Chocolate Protein Smoothie

What you eat before and after a workout plays an important role in your performance and recovery. Before a workout, you want to have stamina and energy to be able to train at your highest potential. Following a workout, your bodies need to be nourished to help the muscles recover and reap all the benefits of the workout session.

A smoothie is the perfect way to gather all the nutrients your body needs to give you a boost before a workout, or recover prior to one.

The key nutrients that should be included are:

• Magnesium: for muscle contraction and recovery.
• Potassium: helps transmit nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
• Iron: transports oxygen to all the cells in the body. Oxygen is important for the production of energy in the cells.
• Calcium: an essential mineral for bone health and muscle contraction.
• Protein: important for muscle tissue recovery and formation.
• Healthy fats: good for brain health, reduces inflammation and helps absorb certain vitamins.
• Complex carbohydrates: cells require glucose to produce energy. Carbohydrates break down into glucose, therefore, they’re essential to provide energy.

This chocolate protein smoothie is the perfect smoothie pre or post workout as it contains all the essential nutrients your body needs. The raw form of cacao powder is a superfood that has many beneficial properties. It’s the key ingredient in this smoothie, as it gives the chocolatey taste, without being unhealthy.

Chocolate Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plant-based milk
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon hemp protein
• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 medjool date

Optional topping:

• 1 teaspoon of cacao nibs to give an extra crunch.

Preparation:

1. Peel the banana, cut into pieces and add to blender.
2. Depit the medjool date and add alongside all the other ingredients into the blender.
3. Blend until smooth and serve into a glass.
4. Sprinkle some cacao nibs on top to add an extra crunch.

Once you try this delicious chocolate protein smoothie, you’ll look forward to working out, just to have this treat!

Related articles:

• What to have before, during and after exercise
• 10 nutritional tips for sports people
• 7 superfoods for optimum health