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Happppppy New Year, everybody!!!
Hope that your 2016 is off to a hopeful and happy start, wherever life may find you.
Though the title of this post may suggest otherwise on a day like today, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not big on making grand new year’s resolutions, especially when it comes to fitness. (Choosing one little word for the year is more my style.) Instead, I’m just looking forward to just trying to keep up my general fitness aim that I’ve had for the past few years — getting my heart rate up high enough to break a sweat each day. On the good days, that means a killer Barre3 workout, or a good yoga classi, or a Mad Men episode’s worth of time on my elliptical. On the busy days, that may just mean a quick few jogs up and down the stairs at the end of the day, or a quick walk around the block with my pup, or a few push-ups. My lifelong resolution is just to try and do at least something each day.
And when I do, I will absolutely admit that I mega look forward to some sort of delicious, energy-packed snack afterwards. More often than not, I just end up reaching for one of my no-bake energy bites, which I like to always keep on hand. But when I’m at home with a blender nearby, I absolutely love blending up a tasty, refreshing, protein-packed green smoothie.
Especially this one.
It’s chocked full of easy everyday ingredients that are good for refueling your energy and electrolytes and all of that good stuff after a workout. It’s ready to go in under 5 minutes. And if you need some motivation to get through a tough workout, I promise, this is a delicious one. So let’s kick off the year with a healthy start!
Post-Workout Green Smoothie Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Alright, the magical ingredients in this one include…
Frozen pineapple: Turns out this sweet treat (one of my favorite smoothie bases) is chocked full of antioxidents that help you recover from workouts quicker, and it includes an enzyme that helps heal inflammation caused by injuiries.
Almond milk (or Greek yogurt): Either of these are full of protein (Greek yogurt has lots more, but I was out the day I made this smoothie, and it’s also not vegan), which is good for replenishing your energy after a tough workout.
Coconut water: A stellar natural source of electrolytes (without all of the added sugars in sports drinks like Gatorade).
Fresh spinach (or any other dark leafy greens): Hello, Popeye! I love spinach in this smoothie because it’s virtually tasteless, yet packs tons of phytoecdysteroids which help boost energy naturally.
Ginger: Helps relieve muscle soreness, and is also good for your stomach just in case you ever feel nauseous after a workout.
Chia seeds: These little guys are full of Omega-3 fats, which help sustain energy. And they’re also full of protein and antioxidents.
Banana: Full of good complex carbs, as well as good-for-you minerals like potassium and fiber. Great for you, and the banana is also my favorite ingredient to thicken and sweeten a smoothie.
To make the green smoothie, simply toss everything in a blender and pulse until smooth…
…and then voila!
An easy, power-packed, and delicious green smoothie is ready to enjoy…
…which I happily did after my workout this week. You know, just for “blog research”. ;)
So anyway, whether you’re making big fitness resolutions for the new year, or simply resolving to keep movin’ this year, I would highly recommend considering this recipe as a delicious end to your workouts.
This Post-Workout Green Smoothie recipe is full of simple, delicious, and nutritious ingredients that will help replenish your energy after a good workout.
Ingredients
Scale
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1-inch piece* of fresh ginger, peeled
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 cup almond milk (or plain Greek yogurt**)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a blender. Pulse until smooth.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with extra chia seeds on top, if desired.
(If the smoothie is too thick, you can add in more coconut water to thin it out. Or if it is too thin, you can add in a handful of ice.)
Notes
*1-inch piece fresh ginger = about 1.5 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger = about 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
**Do not use Greek yogurt if making this smoothie vegan.
Hi, I’m sorry this is not really related to this particular post, however I did not see a place to leave a comment on a recipe you posted. It’s the shrimp wrapped in prosciutto. I have a lb. of frozen, (cooked) shrimp. Peeled, deveined, and tails on. How would you recommend adapting these to your recipe. I want to prepare these for dinner, but would covet some advice. Thank you kindly, in advance, for any help you could offer. Penny
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Penny! Hmmm, that’s strange that you weren’t able to comment on the shrimp recipe (you should be able to scroll down past the recipe (there are a few ads), then you should see “Leave a comment.” Unfortunately though, we’re not really sure there’s a way to do this with pre-cooked shrimp. Cooking them in the oven with the prosciutto will likely overcook them and dry them out. You could thaw the shrimp and try cooking the prosecute in a pan, but it will probably get too crisp to wrap around the shrimp without crumbling or breaking. :/ We’re sorry we’re not much help, but we hope you can still try the recipe!
