course guides you step-by-step like if you hired a nutritionist. The whole point is that you follow along and make their guidelines into a personalized plan for yourself.

It’s pretty simple – pick out the foods you want and then put them in your calendar, based on what you want to eat each day. Then just track your results (just like you would with your training plan) and adapt the program as necessary. (Yes, they give you advice for that, too.)

Precision Nutrition Cons:

There are going to be two barriers for anyone to get started on Precision Nutrition.

First, it costs $97. If you compare that to a normal diet book that costs about $9.32, PN is going to seem way too expensive.

Second, the huge binder can be intimidating. PN is easy to follow, but there is a lot to it. You can’t just memorize it in one afternoon and then be set to go. You have to put in the time to get the results.

Paleo Diet Pros and Cons

The Paleolithic diet is a modern diet, but it focuses on the diet of our ancestors, back in the Paleolithic era, before agriculture changed everything. It is part diet, part lifestyle.

Centered on commonly available modern foods, the “contemporary” Paleolithic diet consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

You most likely know this Paleolithic diet as The Paleo Diet, the book by Dr. Loren Cordain. Or perhaps The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. Or even The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson.

For purposes of this comparison, I’ll generalize everything under the “paleolithic diet” umbrella.

Paleo Diet Pros:

My #1 diet philosophy has always been to eat natural foods, and the Paleo diet works great with this. It is based on healthy, natural, unrefined and unprocessed foods. This is a very simple change anyone can make to their diet, and it provides almost instant results. Seriously, switch from processed foods to natural foods, and you’ll probably feel better that same day!

Also, a Paleo approach can provide quick weight loss. I believe this is mainly due to the “low carb” aspect of the diet, but it could also be due to the lower caloric intake that usually occurs when you start eating more nutritionally-dense foods. Either way, many people (although not every single person) see quick, sometimes dramatic, results.

Believe it or not, some of these people are endurance athletes. Yep, some pro endurance athletes eat a Paleo diet. Take Jacob Fisher (pro triathlete,) Jonas Colting (Ultraman World Champion,) and Allison Mann (pro mountain biker,) for example. Most of these athletes blog about their diet if you want to see more from them.

Finally, if you want to get started on your own Paleo diet, the books are inexpensive. The books are around $9 and $15 at Amazon.com.

Paleo Diet Cons:

The Paleo diet isn’t perfect. It doesn’t work for everyone. The problem I see is that everyone is different, and using the same diet simply doesn’t work for everyone. For every pro triathlete that eats Paleo, I bet there are many who tried it and didn’t like it.

It’s too restricting – entire food groups are totally disallowed. All dairy, grains, and legumes (beans, peas and lentils) are forbidden. Fruit is sometimes frowned upon. I perform better without wheat or dairy, but I do like my oatmeal and legumes. Some people might be the opposite. Don’t restrict yourself blindly.

Did you notice most carbohydrate sources are disallowed? Well, “low carb” is not part of a cyclist’s vocabulary! I refuse to believe that a low-carb diet is the best choice for all endurance athletes.

Also considering food options, certain foods can be really expensive. If you can get high-quality meat, eggs, fresh fruits, and vegetables from a local farm, great. But if you go to a store like Whole Foods or a farmer’s market in the city, you might be spending your entire paycheck!

Last but not least, the whole “Paleo” idea is trendy right now. If something works, I don’t care if it’s trendy or a fad – but it can get annoying sometimes! Some people treat this diet like their religion. You say one thing about Paleo not being the best idea in the history of the world and you might be attacked as an anti-Paleo bigot!

My Recommendation: Precision Nutrition

While I actually like the Paleo Diet a lot, and we have The Paleo Diet for Athletes book created just for us, I have to give the nod to Precision Nutrition.

The Paleo Diet is kind of a one size fits all diet book for living a long, healthy life. It’s great for what it is, but when we’re talking individual sports performance, nothing beats Precision Nutrition. It goes into detail about what to eat and when, and it is based on the premise that different people will eat differently.

Add up the cost of the cookbooks and PN isn’t so much more expensive anymore.

To find out how Precision Nutrition can change your life and improve your performance, check out PrecisionNutrition.com.

Hey I was wondering if you could review kashi GoLean cereal (hot or cold). The nutrition facts look good but I get confused when reading the list of ingredients, which is considerably lengthy. How does it compare to oatmeal or other cereals?

