Dang… it’s been one heckuva busyyyyy summer for the Nutrition Mechanics! I know we’re not alone. Ya’ll have been rockin’ and rollin’ out there too!
With the busy-ness of the summer, the time to prepare pre-workout fueling cannot take the back burner. We still gotta fuel the beast (ahem, that’s you and me) to get the most out of our workouts and training program.
One of my Go To smoothies lately involves two of my favorite items in life, coffee and cookies. Okay, not literally, but almost. This drinkable involves one of my trusted and long-lasting energy sources, the UCAN Energy + Protein powder, in the Cookies & Cream flavor. #delish
The other primary ingredient is coffee… ‘cuz, need I say more? In this recipe, I use leftover coffee from the day before. I often make a little extra or simply don’t drink as much as I had planned, so I’ll stick it in the fridge for the next day. Then it’s quick to add to the blender the next day for early morning training.
Depending on the workout, I may add extra carbohydrate from fruit. For example, for a long trail run (4+ hours), I’ll add banana. It goes down easy and it reminds me of a frappuccino. Here’s the recipe for what I’m calling the Coffee Cookie UCAN Smoothie:
Ingredients:
8 oz (240 ml) unsweetened organic soy milk*
6-8 oz leftover cold coffee
2 scoops UCAN Cookies & Cream
fresh or frozen banana
handful of ice
Add ingredients to your blender and whirl it up. Enjoy!
*Recipe note:
If you don’t do soy, try to use a milk that has >7 grams of protein per serving in it. This can be cow, goat, or one of the other protein-fortified non-dairy milk options (Ripple brand, for example).
Basic nutrition info:
380 calories
56 grams carbohydrate
5 grams fiber
28 grams protein
5 grams fat
~2 to 1 ratio of carb to protein
This is a refreshing, hydrating, simple to make blend (and easy to digest!) for all you coffee lovers. And it gives you just the right combo of carbohydrate and protein to get ya out the door and doing your thang!
Let me know if you try it or what other concoctions you like to make with your leftover coffee.
-Dina