Happy Friday everyone! “Smoothie Corner” continues today with another delicious recipe contributed by Barb. Stay tuned for a few more of her cool concoctions to be posted here in coming weeks. 

This is a great “hard workout” recovery smoothie OR a healthy sweet treat (You decide! ?)

Digestion can be a little compromised directly after a difficult workout or race. And, on top of that, food can appear unappetizing. However, we know how important it is to get good quality and quantity nutrition in during that first 45 minute window after an intense workout for recovery and repair. This properly sets us up for our next training session so we can execute the next workout effectively. This becomes even more important when we are doing double or even triple workouts in a day during an ironman or endurance training block.

Let’s say you swam an ocean, pedaled up the hundredth hill and pounded the pavement for miles, until you felt the burn — Now, it’s time to refuel. Remember:

“Your workout’s not complete until you eat” 

This is where smoothies can be very helpful. Liquid meals may be better tolerated by the GI tract straight after a high-intensity workout. They also help in hydration, have a great cooling effect on your body, and make it easier to get the amount of protein you need for muscle repair, carbohydrates for glycogen replenishment, and micronutrients to support the immune system.

Personally, I love green smoothies but I recognize that those who are newer to the smoothie game might want to slowly work towards the green monsters (tasty monsters though ?). So, here is a “non-green” creamy oatmeal smoothie with almond butter and banana. It’s packed with the perfect portions of nutrients, calories, and hydration that are essential for athletic recovery and performance after those hard workouts and best of all, it tastes like a cookie!!!

The Almond Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie 

Ingredients:

• 1 Scoop Whey Protein – or any protein source you like – like Greek Yogurt, Silken Tofu, pea protein, egg protein or even cricket protein – Really limitless options – Just make sure it’s at least close to a 20 gram dose
  
• 1 Frozen Banana
• 1 Tbsp. Almond Butter
• 1/4 Cup of Oats
• 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or any liquid alternative (even water is ok here)
• 1/2 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 Tsp. sea salt (don’t skip this! It makes the oatmeal pop!)

Preparation prep time: 5 mins

Throw all ingredients into a blender and blitz for 30-60 seconds until creamy (Note:  if it’s a little runny the blended oats will thicken over a 10-15 min period)

Alternatiely, you can prep the night before by adding all ingredients to a bowl or your blender and give it a stir to ensure that everything is well combined. Cover and place in fridge overnight and blend in the morning. 

310 calories, 29 g protein, 32 g carbs, 7 g fat

Did you know…

Oatmeal is a seriously underrated smoothie ingredient! A healthy source of complex carbohydrates and protein for muscle repair and glycogen recovery. This “flaky friend” also has an amazing satiating ability.  Oats are naturally gluten-free, but may be contaminated with gluten during growing and processing. Make sure you look for oats certified gluten-free if you are sensitive to gluten. They contain a unique type of fiber, beta glucan, which can aid heart health, help manage diabetes and some preliminary research suggests that beta-glucan may strengthen the immune system and knock out viruses and even activate a number of cells and proteins that fight cancer!

Fun Fact… There are competitions for pretty much everything these days, right? Well, that includes oatmeal. The World Porridge Making Championship draws oatmeal-lovers from all over. Even the folks at Bob’s Red Mill get into the act heading to Scotland to compete! On Oct 11, 2016 – Bob Moore, founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, won the 23rd Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland ?

Almond Butter  Provides us with healthy fats and protein. Not so much fat that it slows our glucose absorption but just enough to give us the touch of richness the smoothie recipe needs to taste satisfying and delicious. This satisfying dose of protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats is key to overall health.  Any kind of creamy nut butter will work here so feel free to use your favorite!

Frozen Banana  Provides restoration of those essential electrolytes we lose when we sweat – potassium and magnesium. They also provide us with carbs for glycogen replenishment and fiber to promote gut health.

Almond Milk  Helps aid in the creamy effect without over doing the carbohydrate component.

I hope you enjoy this smoothie! Check out other recipes