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So you’ve had your workout and are probably feeling pretty hungry! Smoothies are a great way to get all of that essential nutrition and energy back into your body after a good workout. Here are some super simple and nourishing recipes from our expert nutritionist, Lucy-Ann:
A basic post-exercise smoothie recipe
- 1 large ripe banana
- 100g blueberries
- 200g non-dairy yogurt & water, or Coconut water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds, or shelled hempseeds, plain or a scoop of plant-based protein powder.
A smoothie meal like this contains natural sugars for glycogen replenishment, a range of amino acids (including BCAAs) for protein resynthesis, antioxidants for cellular repair and regeneration, and omega-3 fatty acids too. This can be made in advance, and kept in a cooling flask.
Green “blended” juices
“Green Smoothies” are another great option! These are simply fruit smoothies, with added raw protein-rich “greens”, the best of which are baby spinach, kale, watercress, and dark leaves and lettuces. Eating these greens “raw”, blended with fruits and water in a blender, is one of the most delicious, healthiest, and fastest ways to get an excellent “dose” of B vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, and protein. Green smoothies really are the perfect recovery drink!
Keep it simply and choose one fruit – such as banana, apple, or peach, and add 2 different greens. You can include some chopped cucumber too, which always works very well with any combination of fruit and greens.
Banana and Spinach
- 1 banana, peeled and chopped
- 3 handfuls of baby spinach
- Filtered water to blend
Put all the above into a blender. Blend well on a high-speed setting. Pour into a glass and drink immediately.
Grape, Raspberry, Apple and Spinach
- 1 good handful of red grapes
- 1 punnet of raspberries
- 1 small chopped apple
- A good handful of baby spinach
- Filtered water to blend
Put all the above into a blender. Blend well on a high-speed setting. Pour into a glass and drink immediately.
Blueberry, Pineapple and Spinach
- 200g blueberries
- A slice of fresh pineapple chopped
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- Filtered water to blend
Put all the above into a blender. Blend well on a high-speed setting. Pour into a glass and drink immediately.
Post-exercise meals and snacks
When looking for more solid meal options or on-the-go snacks, here are some great choices…
- A bowl of oat porridge with coconut yogurt, nuts or seeds
- A large rice (or quinoa) and lentil/bean salad, with fresh fruit to follow
- Baked sweet potato with a butterbean topping and salad
- Wholegrain bagels or pitta breads filled with sliced avocado, hummus and salad
- A large bowl of vegetable soup with a side of hummus, vegetable crudité and salad
- A tofu and vegetable stir-fry
- Rice cakes and oatcakes spread with almond butter or peanut butter and banana slices
- Healthy cereal/energy bars such as Trek Bars and Nakd bars
- Fresh chopped fruit in tubs – bananas, cored and sliced apples, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi fruits, and peeled satsumas
- Make-your-own snack packs of raisins, goji berries, dates, figs, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, coconut shavings and dried apple slices
Be sure to check out Part 1 of Foods for post-exercise recovery.
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