Thanks,
Kathy McGene

Hi Kathy,

Oh yes, Kashi GoLean. I’ve had quite a bit of the cold cereal. I really enjoyed it – nice and crunchy, not too sweet.

It does contain quite a few ingredients, but they are about as healthy and natural as it gets for cereal. It is mostly whole grains with a few additions. For sugar, you’ll see evaporated cane juice crystals and honey. For oil, they use expeller-pressed canola oil. And that’s it.

While no one is going to argue that those ingredients are more healthy than a bowl of spinach, they’re great for a bowl of cereal! The GoLean is way better than common cereal! And the only way to beat it would be to make your own steel cut oats.

Now, I haven’t tried the GoLean hot cereal, but it looks similar – long list of ingredients, but mostly whole grains, and no garbage.

On the other hand, I have tried the Kashi Heart to Heart instant oatmeal. It’s too sugary for me. I swear it was like spooning sugar straight into my mouth!

Why might that be? Well, it does contain twice the amount of sugar per serving as the GoLean cereal line!!

I had these single-serving cups you could add water to and cook in the microwave. Each cup was 200 calories, but there was very little oatmeal in it. But it was packed with 15g sugar, which is equivalent to having 4 tsp sugar in there! I think 1 tsp would have been plenty for me.

For my parting thoughts, I’ll tell you how I view cereal…

I usually place cereal into three ranks.

First is oatmeal, made with steel cut or rolled oats. That’s as natural and unprocessed as you can get using grains from the store.

Second, Kashi GoLean and some other cereals. They have the healthiest ingredients lists, but are still refined and processed compared to oatmeal. I don’t eat these very often any more, but if you need calories to fuel your training, go ahead and eat this stuff without worrying.

Third, the sugary kids stuff. I avoid all of it, even stuff like Raisin Bran, which is filled with added sugar and even high fructose corn syrup.

So if you avoid the sugary junk and stick with Kashi GoLean and oatmeal, you’ll be fine!

Levi, At work we are given Sqwincher to drink to replace electrolytes. How does this compare to sport drinks and would it be a suitable replacement. They have a web site at www.sqwincher.com.

Thanks,
Finch Sqwinch

Hi Finch,

I’ve heard of Sqwincher – I have an uncle who got started drinking it for the same reason you did.

According to the website, “Sqwincher is one of the most cost-effective ways of increasing productivity.”

That statement may be true, but it seems a little overblown. Coffee probably increases productivity just as much, if not more! Unless everyone is dehydrated from working in the heat all day, in which case Sqwincher probably helps out.

Anyway, Sqwincher looks like a simple electrolyte drink. It would be most similar to Nuun.

Compared to a typical sports drink, there will be two main differences. The first, Sqwincher won’t have the sugar content. Second, it contains 50% less sodium but 50% more potassium than typical sports drinks.

It’s nothing special. It’s just an electrolyte beverage with a certain marketing angle aimed at the workplace.

Would it make a suitable replacement to sports drinks? Not really.

Because if you need to replace electrolytes from sweating, you’ll need lots of salt. You wouldn’t want to purchase something low in salt!

And if you need to replace electrolytes and sugar, stick with a true sports drink.

Hi Levi,
First I’d like to thank you for all of your great advice that you put out there for us. I have found some really helpful tips, like the Queen Helene cocoa butter.

I was wondering what you think of Wendy’s chili for a recovery meal after a 2 hr. XC mt. bike ride at 85% effort?

Pre ride- I eat a bowl of oatmeal w/ banana ,drink a FRS energy drink, take 300 mg beta alanine and drink water during the ride (about 1.5 bottles) (incase you needed that info to determine dietary needs post ride)

Many thanks and keep up the great job!!

Wendy Darling

Hey Wendy,

Thanks for the kind words, glad to have you on board!

