New Recipe: Ultimate Recovery Smoothie.

Like pretty much everything involving nutrition, people have very strong opinions about recovery meals. Some say that the 30-45 minute window following a workout is absolutely critical for refueling your body, while others claim that is a myth. I have no desire to enter that fray, or argue one way or another about it (my mind is made up, see below). Do some research, experiment and make up your own mind.

I am 100% in the post-workout recovery meal camp. Aside from the well-documented results I’ve achieved over the past 10+ years, when I’m done with a hard workout (and I’m talking about any kind of intense physical workout–everything from weight training to running to cycling and so on), my body is screaming for food. So, putting aside any academic arguments, I always say that you should listen to your body. When I’m done training, my body is telling me something loud and clear: “I NEED FOOD–NOW!”

I know a few people who prefer a solid post-workout meal, but most like the convenience of a shake or smoothie. For me, nothing hits the spot like a tasty and quickly absorbed recovery shake. I generally consume a recovery shake as soon as possible after completing a workout, and then have a solid meal 1 – 1.5 hours later.

I’ve made countless different smoothies and shakes over the years, some good, some great and some that tasted like puke (memories of gagging down unflavored hydrolyzed whey protein shakes come to mind).

This morning I’d like to present a smoothie recipe that I found and then tweaked until it was “perfect” for me (both nutritionally and taste-wise).

 

I call this the Ultimate Recovery Smoothie (printable version available on linked page).

The ingredients are simple:

• 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 medium banana, frozen
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1 Scoop (30g) vanilla protein powder
• 10-15 drops liquid Stevia (or 1 packet of sweetener)
• 1 cup ice (about 9 cubes)

Simply toss all that in your blender, and blend until smooth. I use and recommend the Blendtec Total Blender.

I suggest that you peel the banana before freezing (I freeze several peeled bananas at once in a large freezer bag).

Of course you should feel free to add/subtract ingredients based on your own tastes and recovery needs.

This shake will deliver 400 calories, 32g protein, 41g carbohydrates and 15g fat. You won’t believe how good it tastes, either.

Here’s the complete nutritional breakdown:

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 400
Total Fat 15g
Saturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 414mg
Potassium 762mg
Total Carbohydrate 41g
Dietary Fiber 8g
Sugars 16g
Protein 32g

 

You can always find this recipe (along with many more) in the recipe section of this site. Links to printable versions are included for each recipe.