By Rachael Mack Sport Nutrition
Smoothies are the ultimate performance fuel. They are easy to digest, which makes them perfect for before or after training. They are easily adaptable based on what you have on hand and your personal nutrition needs.
Not hungry after a training session? High intensity exercise can blunt hunger cues, but it is still important to eat within an hour of activity for proper recovery. The perfect recovery smoothie has carbohydrate, protein, and color (fruit & vegetables), all of which are essential for maintaining performance day in and day out.
How to build a performance smoothie:
- Pick a base: milk, juice, or water
- Cows milk and soy milk both provide protein and calcium.
- Juice is an easy way to boost the carbohydrate content without adding extra volume.
- Water is great for lower calorie smoothie.
- Pick a vegetable
- Greens greens greens! Smoothies are a great way to get in extra greens such as spinach and kale, and both provide micronutrients important for immune function and bone health.
- Pick a fruit
- Fruit is packed with carbohydrate, the primary energy source for activity. Frozen fruit works best for smoothies. Frozen pineapple, mango, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and bananas are just some of the options available in most freezer sections. You can also freeze leftover fruit at home to reduce food waste.
- Pick a protein
- Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, & protein powder all work well in smoothies. Look to get in at least 20g of protein in smoothies being used for recovery from training.
- Add the extras
- Peanut butter, cinnamon, ground flax, and chia seeds can add flavor and texture to a smoothie.
Example: PB & J Smoothie
3/4 cup milk of choice
1 cups frozen blueberries
1 large handful spinach
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
This PB&J smoothie tastes just like your favorite sandwich! Looking to add calories? Double the peanut butter. Looking for a lower calorie option? Use water as the base.