Let me start by saying that chili is one of those foods that never appealed to me. If you stopped me on the street and asked me what was in chili, I’d probably say it’s tomato soup with beans in it. That would be my best guess! So I can’t really speak from experience, but I looked at the Wendy’s menu to see what’s up…

From the Wendy’s Menu

Here are the main Nutrition Facts I pulled up:

Nutrition Facts

Calories 310
Total Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 3.5g
Cholesterol 60mg
Sodium 1330mg
Carbohydrates 31g
Fiber 10g
Sugars 10g
Protein 26g

And the chili ingredients:

Ingredients:

Large Chili
Water, Chili Base (tomatoes, salt, citric acid, calcium chloride), Ground Beef, Vegetable Mix (onions, celery, green peppers), Chili Beans (beans, water, sugar, corn syrup, salt, natural flavorings, onion powder, calcium chloride), Kidney Beans (kidney beans, water, sugar, corn syrup, salt, natural flavorings, onion powder, calcium chloride, disodium EDTA [preservative]), Chili Seasoning (sugar, salt, modified corn starch, chili pepper, onion powder, spices, dextrose, garlic powder, citric acid, disodium inosinate & guanylate, xanthan gum, autolyzed yeast extract, soybean oil, caramel color, extractives of paprika, malic acid, red 40, natural and artificial flavor, silicon dioxide [anticaking agent]).

Hot Chili seasoning
Water, Corn Syrup, Salt, Distilled Vinegar, Natural Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Caramel Color.

Saltine Crackers
Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacinamide, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], folic acid), Soybean Oil (contains TBHQ for freshness), Salt, Contains 2% or less of: Corn Syrup, Leavening (baking soda, yeast), Soy Lecithin. CONTAINS: SOY, WHEAT

Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Cultured Pasteurized Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Artificial Color, Potato Starch and Powdered Cellulose (to prevent caking), Natamycin (natural mold inhibitor). CONTAINS: MILK.

Chili Analysis

The first thing that popped into my mind is that it’s probably loaded with salt and preservatives (fast food is notorious for this.) Sure enough, it is. For a large chili, there’s 1330mg sodium. I could cut you some slack since you’re out there sweating and only drinking water, but still, that’s a lot of sodium. Think about it this way – if you drank 1.5 bottles of Accelerade during the ride and then had a bottle of Endurox R4 as your recovery drink, that is around 600-700mg sodium total!

And then looking through the ingredients, there are quite a few preservatives and colorings in there. Not that sports drinks are any better, but I gotta point it out for general health reasons.

Next up, calories. 310 calories. That’s good. Right around 300 is usually a good choice post-ride.

Now, 31g carbs, 26g protein, and 9g fat. This is more like a well-balanced meal than a post-ride recovery meal. That can still work just fine, unless you are in the middle of a stage race or something. Like if you were doing tough, 2 hour XC rides every day, I’d be worried about getting more carbs in your recovery meal. But on a more realistic training schedule, you can probably replenish your glycogen stores thanks to your normal meals, especially if you eat oatmeal.

In the end, chili doesn’t follow the standard recovery meal protocol, but I think it would be a suitable recovery meal for some people, just not for everyone. If you like it, and it likes you, try it out. Just watch your energy levels. If your training load increases and your energy levels are decreasing, try more post-ride carbs. Preferably something with less fiber, too.

This chili would probably be a pretty good post-workout meal for the off-season, but definitely not my top choice for a high-carb recovery meal during regular training. And you can make your own decision on the sodium and preservatives issue.

Anyone else try Wendy’s chili? Or maybe make your own chili for post-ride meals?

Hi Coach, I wonder if you have ever researched the effects of “Low Sodium” V-8 juice for recovery purposes… and/or making a diluted version of it to carry for rides… thanks…

- Darth V8er

Hi Darth,

I should really start by answering with a quick “no.”

Why? Because I tried V8 before (many years ago) and absolutely hated it. Tomato juice does not appeal to me at all. So I haven’t looked into V8 for any sort of purpose.

But we can look at it now and I’ll give you my opinion on using V8 as a recovery drink…

Nutrition facts per 8oz serving:

Calories 50
Total Fat 0g
Sat. Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 140mg
Potassium 820mg
Total Carb. 10g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 8g
Protein 2g

% Daily Values
Vitamin A 40%
Vitamin C 120%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%

And the ingredients:

Tomatoes, onions, garlic, celery, beets, watercress, spinach, carrots, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt.

So…

I gotta say, I’m not impressed. Other than getting two servings of vegetables, I don’t see any benefit to V8.

Vegetables are great, but I recommend eating real vegetables in your diet instead of drinking V8. And timing vegetable intake after a ride is kind of pointless.

