This recipe is delicious and makes a great post-workout snack, just a regular snack between meals, or breakfast!
Why?
Protein
Protein is necessary for rebuilding muscle and helps muscles recover from activity, making it great post-workout. Protein also increases satiety (feeling of fullness), making it a healthy snack if you find yourself hungry between meals, or breakast to keep you satiated through the morning. It keeps hunger at bay without making you feel too full.
Carbohydrates
The carbohydrates in this smoothie are primarily coming from fruit. Carbohydrates also help muscles repair and recover from activity. I have said this before and I will continue to say that carbohydrates are not bad, especially those from fruit, which include fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals - all healthy things you want along with your carbohydrates. I would not, however, recommend solely fruit as your post-workout carbohydate source if your activity was very long and/or intense. The muscles prefer glucose for recovery. Fruit contains roughly half glucose, half fructose. So, if you've really depleted your glycogen stores, opt for more starch than fruit post-workout.
Because these carbohydrates contain fiber, they will help with satiety as well, making them a great snack or breakfast that won't leave you hungry soon after eating.
Healthy fats
Healthy fats in this smoothie come from peanut butter. Fats, like protein, are also filling and keep hunger at bay. Fats are higher in calories - now before you dismiss this entire recipe, this is not a bad thing. We need calories to help refuel our bodies from activity, especially that of strenous workouts. Additionally, if we are hungry, our bodies want calories. There is no sense in trying to trick our bodies into eating fewer calories when that's what they really want. So, we add some, but not too many.
Vitamins & Minerals
All ingredients in this smoothie have health benefits due to their vitamin and mineral content, spinach being king. Spinach is a great source of iron and magnesium (1), which aid in exercise by helping oxygen get to our cells due iron, and helps our muscles recover due to magnesium. This vegetable is also high in anti-oxidants. Activity is pro-inflammatory, which is not a negative thing in this sense because exercise is short-term. Chronic inflammation is what we want to be watchful for. Regardless, anti-oxidants do help our bodies recover from this short term, exercise-induced inflammation. Antioxidants also help to boost immune system, and decrease risk of chronic disease and cancer. They are not solely beneficial during the post-workout time period.
The serving of strawberries in this recipe give us over half our daily needs for vitamin C! They also contain high amounts of antioxidants, which have cardiovascular benefits by decreasing lipid hyperoxides, which, in excess, can damage blood vessels (2).
Bananas are great due to their cardiovascular and digestive benefits, but they have also been shown to benefit athletic performance (3) and prevent/reduce muscle cramps due to their potassium content, making them great for both pre and/or post-workout.
Peanuts are great for brain and heart health and they also have a high antioxidant content (4).
RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries (or raw strawberries + 1/2 cup ice cubes)
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1-2 Tbs peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a blender in order listed.
Blend until smooth and well-combined.
Enjoy!
Sources
Spinach. World's Healthiest Foods. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43
Strawberries. World's Healthiest Foods. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=32
Bananas. World's Healthiest Foods. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7
Peanuts. World's Healthiest Foods. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=101.
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