Fit Fare

While a lot of attention is drawn to eating properly before an athletic event, many do not really think about the importance of eating properly once the event is through. Some feel ill right after an intense workout and aren’t ready to eat yet, others feel the need to reward themselves for being so good up until that point and splurge on junk food and other such “treats.” However, recovery food can be even more important than anything up until this point. Sure, you’ve gotten your body this far, you’ve pulled it through the training and managed to get through three whole hours of intense competition and now you feel you can just collapse with some Doritos and a beer, because you earned it.

That intense activity, be it running, cycling, playing a full day soccer tournament or whatever it may be has, for all intents and purposes, shredded your muscles. They really need a recovery period and proper nutrients to repair themselves. In fact, there is a specific window in which it is recommended that you replenish your muscles: between thirty to forty-five minutes after working, you should have a snack. And not just any snack… the recommended recovery balance is a 1:4 ratio of carbohydrates and protein.

This is why chocolate milk has recently become the recovery snack of choice of many athletes. The sweetened milk has just the right amount of carbs, while the milk is a good source of protein (1% fat is the recommended type). But what if you don’t drink milk. As we age, more and more of us become lactose-intolerant.

Well, almonds are another great source of protein and I’ve recently discovered the delicious taste of almond milk. But while I’ve generally bought my own almond milk, I’ve read that because of the manufacturing process, the almond milk we buy from the supermarket has a much lower nutrient content than what we could make and it actually has less protein than milk or soy milk has.

Fortunately, making home-made chocolate almond milk is both easy and delicious. You merely soak almonds (regular, not toasted) for a minimum of one hour, or longer if you have the time, then you put it in a food processor or a blender with a bit of water. You then begin to blend it, slowly adding a bit of water, as needed, until you obtain the desired “milkiness”. You can use blanched almonds if you prefer, but I like to leave the skins on for added flavor, texture and additional nutrients. Once you have the texture you desire, you can filter the milk using cheesecloth or leave the almond pulp in for additional fiber.

Blend the almond milk with a couple of tablespoons of cocoa, some agave nectar or honey (to taste) and a couple of ice cubes, and you have yourself a delicious chocolate almond milkshake.