Even athletes sometimes decide to enjoy life. After an exhausting ride through the Jerusalem hills, or a long run along the coast, they feel they can allow themselves to do so. So what should they do? Many, particularly those who cycle or run, don't struggle with the question. They sit down with the same people (training buddies) in the same place (their usual place) and order the same thing (the usual health food).

Even when athletes decide to have a good time, they do not lose control of what they eat. They would not go to the closest coffee shop, order some enticing and fattening dessert, and afterward sigh with satisfaction and regret. They tend to order something nutritious.

The problem is that not every place offers a meal composed of the proper quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fibers that is nutritious, healthful, fresh and satisfying - as well as tasty. When the athletes find such a place, they demonstrate marvelous loyalty, showing up on the given day at the regular hour.

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Athlete-friendly places exist in all parts of the country. In the Sharon area, cyclists tend to congregate at Cafe Buono, in Yakum, and at Cafe Segafredo, next to the Alexander river. Those who go south sit at the Musa pub in Arad, and to the north is Pundak Assa in Latrun. In coffee shops all over Tel Aviv, one can see women who have just finished aerobics classes, trying to regain their strength over a cup of cappuccino.

One place, a must for cyclists in the vicinity of Jerusalem, stands out above all the others: Barbahar, which looks out over the Soreq stream, near moshav Bar Giora. Barbahar was constructed by the Jewish National Fund and is currently operated by two 33-year-olds, Amir Adiri and Marchi Navon. The two live in the area, and they ride all-terrain bikes (ATBs).

"We are located at an excellent meeting spot, for people biking on and off the roads, where the ascent to Bar Giora, the descent to Ein Karem and the road to the Elah valley converge," Adiri says. "In terms of scenery, this place is similar to Europe. This has turned into a well-known meeting place where people exchange information, experiences and tips about the various routes. Some people have been coming here weekly for years," adds Adiri.

"The place is a paradise," says Zvi Rabin, a cyclist and triathlete who works in public relations and investing. He smiles when he talks about the site. "You reach it after about half an hour of cycling uphill on a 13-kilometer stretch, when you are half dead, and then you see this fabulous scenery with the fantastic air that goes straight into the lungs. You sit down, have a coffee and an energy snack that they prepare on the spot, and after that anything is possible.

"Those who are cycling on the roads stop for only a light snack, but those on ATBs finish their route there and then sit down for a giant breakfast," Rabin explains.

Counting calories

But why should one rely on chance to bring runners, cyclists and other sportsmen to a specific coffee shop? Restaurateurs understand the potential inherent in these hungry athletes, and in the past month, two chains have put together menus designed to meet their nutritional needs.

The Spaghettim chain is targeting athletes with its new athletes' menu, offering a variety of nutritious items that are lower in fat. The menu is divided into "pre-training" and "post-training" dishes. The portions contain whole-wheat pasta, nuts, fresh vegetables, cheeses and spices, and are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The menu lists fat content by percent next to every menu item.

Among the items on the pre-workout menu are spaghetti with fresh tomato sauces of eggplant, basil and garlic; and slices of grilled chicken breast, grilled mushrooms, garlic and spices. The post-workout items include spaghetti with a tomato sauce of beef and root vegetables; chicken in a mustard and honey marinade with grilled vegetables; and grilled salmon fillet with Texan spices and grilled vegetables.

The menu was drawn up with the assistance of Dr. Yoni Yarom, medical director of the Hadar Yosef sport medicine center; Avi Kovalsky, the former Maccabi Tel Aviv trainer; Merav Mor-Ophir, a clinical dietitian who works with the Barilla food company; and Yishai Lev, the chain's chef. Profits from this menu will contribute to the sports fund Spaghettim recently set up with the NGO Elem, in order to offer grants to troubled youth who participate in sports. The chain also sponsors the handball league, and some of its branches have cooperated with various soccer and basketball teams.

Another chain that has added a new menu is Cafe Cafe, which is cooperating with the Studio C fitness chain. The menu was put together by Amit Ganor, a clinical dietitian and the head of Studio C's diet division, and Cafe Cafe chef Avinoam Ben-Moha. Every item on the new menu contains the ingredient list, the nutritional content and the calorie count. Thus one can find a "gondola" of baked eggplant with quinoa salad and a pickled lemon sauce (rich in complex proteins, recommended for before training, 117 calories); pasta with chicken breast and red onions, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and spices cooked with olive oil (recommended for after training, 595 calories); carrot and apple juice (recommended for after training, 75 calories); vegetarian stir-fry; and tofu, vegetables and rice stir-fried in soy sauce (rich in protein and carbohydrates, 630 calories).

Some gyms made the connection between exercise and food long ago. They include Holmes Place, which launched the Portobello restaurant chain alongside its fitness centers; and Shape, which collaborates with re:bar, which specializes in drinks. People training at Shape can order thick fruit and vegetable drinks fortified with vitamins, minerals, proteins and herbs. A "sportsman's drink," for example, contains banana, figs, walnuts, flaxseed and yogurt, and an "energy drink" contains banana, granola, honey and yogurt.

Weekly meeting point

Even though they have not given sports-related names to their products, nor have they stipulated the ingredients and fat quantities in menu items, the owners of Cafeneto in Ramat Hasharon cater to the various local triathletes, runners and walkers who gather there after their Saturday morning workout.

Hadar Kateifa, who runs the branch, says they "open as early as 7:30 A.M. Saturday mornings, and that is part of what attracts the athletes after their workout. That is because they start early. The couples who take a morning walk together share a large breakfast, some runners come in for a coffee before they start, or have breakfast afterward, and the triathletes always come here to eat their muesli."

This muesli is served in a bowl and contains generous portions of yogurt with three types of fruit, and granola produced especially for Cafeneto. The Ramat Hasharon country club's triathlon team pushes four tables together, and each member orders a bowl of muesli (few dare to violate the uniformity). The waitresses know the individuals and their special requests.

"Sometimes they also ask for a slice of diet bread," says Kateifa.

The team is extremely relaxed after cycling for hours in the orchards of the Sharon region. They drag out the muesli ceremony (which starts at 8:30 A.M.) for a long time, discussing the workout, food and their families. They all order coffee, some with low-fat milk, and even before they finish, they start planning the following week's training.