Dairy-free 'Snickers' Protein Shake!

not an appropriate sports nutrition snack!

I used to like Snickers bars when I was younger but obviously they contain dairy which I don't consume any more and needless to say they're not very healthy!

I can remember when they used to be called 'Marathon' (really showing my age, aren't I?). I wonder whether they changed the name because it was misleading people into thinking they are an appropriate sports nutrition snack for running a marathon, when they're really not great!  Some types of high-intensity exercise require that we have some fast-releasing sugar but there are better ways to achieve this than snickers bars!

I've been doing fairly high intensity exercise with my personal training at the gym. I'm mainly trying to lose fat at the moment but it's important that I have sufficient protein to allow my muscles to recover after a hard workout.  So I came up with a smoothie idea that contains 30+grams of protein, 1 of your 5 a day, healthy carbohydrates, anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants, all of which are important for exercise performance and recovery. Oh and that tastes very nice also!

Ingredients:

this vanilla soya milk
is tha shiznit, get it delivered
from Abel and Cole!

• 250ml Soya, Almond or Coconut milk (not the cooking kind). Choose whichever is appropriate for you depending on taste preferences and/or allergies but be aware that almond and coconut milk alternatives are lower in protein than soya milk.  It's a good idea to choose varieties fortified with calcium and with around 4- 5g sugar per 100ml which is what you'd get in cow's milk. I made it with unsweetened almond milk once and it tasted a bit bitter.
• One dessertspoon (around 10ml) Flax oil (do keep it in the fridge to preserve it!) Great source of essential omega 3 fats
• 20g peanut butter. Great source of protein, B vitamins and vitamin E and gives that 'snickers' taste!
• 15g cocoa powder.  Good source of iron and magnesium (you can use raw cacao if you can afford it, even higher in antioxidants!)
• 1 banana. A source of vitamin B6, potassium, carbohydrates and fibre
• 25g pea protein. Affordable, hypoallergenic and versatile source of protein that doesn't have much of a strong taste or texture in this smoothie

Simply blend all ingredients together in a food processor or smoothie maker. I like to add the liquid ingredients first, then the banana and then the powdered stuff but it doesn't really matter!

This nourishing shake is to be enjoyed guilt-free!

much more likely to be helpful
in marathon running than
a snickers bar!