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Recipe: Tahini pomegranate protein shake
This tahini pomegranate protein shake is a great post-workout drink, breakfast or snack for those keen on trying new flavour combinations. As written, this recipe is not super sweet. If you have a sweet tooth, feel free to use sweetened protein powder (e.g. vanilla) or add your preferred sweetener to taste. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made dairy-free depending on the protein powder you use. The nutritional information is based on True Protein whey protein isolate.
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Recipe: Coffee tahini protein smoothie
Coffee protein smoothies are my favourite quick meal after morning workouts. While shaking protein powder into coffee is the quickest version, this coffee tahini protein smoothie is probably the tastiest. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made dairy-free based on the protein powder. I use True Protein WPI French Vanilla. I love how it tastes when mixed with coffee but you could use other flavours in this shake, for example: chocolate, salted caramel or natural. You can also mix 1/2 scoop of natural with 1/2 scoop of flavoured for a less sweet shake. Besides being a great post-workout shake, you can enjoy this drink as breakfast if smoothies are…
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Recipe: Beetroot and orange 3 ways
This is a choose-your-own-adventure recipe for a drink you can make when you have an orange and cooked beetroot on hand. Either way, the result is vibrant in colour, packed with nutrients and full of flavour. You can use packed cooked beetroot or leftover unseasoned cooked beetroot if you have it in the fridge. Option #1 is an any time/pre-workout version. It is a good source of carbohydrates and fluid. Option #2 is a breakfast/post-workout version. Besides the carbs and fluid, it contains protein to aid with satiety, muscle maintenance and/or post-exercise recovery. You can choose any unflavoured/natural protein powder, either whey or plant based. Option #3 is an alcoholic…
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Product review: Seedlip drinks
Seedlip drinks are an alcohol-free alternative for those people who enjoy botanical-based spirits. They are great simply paired with tonic or soda water or incorporated in more elaborate cocktails. Seedlip drinks Seedlip makes alcohol-free sugar-free distilled spirits based on a variety of botanicals. They can be considered a zero-alcohol alternative to gin (although the manufacturer informs they don’t use juniper in their production process so technically it cannot be called “gin”). These drinks have been produced in London since 2015 and are now available in several countries, including Australia. The currently available flavours include: Grove 42 (citrus): with Mediterranean orange, lemon peel, lemongrass and ginger Spice 94 (aromatics): with allspice,…
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Product review: Nutriboost
Nutriboost is a high protein flavoured milk drink made with no added sugar. It is enriched with fibre and vitamin D and has a 5 health star rating. Nutriboost Nutriboost is made by infamous Coca-Cola Company. Before you stop reading, remember that they also make water, juice and other not-so-bad-for-you beverages. Nutriboost is enriched with milk proteins, polydextrose as a source of fibre, and vitamin D. It is sweetened with an artificial sweetener. The drink comes in 3 flavours: chocolate, vanilla and banana. It is available at Woolworths supermarkets, and often discounted when buying 5 or more. Ingredients Below are the ingredients lists for the current 3 flavours. Note they…
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Recipe: Kefir banana smoothie
This kefir banana smoothie is a great way to incorporate fermented milk drinks into your diet. It is great for breakfast or as a post-workout drink. You can use any kind of dairy or non-dairy unsweetened kefir or other fermented milk drinks, such as filmjölk or drinking yoghurt. The protein powder is optional, depending on your needs. For example, you can add it if you’re having this smoothie as a post-workout drink or it’s all you’re having for breakfast. I prefer unflavoured protein powder, such as natural whey protein isolate (WPI) from either True Protein or 180 Nutrition. You can also use your favourite unflavoured plant-based protein.
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Recipe: Peruvian hot chocolate
In Perú there’s no such thing as Christmas in July. Instead, we eat and drink all the wintery Christmas stuff in the middle of summer. The large Christmas eve dinner of roasted turkey (or suckling pig), applesauce and/or mash, Russian salad, rice, etc. is followed by hot chocolate and panettone. Peruvian hot chocolate is made with blocks of bitter cooking chocolate that are simmered with spices and then mixed with evaporated milk and sugar. It is not a “light” beverage by any stretch of imagination. However, when the weather cools down, our bodies crave hot beverages that provide energy and comfort. Hence, I’ve created a version of Peruvian hot chocolate…
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Beer as a rehydration drink
Beer is a popular “post-workout” drink. It is not commonly treated as a sports supplement by athletes but as a post-competition reward and social lubricant. Is there any merit in using beer as a rehydration drink? Rehydration Rehydration is essential for recovery and performance. Athletes can lose large amounts of fluids and electrolytes through sweat during training and competition, which need to be replaced accordingly. Thus, rehydration beverages should contain water, sodium, potassium and carbohydrate (1, 2). Sodium and carbohydrate are of particular importance because they help absorb and retain water (2). The actual amounts of each component will depend on the type of event, etc. (1). Nutrients in beer…
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Recipe: Low sugar pisco sour
Today is pisco sour day. The Peruvian national cocktail is celebrated on the first Saturday in February every year since 2005. I published my standard recipe a couple of years ago. I mentioned in passing that you could use water and stevia instead of syrup but did not give any quantities. This year I decided to make myself a low sugar pisco sour using Raw Earth stevia & monk fruit sweetener. A few notes on ratios and ingredients, rehashed from the original article: Finally, even though this drink is low sugar (even “keto”), it doesn’t mean it’s inherently healthy. It is lower in calories and sugar than the original version,…
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Recipe: Lúcuma smoothie
I wrote about lúcuma a while ago (check article here). Just like other foods hailing from the Andes, it is considered a superfood in the first world. For us, it’s just fruit. One of the most common forms of consuming lúcuma in Perú is as a smoothie (called “jugo de lúcuma con leche”), which is naturally thick and sweet. The powder, which is available outside of Perú, doesn’t have the sweetness or texture of the fresh fruit. The solution: frozen banana. You can use any type of milk you like (I used unsweetened almond milk). You can also add some unflavoured protein powder if you’re having it post-workout.