For post-ride recovery, it’s more important to take in calories in the form of carbohydrates and protein so you can refuel your glycogen stores and rebuild your muscles.

V8 is quite low on carbs and protein, the main components of a recovery drink. It’s relatively low on calories, too. It does contain sodium and potassium, but there are other electrolytes you need, so I wouldn’t count on V8 for your electrolytes, either.

In the end, if you’re one to need a recovery drink, you need the carbs and protein, the calories, and plenty of electrolytes. V8 just doesn’t have that. It’s no substitute for Endurox R4, Hammer Recoverite, etc.

If you don’t need a recovery drink, drink water and eat a sandwich or something. You’ll be fine.

As for during-ride use… I can’t imagine using diluted V8 during exercise. It seems like that would be really disgusting. But even if it were tasty, it’s low in sugar, and it contains a decent amount of fiber. Two of the worst qualities for a sports drink!

If you enjoy V8, I’d just drink it as a snack, and stick with sports drinks or more common sports drink substitutes for workout and recovery beverages.

I read a lot of magazines and talk to a lot of riders about what food to eat. I’ve been riding for only 2 years. Yet, no one ever mentions malto-meal, cream of wheat or cream of rice. Are these good to eat or should I just stick with Oatmeal? I eat them anyway, but not as a meal before riding.

Thanks,
Malt-O-Matthew

Hi Matthew,

I used to eat cream of wheat years ago. I liked it, but I’d get sick of it after a while and have to take a break.

I may have tried Malt-O-Meal but I can’t remember. I think that is very similar to Cream of Wheat.

Cream of rice… I’ve never actually seen that.

Along those same lines, I don’t think many of my buddies ever ate cream of wheat or even knew what it was. Whereas everyone just knows what oatmeal is. I’m not completely sure why, but the other hot cereals just don’t get any publicity it seems.

Oatmeal, I always liked it, and it was something I could eat every day.

Anyway, here are a couple reasons I don’t really eat cream of wheat or rice:

1. I already get whole grain wheat and rice in my diet.

I get plenty of wheat in my diet already from whole grain bread, pita bread, and sprouted grain bread. I don’t need any more.

I enjoy eating long grain wild rice or brown rice on their own, in their natural state. I’ve never felt a need to get more by eating a cereal made of it.

Oats on the other hand, I don’t really eat them outside of my oatmeal (and sometimes my homemade protein bars.)

2. These hot cereals are processed foods.

The main reason I skip hot cereals now is because they’re still processed foods. I think of them like the instant oatmeal packets you can get in stores – highly processed, contain too much sugar, etc.

The original Cream of Wheat is basically just wheat (no added sugars and flavors,) but it still reminds me too much of white flour rather than whole grains of wheat.

So I stick with oatmeal because I can get the oats plain and start fresh, which gives me much more control over the cooking process.

And that’s what I recommend. Buy some steel cut oats, cook your steel cut oats, flavor your steel cut oats, and enjoy!

Coach, I’m starting the 4 Hour Body on Monday and have a questions. I am an endurance bicyclist, without the cyclist body. I normally do a GU shot about 90 minutes into my rides and either GU or Chomps every hour after that. Do you have any alternative to these that would still stay consistant with the 4 Hour Body Diet?

Thank you for your time!
4 Hour Rider

Hi Rider,

That’s a great question. It’s something I’ve pondered over the years. These days there are quite a few people who will tell you a low-carb diet is ideal for everyone, including endurance athletes.

I’ll just cut to the chase though - for the past 3-4 years, I’ve tried a variety of ways to combine different low-carb diets with an endurance sports lifestyle, and it never worked. Supposedly it works for some people, but for me, it doesn’t.

For example, check out my results on the Primal fat loss diet. I couldn’t do any endurance training while on the “fat loss” diet, and even on the “maintenance” level, endurance training was pretty painful.

I’m planning to write more detailed articles on this, but my main recommendation is to do the Slow Carb diet off the bike, and eat like a cyclist when on the bike (i.e. just keep doing what you’re doing with the gels.) I’m pretty sure there’s even a small mention in the book about combining the diet with endurance sports and it allows sugary carbs during and immediately after exercise. (Not 100% sure what page it was on though.)

That way you’re getting the weight loss benefits of going “slow carb” without losing the quick-acting sugars you’ll probably need to get you through your rides.

