Sunday, April 5, 2015

Try a Protein Smoothie After Your Next Run

Well, it's that time of year again. The days are getting warmer, the sun stronger, and my craving for cold, satisfying smoothies is back full force.

I have two go-to protein smoothies right now that hit the spot depending on how I'm feeling - a tropical smoothie for when I'm craving a light, refreshing drink, and a chocolate peanut butter recipe perfect for when I want something a bit more indulgent and substantial. Both are jam packed with good-for-me ingredients, and vegan. (But they're just as creamy as any with yogurt)

I like to add protein to ensure I'm getting enough as low levels can mean fatigue, decreased muscle mass, and an increased risk of injury. 

Note that with my smoothie recipes, all measurements are approximate - use as much liquid as you need to create the consistency you want. Thankfully making these are pretty easy - all it takes is combining the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. 

Tropical Sunrise Protein Smoothie
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup coconut water
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/4 cup frozen mango
  • 1 thin slice avocado
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp. ground flax seed
  • 2 pinches of shredded coconut (1 pinch to blend, 1 for garnish)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut water
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/3 cup frozen mango
  • 3 - 4 frozen strawberries
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 2 tsp. peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. ground flax seed

Both recipes make a smoothie that's about 10oz. So if you've just finished a long run or tough workout, you may want to have a piece of toast or handful of almonds as well. 

If you're wondering, I used Vanilla Spiru-tein shake and Vega Protein & Greens (Chocolate)

Daily Burn is working with bloggers and others this month to spread the word about great protein shake recipes, so look for more at #ShowUsYourShake

You can find links to my other smoothie recipes here.

What are your favorite smoothie ingredients? * What do you crave after a run or tough workout on a warm day?

2 comments:

Lisa said...

Spinach and half a banana are must-haves in my smoothies. They serve as the base for almost everything, spinach especially.


What do I crave after a long run on a warm day? An acai smoothie bowl from juice generation....yum!

Lisa said...

I also love spinach in my smoothies but haven't done that for a while - I'm not sure why really. I used to drink a green smoothie every morning for breakfast. Maybe I burned out on them and just need to get back into that groove.


That acai smoothie bowl you speak of sounds SO amazing. Next time I'm in NYC we must go there together so you can introduce me to this.