Healthy Smoothie Recipes For Runners

We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us. And most of us – especially if you’re an active adult – should be getting at least five servings of these fruits and veggies on a daily basis. But’s that’s not always easy to do, given the busy lifestyles of today.

This is where you can incorporate smoothies into your meal plan! But what should you be putting into a smoothie to get the maximum benefits? This depends on your personal goals, be it weight loss or endurance training.

Some of the benefits of smoothies include:

Promotes weight loss
Quick and easy to make
Can be used as a meal or a snack
Aids muscle growth
Helps control blood sugar levels
Can be made to target your specific nutritional needs

Many people ask which is better, juicing or smoothies? The answer is they are BOTH great choices! But with smoothies you do get more of the phytonutrients plus fiber. It’s just great for you.

Sugar ratio of fruits: The less sugar the better is always a good rule of thumb, whether you are juicing or making a smoothie. The objective is getting the nutrients and micronutrients with less and less sugar. For this reason, you might consider forgoing apples and pears in your smoothie. Apples and pears are extremely affordable and many juicing companies lead with these two fruits for that very reason. So, if you’re buying a juiced product on the shelf from one of these leading natural juice companies, you’ll see that their base is often apple or pear.

Apples and pears have more sugar content per gram than stone fruits (mangos and peaches) and berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries). Because of their low sugar content, berries are also great for weight loss.

Bananas also have a higher sugar content so one half of a banana added to your smoothie will be more than enough.

Try some melons! Melons (honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe) are packed with potassium and minerals and also have a high water content. Typically you want to either add water or a form of milk, preferably a nut milk, to your smoothie depending on how thick you want it. Some people like to eat it with a spoon, some prefer a thinner smoothie they can sip through a straw.

Electrolyte smoothie: If you are looking to do an electrolyte drink, start with watermelon, which is high in potassium and half a banana, also high in potassium. You can also use red beets as a base, high in potassium and other minerals as well, like nitrous oxide. Red beets help to oxygenate the red blood cells so you don’t get those “brick legs” when you’re out running, which is caused by inflammation. Also add in some Himalayan salt, ⅛ teaspoon is enough. This will give you the amount of electrolytes you need for a great run.

Manuka honey: If you do want your smoothie to be a little bit sweeter, try adding some Manuka honey. Manuka honey has a myriad of health benefits but a word of caution, a little goes a long way. Plus one teaspoon of Manuka honey has 15 grams of sugar.

Protein smoothies: If you are really conscious of what you are putting into your body, skip the pre-made protein shakes and the scoops of powdered protein. Instead look to plant-based material such as spirulina, pea and hemp. Spirulina is acknowledged to the the best bio-available and absorbable source of plant-based protein. Rice protein is also a great source as well.

So you can use any one of the 4 plant source proteins (spirulina, pea, hemp or rice) or you can blend them together and use a combination of of any of them, depending on which ones you prefer.

For your protein smoothie, use 15 grams of the plant-based protein and half a banana, peaches or mango as a sweetener. These are great sweeteners to blend with your protein, especially if you are using spirulina.

Word of caution: Spirulina has a fishy note to it. To get rid of this, try adding some citrus fruits, such as oranges or lemon, to your smoothie. Fresh mint is also a good addition to fight off that fishy taste.

Super food options: Don’t be afraid to toss in some extra goodness by adding some superfoods to your smoothie! Things like kale or any green leafy vegetable, turmeric or ginger will not only enhance the flavor but will give you extra vitamins and minerals as well.

Healthy fats: Don’t forget your smoothie also needs a healthy fat! Avocadoes work well as they add to the creamy texture. Coconut oil is also another healthy option.

Spices: Spice up your smoothie! Add vanilla, red pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, curcumin or any other spice you like! Believe it or not, a touch of cinnamon makes a huge difference in terms of taste and experience of your smoothie.

Making smoothies is super easy, anyone can do it!

And if you want an easy, on-the-go solution for your electrolyte needs, Hyburst is the best solution you can buy. Years of experience and research went into creating Hyburst, the goal being to create a healthy product that would provide people with an incredible energized life as well as to contribute to a healthy planet by eliminating plastic waste.