As for Slow Carb alternatives to the energy gels, the only thing I can think of would be roasted chick peas (garbanzo beans.) Those provide carbs and are somewhat convenient since they’re dry. I love those as snacks, although I’ve never carried them during a ride. (Try it out and comment below!)

Good luck!

Hi Coach. Have you ever heard of or tried an energy SHOT powder?

Hi there,

Before your email, no, I had never heard of or tried an energy shot powder. I’ve had energy drinks, energy shots, and energy drink powders (like FRS and Zipfizz,) but not a powdered energy shot.

Struck with curiosity, I set to find out what this might be… With a Google search I was able to find “Everyday Energy Shots,” apparently the only company out there selling energy shot powder, which they sell in bulk – a 60 serving bin for $45.

Am I in a rush to buy some? Nope. Am I surprised there is no one else marketing a product like this? Nope.

Here’s why:

• I use energy shots very sparingly. I don’t want a lot around tempting me for no reason. Plus, 60 servings would probably last me 10 years!
• Energy shots are convenient to buy at the store when necessary. Not hard to find.
• I like to keep a couple in my car for emergency pick-me-ups. I’d rather have them individually sealed so they can stay in there for a long time, yet still be fresh and ready to drink if I want one.
• The whole energy shot idea was to get an energy boost equivalent to a full-size energy drink without having to consume so much fluid. Well, you can take any powdered energy drink and mix it with 2oz water instead of 8-16oz. Ta-da, you just made your own energy shot!
• Not to mention you really lose the convenience when you have to carry around a canister of powder and mix up each little shot you want.

Overall, this seems like a bad idea that was not subject to any market research before launching the product! Not only would I NOT recommend it for any endurance athletes or health-conscious individuals, I doubt the typical energy shot consumer will have any interest whatsoever.

As a college athlete I don’t have the ability to mix my own post workout protein shakes. I have been looking into Muscle Milk but have heard some words of caution about some of its ingredients. If muscle milk isn’t a safe supplement, are there any other alternative post workout drinks I could use?

Thanks,
Muscle Mike

Hi Mike,

I never looked into MuscleMilk once I saw the price tag. After a quick glance, it doesn’t look like something I’d take, nor does it look like something too awful. It contains two different artificial sweeteners, which I don’t like, but many people don’t worry about them. The rest of the ingredients looked pretty normal for a drink like that.

(Let me know if there is a specific ingredient you’re worried about, but in general, Muscle Milk falls too far into the processed food realm for me to recommend it. Anything with that many ingredients, I usually shy away from.)

What is it that’s holding you back from mixing your own protein shakes?

In college, I typically mixed up my own shakes, and I saw many others doing it. All you really need is water or milk, protein powder, and a Blender Bottle.

If you want to keep things refrigerated, a dorm room size refrigerator is pretty cheap (try Craigslist,) especially compared to buying the ready-to-drink Muscle Milk. You could also take your protein powder to the dining hall and grab some cold milk or water there.

For washing the bottle, just keep some dish soap on hand and use whatever bathroom is nearby. Or perhaps there is a small kitchen in the building with a sink.

I’d recommend that over any of the ready-to-drink drinks I know of. Personally I use the Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Natural protein powder. Throw in some organic whole milk and liquid egg whites (if you want more calories) and you’re good to go!

When I first wrote my “Steel Cut Oats vs Rolled Oats” comparison, steel cut oats were not that popular. Health aficionados were aware of them, but the average consumer either didn’t know they existed or could not find them in popular stores.

And when you did find them, they were very, very expensive!

Steel cut oats have since risen in popularity, and today, you can find them in many stores at a wide variety of prices. Many health food stores carry the Bob’s Red Mill and McCann’s brands, which are good, but rather expensive. But more and more health food stores, large and small, are selling steel cut oats in bulk. This makes the oats a great value!

So if you are looking for the best price on steel cut oats, here is some help:

The Stores and Pricing

Here is a list of stores where you can purchase steel cut oats (mainly stores that offer bulk pricing on their oats.) Stores are listed in alphabetical order. Note that this is not an exhaustive list of stores… so if you know of more, please post them in the comments section below!

