The Ultimate Post-Workout Smoothie

I have been working out for as long as I can remember. My focus was always to maintain a healthy weight and build up endurance. More recently, I have been focusing on strength. I have been doing a lot of weights, and increasing my muscle mass. Protein helps rebuild muscles, which is why most athletes like to have a protein shake after a workout. 

Since my interest in strength has grown, I have perfected the ultimate post-workout smoothie. This smoothie is approximately 200 calories, and contains 23 g of protein. It is also relatively low in sugar and surpasses your daily requirements of vitamin C. 

The best thing about this smoothie is that it actually tastes good! It's sweet, but not overpowering, and the consistency and texture are spot on.

This smoothie will leave you wanting to workout again, just so you can make more!

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Fresh and/or Frozen Fruit

My favourite combination is fresh strawberries, and frozen mangoes. If you choose to add all fresh fruit, I would recommend adding a few ice cubes to the recipe, just to make the smoothie more refreshing. 

2. 3 tbsp. 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt

The Source 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt is my absolute favourite. I have been a lover of greek yogurt for quite some time, and I love this fat free option. I only add half of a serving, because it just aids to the overall texture of the smoothie.

3. 1.5 scoops Whey Protein Powder

I would not recommend the protein powder I used. This power is sweetened with sucralose, which is a chemical used to replace sugar. I typically use a flavour-less powder, but this is all I had at the time. I also only use half of the typical serving. You should adjust the amount of protein you use based on your body size, and workout regimen. Too much protein can cause negative health affects, and too little protein will have no effect!

4. 0.5 cup Coconut Water

Coconut water has been my most recent food obsession. It has a very unique taste, which I am not a huge fan of. I add coconut water to improve the consistency of my smoothie, and once it is all blended together, you can barely taste it! Coconut water is high in potassium, and also contains no fat. 

Those are all the ingredients! The next step is to blend it all together...

And there you go!

Nutrition Facts:

• 202.5 calories/serving
• 23.0 g protein/serving
• 18.0 g sugar/serving
• 240 mg potassium/serving
• 105% daily recommendation of vitamin C

Notes:

• I am posting this recipe to provide ingredients and proportions. You can alter the recipe to your liking (i.e. adding more protein, using a different fruit, using a flavoured yogurt)
• Nutrition facts are based on Canadian standards 

If you try this recipe, or have your own favourite protein smoothie, please comment below and let me know!

- Amy