It’s true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this is because when you wake up your body has been without food for (hopefully) eight hours, so you need to refuel and get ready for the day ahead of you. The same goes for after a good workout, it is essential to get the proper nutrients to fuel your body’s recovery. Smoothies are a delicious way to do exactly that, with very little time and effort! All you need is the right ingredients and a blender. The elements of a great smoothie for after you have finished exercising include protein and carbohydrates. These two macronutrients are essential first thing in the morning or after any workout because they help fuel your body for the day and can aid in recovery after exercise by slowing the breakdown of muscles and actually helping the growth of new muscle. Here are a few delicious smoothie recipes that include our one and only smoothie staple: bananas!! It is worth mentioning that the trick to a delicious smoothie with the perfect consistency, is waiting until your bananas are nice and ripe before chopping them up and throwing them in the freezer.

Banana, Kale & Chia Smoothie

Recipe from Skinny Taste

This smoothie has nutrient packed ingredients, both kale and bananas contain fiber which will keep you full for hours, as well as potassium which , and tons of other vitamins that have many other benefits. Kale is also known to contain chlorophyll which is believed to help with detoxification, immune health and gut health.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Frozen Banana

1-2 Pitted Dates

⅕ Tbsp Chia Seeds

¾ Cup of Chopped Kale Leaves

1 Small Handful Ice

½ Cup Milk or Milk Alternative

(Optional): 1 Serving of your favorite protein powder

Instructions:

1. First pit your dates or make sure you have an already pitted date and chop up your kale leaves for easier blending.
2. Next, add pitted dates, chopped kale leaves, frozen banana, chia seeds and milk then blend on medium for about 15-20 seconds until fairly smooth.
3. Then, add ice and blend on high for a minute or until desired consistency is reached.
4. Pour into a glass and enjoy (:

PB Banana Smoothie

A peanut butter lovers dream! This smoothie is full of filling carbs and healthy fats from the peanut butter. Feel free to substitute other types of nut butter, if peanut butter isn’t your thing. This is a recipe that is so simple it can be whipped up in just a couple of minutes and is so delicious you’ll think it’s unhealthy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Frozen Banana

1 Tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Handful Ice

¾ Cup Milk or Milk Alternative

(Optional): 1 Serving Protein Powder

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Then pour into a glass.

Banana, Cinnamon, Almond Smoothie

Recipe from Cookie + Kate

This smoothie recipe is a bit more complex with more ingredients, but it is well worth it! Not only is it full of healthy fats from the almonds and sugars from the dates, but the almond extract adds a special touch that makes this smoothie taste just like cake batter! However, if you aren’t too keen on the almond extract, try adding vanilla extract instead.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Frozen Banana

1-2 Pitted Dates

1 Cup Almond Milk

1 Tbsp Almond Butter

½ Tsp Almond Extract

1 Dash of Cinnamon (to taste)

1 Small handful of ice

(Optional): 1 Serving Protein Powder

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender and let is blitz until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour into a glass and add a dash of cinnamon and a few almond slivers for garnish.

Banana Lassi

This banana twist on the classic Indian Lassi is delicious and super simple to make, in fact you likely have the ingredients to make this treat already at home! Here’s a tip when it comes to this recipe: If you’re bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, add a bit of honey or a couple of dates for sweetness. After a sweaty workout or on a hot summer day we recommend adding some ice cubes for an extra chilly and refreshing lassi.

1 Cup Plain Unsweetened Yogurt

1-2 Chopped Overripe Bananas

½ Cup Whole Milk or Full Fat Milk Alternative

1 Dash of Ground Cardamom

Optional: Honey (To taste)

Optional: Ice Cubes

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth
2. Pour and enjoy!

Tropical Berry Banana Smoothie

If you’re looking for a sweeter, fruitier smoothie look no further. This tropical berry banana smoothie is sure to be the perfect refreshing treat to satisfy your sweet craving after a tough workout. To make this smoothie even more delicious, try adding a couple scoops of plain yogurt for a richer, creamier smoothie!

1 Frozen Banana

1 ½ Cup Berries of choice

½ Cup Pineapple

½ Cup Pineapple or other fruit juice

1 Small handful ice cubes

(Optional): 2 Large scoops of plain yogurt

Hopefully these recipes have given you some inspiration to get out there and make some healthy and delicious smoothies. Of course, you can mix it up and add whatever you feel like or substitute things for ingredients you may not like, it’s all up to your imagination. For a more protein rich smoothie, add your favorite protein powder, or if you want more superfoods in your smoothie you can add ingredients such as chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, goji berries or acai for additional vitamins and antioxidants. When life becomes busy, it can be easy to just skip a meal or choose to eat a quicker and less nutritious option. Smoothies are a great, time efficient way to ensure you are giving your body the best fuel that it needs to keep you active and well functioning. So the next time you wake up with little time to spare or get home from a workout and are craving an easy, low effort snack, come back to any of these recipes. You can even meal prep these smoothies by preparing all of the ingredients ahead of time and storing them in a tupperware or plastic in the freezer, then when you’re ready just grab the ingredients and blend!