Foods for post-exercise recovery pt. 2

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.