Last day to enter contest: Monday Aug. 13, 2012
We'll announce the winner of a case of ZICO coconut water on Tuesday!!
Laurel and I still train together every day, even though she’s working out longer and harder than ever to prepare for the New York Ironman, while I’ve scaled back since I’m 4-months pregnant. Our eating habits are wildly different now, too. Laurel’s 18-mile runs leave her hungry for thousands of calories, while I actually need to slash my normally enormous in-season calorie consumption.
Case in point: Our recent favorite smoothie creations, below.
Read them, try them, or just glance at the titles, then comment below on which one you like best or tweet your response to @athletefood. No need to leave your email address in the comment, we'll track you down.
We’ll select one reader randomly and reward the lucky Athlete Food fan with a case of ZICO coconut water.
—Bec
A: Bec's Peach Blueberry Smoothie, B: Laurel's Chocolate Banana Shake
Bec's Peach Blueberry Smoothie:
Now that my workouts are much lighter, so are my recovery drinks. I replaced my usual high-calorie protein powder with low-fat kefir.
Kefir provides protein and probiotics. ZICO provides lots of potassium. Pineapple adds an anti-inflammatory boost. The mint lends an herbal flavor not usually found in a smoothie, and gives me an excuse to trim my overgrown mint plant.
To make this summer fruit smoothie, blend 1 white peach, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup plain low-fat kefir, 3/4 cup plain ZICO coconut water, and 10 mint leaves in a blender until smooth.
Laurel's Chocolate Banana Shake:
Most Saturdays in July Laurel rode 100 miles in New Jersey and then hit the Weehawken Track for mile repeats at her marathon race pace. After all the running, she needed a recovery drink dense with calories and nutrition. The Chocolate ZICO replaces electrolytes and the Ultragen protein powder helps her get down some protein between workouts. Flax seed meal, rich with vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, has the added benefit of thickening the mixture to an almost milkshake-like consistency.
To make this dessert-like recovery drink, combine 1 12-ounce bottle of ZICO Chocolate coconut water, 1 scoop of Ultragen Cappuccino protein powder, 1 frozen banana, and up to 2 tablespoosns of ground flax seeds in a blender and blend until smooth.
