The Perfect Post Workout & Recovery Smoothie
In search of making a “Great” recovery smoothie for after the morning workouts I came up with this recipe. Comments are encouraged – maybe someone will have an idea that will make it even better!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 small banana or 1/2 of a large one
- 1 scoop protein powder (I prefer Monster Milk Mocha Latte)
- 2 tablespoons Oat Bran
- 1 tablespoon wheat germ
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- Ice & water to desired consistency (I use about 2 cups of ice and 1 cup of water – makes the shake very filling and re-hydrating)
Put all into a blender and give it a spin for a minute or two. Yum!
Nutrition info (calculated using Cytosport Monster Milk Mocha Latte protein powder):
- 400 calories (a good size for a post-workout breakfast substitute)
- Calorie ratio (fat:carbs:protein) 24:46:30
- 11 grams of fat (mostly dependent on the protein powder)
- 2 grams saturated fat
- 8 mg cholesterol (again from the protein powder)
- 350 mg sodium
- 50 g carbohydrates
- 11 g fiber (great!)
- 17 g sugars
- 32 g protein
- 576 iu vitamin A
- 10 mg vitamin C
- 2,000 mg calcium (twice your daily need!)
- 3 mg iron (35%)
- 2 mg vitamin B-6 (200%)
- 18 mcg vitamin B-12 (750%)
- 100 mg caffeine
Thoughts / notes:
- I like the Mocha Latte flavor of Monster Milk because not only does it taste great, but it contains caffeine. Caffeine helps speed glycogen recovery in the muscles and reduces soreness.
- Monster Milk is also a favorite because it has added amino acids (BCAA and L-Glutamine) – but substitute your favorite!
- Wheat Germ is added for the known benefits of increasing testosterone levels.
- Ground Flax is added for the fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, lignans, and fiber.
- Oat Bran has many benefits including lowering your cholesterol. This added fiber (and the protein powder) also helps satiate your appetite for quite a while.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk has a ton of benefits and a fraction of the calories of skim milk. Yes, it’s missing the protein in skim milk – but we get enough of that from the protein powder supplement. And you body can only process about 20 – 30 grams of protein at a time, any more is just a waste of calories. Any soy milk has a lot of negative effects for guys. I like the Silk brand – only 35 calories per cup and a great texture / thickness.
- I add a good bit of water and ice. You may want to reduce this for a sweeter taste of thicker shake but I like it after a hard workout.
- If you like coffee but have a different brand / flavor of protein powder consider throwing in some instant coffee like Via from Starbucks – instant healthy frappuccino!
- Bananas are almost essential to the smoothie. They add a texture like no other fruit I know. Plus the carbs are great for glycogen recovery, not to mention the potassium, fiber and vitamin B-6.
- 400 calories is a big breakfast. Just remember breakfast should be the largest meal of the day. And the main purpose of this smoothie is post-workout recovery, not for sitting on the couch! 😉
- Change things up if it gets boring! Try adding greek yogurt, honey, berries, peanut butter, almond butter, etc.
Got any suggestions? Please comment below, I’d love to hear them.
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