Athletes need recovery, and recovery needs essential nutrients.

Key nutrients like carbohydrates and proteins, together with a large variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, help our immune system and lower post-workout inflammation level. To recover, our body requires energy reserves to be restored; thus, we must promote muscular adaptation and contrast stress and inflammation (resulting from intense physical exercise) through an adequate diet.

Since training is hard, post-workout nutrition should be rewarding and well balanced. Namely, it should contain an optimal mix of nutrients to promote muscle recovery.

To support your post-training phase, there are a series of delicious recipes you can prepare. 

Here you are our 3 favorite dishes, which are tasty and above all very effective in promoting an optimal recovery.

1. Recovery Balls
2. Recovery Bowl
3. Quinoa Bowl with Black Kale, Tofu and Green Apple

Recovery Balls

Ingredients:

• Dates (250g)
• Dried apricots (250g)
• Hazelnuts or Ground Hazelnuts (90 g)
• Cocoa powder (20 g)
• Almond or Pistachio or Coconut flour
• Restore powder (4 tbsp)

Blend the dates with dried apricots and hazelnuts until they are chopped. Add a generous tablespoon of cocoa and one of Restore Powder to the mixture. Then form the compound into balls, and sprinkle them with the grain of almond, pistachio, or coconut flour. After that, let the balls cool in the fridge. After your workout, enjoy this yummy dessert. Delicious recovery is guaranteed!

Why anti-inflammatory? Cocoa is rich in polyphenols. Nuts and seeds (hazelnuts and pistachios) contain unsaturated fatty acids, while dried fruits like dates and dried apricots are rich in natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals.

NUTRITION FACTS 

Recovery Bowl

Ingredients:

• Natural soy yogurt (150g)
• Dark chocolate
• Granola (1 tbsp, better if organic or homemade) 
• Berries (blueberries or raspberries)
• Restore Powder (1 tbsp)

Blend the natural soy yogurt and the Restore Powder (put the mixture in a cup). Serve it with chopped dark chocolate, granola and berries. Easy to prepare and yummy to taste!

Why anti-inflammatory? Cocoa and berries are loaded with polyphenols. Berries also contains antioxidants. Then, remember that Restore Powder has Cordyceps Sinensis, a fungus with scientifically proven anti-inflammatory action.

NUTRITION FACTS 

Quinoa Bowl with Black Kale, Tofu and Green Apple

Ingredients (2 people):

• Quinoa (150g)
• Steamed kale
• Tofu (200g)
• Green apple
• Seeds
• Curcuma
• Sprouts
• Seed oil (better if cold-pressed) 

Firstly, wash and drain quinoa in a sieve. Then, bring the quinoa, and the steamed kale, to the boil in a pot and let it expand for about 10 minutes. Cook the tofu in a pan, until crispy all around. Cut the apple into small cubes. Then, place all the ingredients in two bowls, and garnish with some seeds, curcuma, sprouts and seed oil. Your recovery lunch is ready!

Why anti-inflammatory? This quinoa bowl is a balanced lunch, containing essential nutrients; it is a good source of fibers, too. Furthermore, it is anti-oxidant thanks to the cold-pressed seed oil, curcuma, and seeds.

NUTRITION FACTS 

Try all the three recipes and tell us what you think! Post your pictures!

Author: NutriCoach Francesca Deriu 

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See also our January blog: "Best anti-inflammatory recipes for breakfast"