Thanks for the smoothie recipe. Just want to comment that spinach is rich in iron, especially beneficial for women who need a lot of monthly iron replenishment.
This smoothie sounds great! Cant wait to try it! one good thing to know that I recently learned about coconut water is that it is actually high in potassium and low in sodium so it is not comparable to gatorade. Our body loses sodium in workouts generally also – so its good to replace some of that!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Courtney, we hope you love it! Also, thanks for sharing that info on the coconut water – very good to know. It’s awesome stuff, isn’t it? :)
So I just made this after my run today and I was a little weary about the ginger in it at first but figured I would try. Low and behold the smoothie was great! I even added in some turmeric to help with inflammation as well. Mmm mmm!! Thanks for this recipe!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing Lauren, we’re so happy you enjoyed it (especially with the ginger)! :)
Love that you use coconut water for the electrolytes an a little flavor. I always just do regular water, but I think I need to kick it up a notch! Yum!
I really love smoothies! After workout or in the morning instead of breakfast. It is fast and nutritious food:) Thank you for this recipe! It sounds really healthy and tasty as for me.
Hi! Just wondering if you have any good suggestions for replacing the banana? I hate banana with a passion, and I’m not good at making smoothies (they never come out good), so I’d appreciate it. BTW, just came across your site today–love it!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Lia! If skipping the banana, we’d suggest doing the yogurt instead of the milk and then adding an orange – we think that would be a yummy substitute! Keep in mind it won’t be quite as thick, but the yogurt will help with that, and the flavor should be nice. We hope you enjoy!
Frozen pineapple is one of my favorite bases too! I use pineapple and mango like it’s going out of style. This looks right up my alley! The ingredients are practically walking themselves to the blender…YUM.
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been making a banana, peanut butter, almond milk smoothie for months, this will be a good change up. Random question – where did you get that straw? So cute!
thanks!
Loving the smoothie. I’ve been told to avoid sugar after tough workouts though, and this is pretty high. What are your thoughts on that?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Amy! We’re no health experts, but we think it probably varies depending on the exercise and the person. Some people have low blood sugar after working out, so this smoothie would help bring it back up, but again, we think it just depends. :) We’re so happy you like it though!
Hi this recipe sounds great, but not a huge fan of pineapple. What would make a comparable substitute?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Herminia, instead of pineapple, you could try apple or orange (we think either one would be really yummy in this)! We hope this helps and that you enjoy!
I love frozen pineapples so I made this smoothie this morning and turned out great. I added spirulina and moringa powder though for an added health boost, highly recommended for all the nutrients.
Love this! Post-workout smoothies are def a must. I add a half of a frozen avocado to mine and it adds the yummiest creamiest ever. PS I’m obsessed with your dog…too cute!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you Kendall! We hope you enjoy the smoothie! :)
I just finished making this and it’s delicious. Do you know how many calories this drink is? I made mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Awesome, we’re so glad you liked it! Unfortunately though we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
This smoothie is one of the best things I’ve discovered in a long while! It’s so refreshing while at the same time, you can feel your body benefiting from all the vitamins entering it. My smoothie turned out a bit too thick so I took up your suggestion to add coconut water. Thanks for sharing this with us. ;-)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We’re so happy you loved it David — thanks for commenting!
Is it possible to use regular plain yogurt as oppose to the almond milk ? Which one gives it better flavour ? Thank you
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Alina! Yes, we think that would be just fine! As far as flavor goes, we think either would taste great, but Greek yogurt has more of a tartness to it. We hope you enjoy this!
Hayley: Downing this smoothie as I write you. It is delicious. Adding this to my repertoire. Also love that the ingredients are so basic that I don’t have to run to two different grocery stores to acquire everything. Thank you!
This recipe is THE BEST! I have this every single morning after I workout, but I add 1 scoop of Vega Protein and Greens vanilla flavor. I never leave reviews or comments but this has become a staple in my every day life. Thank you!
This was great recipe for my post circuit training! I had to replace the coconut water to half coconut milk and half water, since that was all I had, but it tasted amazing!
I will be making this again for sure!
Great color, and healthy. Love it.
Thanks Amy, we hope you enjoy!
