Thanks for all the replies. I have tried LCHF but it was not for me. I'm fine with distances up to 80K but start to struggle around the 100K mark. Gels are just upseting my stomach as does malt loaf for some reason? At the moment my rides are around 160k but I want to start increasing my ride distance so I can ride 320k+. Looks like experimenting with oats, nuts and dried fruit would be a good starting point.
You don't need to eat LCHF to ride fasted.
If you start with short fasted rides you'll stress your body and force and adaptation where it'll use fat more for fuel. You can increase distance it time.
When you do a longer ride you'll need less food over course of day (you'll just eat it later after you stop). On recent 320km ride my heat rate averaged 63% max (including stops) and while I probably burned circa 7000 calories I consumed in range of 1500-2000 calories ( Icounted accurately for 400km at 2000 calories and it's a very consistent pattern on long rides).
Within 3 months of fasted training rides I was doing 100km with 1000m climbing at 25- 27km/h and feeling fine. It took about two years to get to doing 300/400km rides fasted and using the calories outlined above.
When I eat, it is always of the following list apples, chocolate milk(hydrating and contains sugar with some protein and a little fat), nuts, meat/cheese sandwich, a little chocolate and if tired can of coke 30/40km from home.
Digestion and exercise put demands on different hormonal system, one which call for blood in muscles the other in stomach/gut. Two both together is never easy and some people find it harder than others. Gels on long rides are not a clever option and cause many people trouble.
Given convenience food is primarily junk, try homemade flapjack type foods, you can use oats, dried fruit, seeds, crushed almond the options are endless; mainly carbs but with some protein and fat. You can make in small bite sizes and nibble as needed
