Sip on This Electrolyte Smoothie After Your Next Hot, Sweaty Run
A refreshing post-run recipe from nutrition coach, chef, and two-time New York Times best-selling author Elyse Kopecky.
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Every ingredient in this smoothie was carefully selected for maximum electrolyte replacement and easy digestion after a hot summer run.
The electrolytes that your body depletes while running, especially on a hot day, include sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Watermelon, mango, beets, coconut water, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and a pinch of salt will ensure you’re sipping the full spectrum.
Electrolyte Smoothie Recipe
This recipe is gluten free. To make it vegan, substitute non-dairy yogurt or nut milk for the whole milk yogurt. Makes about 40 ounces.
2 cups chopped seedless watermelon
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 steamed beet, peeled*
1 cup coconut water
1 cup ice cubes
1/3 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 lime, optional
In a blender, place the watermelon, mango, beet, coconut water, ice, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and salt. Blend on high speed for several minutes until smooth. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste, and garnish with a lime slice, if desired.
*The best technique to cook beets to preserve nutrients is to steam them. Place a steamer basket inside a pot, add enough water just to fill the bottom. Quarter the beets, then place the beets in the basket, cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. Allow the beets to cool, peel them, and store cooked beets in the fridge for up to five days.
Elyse Kopecky is a nutrition coach, chef, and two-time New York Times best-selling author. In her new exclusive “Food Is Fuel” monthly column, the co-author of Run Fast. Eat Slow. and Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. will explore everything women want to know about how to fuel—from breakfast to snacks, to recovery, and on-the-go foods. Have a topic you’d like to have Elyse talk about? Email us at editorial@womensrunning.com.