My All Time Favourite Post Workout Green Smoothie

I have a green smoothie almost every single day. Yet I realized the other day that I don't have a single recipe up on my blog. How can I rave on to you guys about the amazing benefits of slurping green smoothies without actually providing you with the tools to do so yourself? Shame on me...

So here it goes: my all-time favorite go-to post workout green smoothie recipe.

As this is my first smoothie recipe for you guys, I didn't want to overcomplicate things and created a very simple recipe that doesn't require fancy smancy superfoods of any sort. I like to whip this one up either as breakfast or post-workout snack as it's beautifully filling and has all the nutrients needed to kickstart your day and/or to help your body recover after a good workout. If you're new to the world of green smoothies and are still in the stage of ewwww-but-it's-green-how-can-this-possibly-taste-good, then this is the perfect drink for you to get started on. I promise, it won't bite!

If you want to step it up a bit, feel free to add in your favourite fancy superfood or other nutritional supplement based on what your body is craving. Ever since doing my holistic health coaching course at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (you can read more here and here too), I’ve become super attuned to my cravings and use them as a pointer as to what nutrients my body is missing. I then adjust my morning smoothie accordingly - for example, if I’m craving B&J’s ice cream, I know my body might actually just be craving healthy fats and I add in a teaspoon of coconut oil to the smoothie. If I’m craving chocolate, maybe that’s my body telling me it needs magnesium, so I’ll make sure to add in some extra nuts, seeds and/or leafy green vegetables.

A smoothie is the perfect thing to consume after a workout because it allows for a quick delivery of nutrients to your muscle cells without the need for a great deal of energy for digestion. It is the best way to deliver maximum nutrients in a quick-to-digest format!

So, what should a good post workout green smoothie consist of?

A natural and sugar-free liquid base
A clean protein source
Healthy carbs
Leavy greens

By the way: after a workout your muscle's glycogen stores are depleted, so including healthy carbohydrates in your post-workout recovery fuel is equally as import as adding protein.

And since you are already getting natural sugar from the healthy carbs, make sure that your liquid base doesn't include any hidden sugars. For this recipe, I used Inside/Out Nutritious Goods unsweetened almond milk, because I know it doesn't contain any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Only a pinch of the natural sweetener Natvia!

Whether you’re looking for a post-workout recovery drink, healthy breakfast or a snack in between, this one is for you. It is:

〰 Creamy

〰 Rich

〰 Chocolate-y

〰 Perfectly sweet

〰 Loaded with protein, fiber, healthy fats