Hi, I’m sorry this is not really related to this particular post, however I did not see a place to leave a comment on a recipe you posted. It’s the shrimp wrapped in prosciutto. I have a lb. of frozen, (cooked) shrimp. Peeled, deveined, and tails on. How would you recommend adapting these to your recipe. I want to prepare these for dinner, but would covet some advice. Thank you kindly, in advance, for any help you could offer. Penny
Hi Penny! Hmmm, that’s strange that you weren’t able to comment on the shrimp recipe (you should be able to scroll down past the recipe (there are a few ads), then you should see “Leave a comment.” Unfortunately though, we’re not really sure there’s a way to do this with pre-cooked shrimp. Cooking them in the oven with the prosciutto will likely overcook them and dry them out. You could thaw the shrimp and try cooking the prosecute in a pan, but it will probably get too crisp to wrap around the shrimp without crumbling or breaking. :/ We’re sorry we’re not much help, but we hope you can still try the recipe!
I just got myself a NutriBullet. I will definitely try this after my workout! Thanks and Happy New Year!
Awesome, we hope you love it Maggie – happy new year to you as well! :)
Thanks for the smoothie recipe. Just want to comment that spinach is rich in iron, especially beneficial for women who need a lot of monthly iron replenishment.
You’re welcome Sarah, we hope you enjoy!
Your green smothie looks tasty – I will have to try it… And your pup is adorns, love the sweater! Thanks for sharing Ali. Hugs and cheers, Bita
Thanks Bita, we hope you enjoy! :D
Do you have to soak the Chia seeds ahead of time or can you just add them (
You don’t have to soak them, it just makes for a thicker smoothie (they become gelatinous after soaking). We hope you enjoy this! :)
This smoothie sounds great! Cant wait to try it! one good thing to know that I recently learned about coconut water is that it is actually high in potassium and low in sodium so it is not comparable to gatorade. Our body loses sodium in workouts generally also – so its good to replace some of that!
Thanks Courtney, we hope you love it! Also, thanks for sharing that info on the coconut water – very good to know. It’s awesome stuff, isn’t it? :)
Must be working, look at that flat tummy! Gimme some green drink!
:D We hope you love it Shellee!
So I just made this after my run today and I was a little weary about the ginger in it at first but figured I would try. Low and behold the smoothie was great! I even added in some turmeric to help with inflammation as well. Mmm mmm!! Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks for sharing Lauren, we’re so happy you enjoyed it (especially with the ginger)! :)
Green smoothies are on my list to enjoy for breakfast in the New Year – looks like a delicious recipe. It’s going into my lineup!
Great way to start the new year!
Kari
Thanks Kari, we hope you enjoy!
Love that you use coconut water for the electrolytes an a little flavor. I always just do regular water, but I think I need to kick it up a notch! Yum!
Thanks, we hope you love it! :)
I really love smoothies! After workout or in the morning instead of breakfast. It is fast and nutritious food:) Thank you for this recipe! It sounds really healthy and tasty as for me.
You’re so welcome David, we hope you enjoy! :)
Looks amazing! We love green smoothies after workouts and sometimes add a green apple for extra fiber.
Thanks, we hope you enjoy this one! :)
Hi! Just wondering if you have any good suggestions for replacing the banana? I hate banana with a passion, and I’m not good at making smoothies (they never come out good), so I’d appreciate it. BTW, just came across your site today–love it!
Hi Lia! If skipping the banana, we’d suggest doing the yogurt instead of the milk and then adding an orange – we think that would be a yummy substitute! Keep in mind it won’t be quite as thick, but the yogurt will help with that, and the flavor should be nice. We hope you enjoy!
Frozen pineapple is one of my favorite bases too! I use pineapple and mango like it’s going out of style. This looks right up my alley! The ingredients are practically walking themselves to the blender…YUM.
Awesome, we hope you love it Michaell! :D
That looks so healthy and delicious! Can’t wait to make some for myself :)
Thanks Mary! We hope you love it! :)
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been making a banana, peanut butter, almond milk smoothie for months, this will be a good change up. Random question – where did you get that straw? So cute!
thanks!
Yay, your smoothie sounds delicious! And Sur La Table! :)
Loving the smoothie. I’ve been told to avoid sugar after tough workouts though, and this is pretty high. What are your thoughts on that?
Hi Amy! We’re no health experts, but we think it probably varies depending on the exercise and the person. Some people have low blood sugar after working out, so this smoothie would help bring it back up, but again, we think it just depends. :) We’re so happy you like it though!
I like this combination. The pineapple and ginger make it very light and refreshing, and the spinach is light and not overpowering like kale.
