This is a difficult one to give up for lent for cyclists, as we need the slow-release energy that pasta and rice dishes give us. So, giving up carbs altogether is off the menu, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t pay some attention as to which types of carbs you eat, and what sauces you lather them in.

If jarred pasta sauces and curry ready meals feature regularly in your diet, lay off these for Lent. Sauces are so quick and easy to make (and cheap too) so take a vow to learn to make a couple of recipes from scratch, make them in bulk and invest in some good quality jars to store them in for future use.

That way you get to control exactly what goes into your dinner, consume less calories, eat more fresh vegetables and still get your carb fix too. Carbs aren’t an enemy for cyclists, let’s stop giving them so much stick.