Bob’s Red Mill

You can find these oats in the store, but go online and you can get better deals on the bulk packages! I have seen the 25lb bag of oats sell for as low as $11.60 plus shipping. (Unfortunately, shipping is rather expensive – think $30 for the 25lb bag of oats.)

Website: www.BobsRedMill.com

Bulk Barn

Bulk Barn is Canada’s largest bulk food retailer, and sure enough, they offer steel cut oats in bulk at a good price.

Website: www.BulkBarn.ca

Bulk Nuts 4 You

Bulk Nuts 4 You is a website selling a variety of nuts and grains in bulk. Steel cut oats cost about $1.80 per pound, plus shipping.

Website: www.BulkNuts4You.com

Costco

Costco, the large discount retailer, is now carrying organic steel cut oats at very inexpensive prices in their stores.

Website: www.Costco.com

Earth Fare

Earth Fare, “the healthy supermarket,” is a chain of stores in the Southeast USA – Florida, North Carolina, and in between. I have heard they offer steel cut oats in bulk.

Website: www.EarthFare.com

Earth Origins Markets

With twelve locations in Florida, Maryland, and Cape Cod, you might have one of these organic and natural health food stores near you. Most are in Florida, however. I have heard the bulk steel cut oats sell or $1.29 per pound.

Just watch the name – while the stores are now all “Earth Origins,” some used to be “Mother Earth Markets.”

Website: www.NaturalRetail.com

H-E-B Stores

A chain of supermarkets in Texas that sells steel cut oats in their bulk section. I’ve heard their organic steel cut oats are only $0.99 per pound.

Website: www.HEB.com

Honeyville Grain

Honeyville Grain is probably the #1 source for bulk steel cut oats online. It is a popular store and offers good prices.

Website: www.HoneyvilleGrain.com

Save-On-Foods

A nice supermarket in Canada that sells steel cut oats in bulk.

Website: www.SaveOnFoods.com

Trader Joe’s

You can get Irish style steel cut oatmeal from Trader Joes. The 39 oz size costs less than $3.00.

Website: www.TraderJoes.com

Wegman’s

A large national chain store, Wegman’s sells a few brands of pre-packaged steel cut oats, but also sells organic steel cut oats in bulk at $1.79 per pound.

Website: www.Wegmans.com

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods sells steel cut oats in bulk. I have heard they are priced at $1.49 per pound. The website also lists the 365 Everyday Value Organic brand of steel cut oats.

Website: www.WholeFoodsMarket.com

WinCo Foods

WinCo is a West-coast store chain that sells oats in bulk. The name actually stands for “Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon,” so if you live in those states, check it out. I have seen reported prices as low as $0.68 per pound for Bob’s Red Mill steel cut oats.

Website: www.WinCoFoods.com

[Local markets]

Many local markets carry steel cut oats in bulk. Here in Pennsylvania, there are quite a few farmer’s markets, as well as small stores run by the Amish, and most carry oats.

My personal favorite market is Way Fruit Farm in Port Matilda, PA. It’s right outside State College, home of Penn State University. They sell steel cut oats in bulk super cheap – last time I was there, I got them for $0.82 per pound!

Per-Serving Price Comparison

How much less do you spend buying in bulk?

Here is some information on price per serving when it comes to buying pre-packaged oats such as Quaker, Bob’s Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills, etc. This will give you a good idea of the cost savings when you purchase steel cut oats in bulk!

Here is a quick look at the prices from my local Wegman’s in State College, PA:

Quaker steel cut oats – 24oz – $4.99. That comes to $3.32 per pound.

Arrowhead Mills organic steel cut oats – 24oz – $3.79. That comes to $2.53 per pound, much less than Quaker.

Bob’s Red Mill organic steel cut oats – 24oz – $3.49. That comes to $2.33 per pound, much less than Quaker, and a bit less than Arrowhead Mills.

Organic steel cut oats in bulk – 16oz – $1.79. Therefore, $1.79 per pound. That isn’t even a cheap price for bulk steel cut oats, and it’s still a whopping 46% less than buying the Quaker brand!

Clearly, buying steel cut oats in bulk is the way to go. When you consider there are about 10 servings (1/4 cup each) per pound of oats, you can enjoy a bowl of steel cut oats for less than 18 cents!!

Note: When you buy steel cut oats in bulk, they won’t come with cooking instructions. So… just check out my article, How to Prepare and Cook Steel Cut Oats.