Thanks Patti! We’re glad you enjoy! :)
Can I have it if I don’t work out? Looks very tasty.
Hi this recipe sounds great, but not a huge fan of pineapple. What would make a comparable substitute?
Hi Herminia, instead of pineapple, you could try apple or orange (we think either one would be really yummy in this)! We hope this helps and that you enjoy!
Love this! Absolutely every recipe I’ve tried on your site has turned out great! It’s become one of my go-to resources. Thanks!!
That’s so sweet of you April! We’re so happy to hear that! :)
I love this green smoothie so much! Healthy and nutrition! Add some color to our life! Feels like can makes the tummy away! haha
We’re glad you enjoyed this Mitch! :)
I love pineapple and spinach smoothies but I am so intrigued by the ginger! YUM!
We hope you enjoy it Elizabeth!
I love frozen pineapples so I made this smoothie this morning and turned out great. I added spirulina and moringa powder though for an added health boost, highly recommended for all the nutrients.
Awesome Rachel — we’re glad you enjoyed it! :)
Me love your blog! This is an awesome recipe!
Love this! Post-workout smoothies are def a must. I add a half of a frozen avocado to mine and it adds the yummiest creamiest ever. PS I’m obsessed with your dog…too cute!
Thank you Kendall! We hope you enjoy the smoothie! :)
Awesome addition to my list of smoothies! Excellent fast carbs ( I think), just after a strong workout. Really great. Thank you for sharing.
This green smoothie definitely the perfect drinks after gym! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Tina, we hope you enjoy! :)
I just finished making this and it’s delicious. Do you know how many calories this drink is? I made mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
Awesome, we’re so glad you liked it! Unfortunately though we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
This smoothy is so healthy! I am trying to drink 5 smoothies a week
We’re glad you enjoyed this Grey!
I just wanted to let you know I found this recipe last week and I can’t stop making it. :-) It is so unbelievably refreshing!
Thank you!
Thanks for your comment Chris — we’re so glad you enjoy it! :)
This smoothie is one of the best things I’ve discovered in a long while! It’s so refreshing while at the same time, you can feel your body benefiting from all the vitamins entering it. My smoothie turned out a bit too thick so I took up your suggestion to add coconut water. Thanks for sharing this with us. ;-)
We’re so happy you loved it David — thanks for commenting!
Made this smoothie twice – turned out great ! Delicious and so healthy .. Thank you so much for this wonderful
Recipe !
We’re happy you’re a fan Ashlesha! :D
Just want to say I love this smoothie and I recommend it to everyone looking for a green smoothie packed with a nice protein punch. :-)
And it is so refreshing!!!
Thanks Chris — we’re so happy you’re a fan! :)
I want to recreate taste of matcha green tea iced latte like the one we get in Starbucks. Please let me know how much quantity of this should I use?
Hi Catherine! We’re sorry, but we don’t have a recipe for a green tea latte, so we aren’t sure!
Super healthy smoothie recipe. Great pics. Just pinned it – Anna
Thanks, Anna, we hope you enjoy it!
Hi ,
Is it possible to use regular plain yogurt as oppose to the almond milk ? Which one gives it better flavour ? Thank you
Hi Alina! Yes, we think that would be just fine! As far as flavor goes, we think either would taste great, but Greek yogurt has more of a tartness to it. We hope you enjoy this!
I made this smoothie with frozen mango chunks
In place of the pineapple. delicious.
Hayley: Downing this smoothie as I write you. It is delicious. Adding this to my repertoire. Also love that the ingredients are so basic that I don’t have to run to two different grocery stores to acquire everything. Thank you!
This recipe is THE BEST! I have this every single morning after I workout, but I add 1 scoop of Vega Protein and Greens vanilla flavor. I never leave reviews or comments but this has become a staple in my every day life. Thank you!
I like the combination flavor of ginger and pineapple that can somehow can give your energy back after workout. Thanks for sharing Ali!
AMAZING smoothie. Very delicious. Make it everyday thank you!!
This was AMAZINGLY delicious and refreshing!! Never tasted a smoothie quite like it! Made it several days in a row now.
Great recipe! I have made it yesterday and everyone in my home sweet home totally loved it! Thank you for your awesome recipe.
This was great recipe for my post circuit training! I had to replace the coconut water to half coconut milk and half water, since that was all I had, but it tasted amazing!
I will be making this again for sure!
Can I use ground chia seeds?
Do you have the nutrition information for this smoothie? Thanks!
So delicious! My go to from now on.