Food is the fuel for your body, so it is very important to eat and drink right both before and after a workout. Feeding your body with the right food will provide you with the energy you need for your workouts and can help you recover faster. Our fuel of choice is smoothies. I've chosen smoothies because they're fun to play around with and they're super easy to make - perfect for people with busy lifestyles who don't have as much time to cook and plan out their meals. All you need is a blender to combine all the ingredients noted together and enjoy.

Below are 3 workout smoothies which you can drink before a workout and another 3 which you can drink after a workout. Almost all smoothie recipes are vegan.

Pre-Workout Smoothies

The below smoothies all contain milk which might take a bit longer to digest. Therefore, I would suggest drinking the pre-workout smoothies around 45 to 60 minutes before your workout. If you want to eliminate the milk, you can easily substitute it with water, but I'd still suggest that you drink your smoothie at least 30 minutes before your workout and not exactly before.

1. Matcha Booster

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon matcha powder
• 1 banana
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1⁄2 cup coconut yoghurt
• 3⁄4 cup pineapple
• 1 tbsp honey (for those who like their smoothies extra sweet, though this is optional)
• Add some ice

Benefits:

I love using matcha as a booster before my workouts since it is an all-natural healthy energy source. Matcha is high in caffeine, however, it acts differently than that found in coffee. Whilst coffee gives you short bursts of intense energy, this high is usually followed by a low. Yet, matcha provides you with sustained energy, which is exactly what you need for a workout. Bananas are a brilliant source of carbohydrates which act as a fast fuel for your body, helping you stay active longer. The pineapples not only add that tropical sweetness to the smoothie, but they are also excellent energizers and ideal to add to your pre-workout smoothies. Make sure you visit these fruit and vegetable markets to purchase everything you need for this smoothie.

2. Blueberry Blast

Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1⁄2 cup oats
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 cup plain coconut yoghurt
• 1⁄2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp coconut shavings

Benefits:

This smoothie is full of oats, carbs and natural sugars to help you keep energised during your workout. Even though carbs have a bad reputation, they are not bad at all. In reality, carbs give you energy and that is why we need them before we work out. The oats release carbohydrates gradually and due to this, energy levels are kept consistent throughout your workout, which means that you can train harder for longer. These health stores will arm you with all the ingredients needed for this smoothie.

3. The Simple One

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• Add some ice

Benefits:

A smoothie recipe which is easy to remember as it only contains 1 of each ingredient. This is for when you feel like drinking a smoothie but you're just not in the mood to make a complicated one. If you don't have almond milk, you can use any other milk or water if you prefer. Add water depending on how thick you want your smoothie to be. This is brilliant for before a workout since it contains bananas, which are known as nature's power bar because they are packed with 'good' carbohydrates which provide you with all the energy you need to help you get through your tough workout session. Strawberries are also great sources of energy and studies have shown that they can improve reaction times, stabilise mood and keep us focused during our workout.

Post-workout smoothies

Try to drink your post-workout smoothie within 45 to 60 minutes of finishing your workout. In all the post-workout smoothies I've paired a banana with a protein-rich food, such as peanut butter, Greek yoghurt and almond butter. The reason is that the simple carbs in the banana and other ingredients give our body the energy it needs to immediately start utilising the protein found in the yoghurt, peanut and almond butter and to recover our muscles. These are just a few recipe ideas, but feel free to play around with them as you like and create your own smoothie recipes.

1. Peanut Butter Lovers

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1⁄2 cup coconut yoghurt
• 2-3 tbsps peanut butter
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)
• Add some ice

Benefits:

This yummy smoothie is high in healthy fats and protein, which not only assist post-exercise recovery, but also keeps you feeling full till your next meal. Apart from being a good source of protein, peanut butter also contains essential vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, magnesium and potassium. However, when choosing your peanut butter, make sure you choose the pure variety that contains no additives, since some brands are higher in sugars, calories, saturated fat and sodium, therefore, make sure to choose the RIGHT kind.

You can even make your own peanut butter at home using just roasted peanuts and a blender. Don't have one? Have a look at these domestic appliance stores. It takes a bit of patience to make, but in this way, you'll know it's 100% pure. Although peanut butter is not a low-calorie food, it has been shown to promote weight loss when taken in moderate amounts. Remember that a 2 tablespoon serving has nearly 200 calories. Having said that, when consuming it after a workout, the calories will refuel your tired muscles and the micronutrients found in the peanut butter will help prevent nutritional deficiencies.

2. Peachy Paradise

Ingredients:

• 3 large peaches, peeled and pitted
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1⁄2 cup Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp honey (optional)
• 1 banana
• Add some ice

Benefits:

Greek yoghurt is great to eat after workouts due to it being high in protein. In fact, when compared to regular yoghurt, it has twice as much protein. This extra protein will not only help you feel full and satisfied until your next meal but it also aids when it comes to post-workout recovery. Greek yoghurt has an ideal protein to calorie ratio, thereby making it a great post-workout treat. However, make sure to stay away from the fruity varieties since these are mostly packed with unnecessary refined sugars and calories. By adding peaches and a banana to the smoothie, you'll provide your body with the optimal protein to carbohydrate combination which is beneficial for exercise recovery and muscle growth. In addition, bananas are rich in potassium and magnesium. After a tough workout, our levels of potassium and magnesium drop so by eating a banana you'll be replenishing these levels. Peaches are also good for rehydrating after a sweaty workout.

3. Chocolate Recovery

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 tbsp almond butter
• 4 tbsp coconut shavings
• 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 1⁄2 banana (optional)
• 3-4 cubes chopped dark chocolate (optional)

Benefits:

Here we're using almond butter, which is an even healthier alternative to peanut butter due to it being lower in saturated fats and sugars and higher in unsaturated fat, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium and other minerals. Almond butter is a great source of protein and is perfect to take after a workout since the extra protein will assist in muscle repair and growth. In addition, it is an excellent source of fibre and polyunsaturated fats both of which aid in weight management and appetite control since they reduce hunger and make you feel fuller quickly.

However, when buying almond butter from stores, you need to be careful what you choose, as not all of them are healthy. Certain brands pack a lot of preservatives, synthetic flavours, unnecessary sugars and unhealthy fats. You may buy organic brands but these tend to be very expensive. As an alternative, you can consider making your own almond butter at home by using roasted almonds and a blender. Although you need to be a little patient to make the butter yourself, it's the best option to save money and control what ingredients you use. I personally use only one ingredient when making my own almond butter and that is raw almonds. I first roast them and then place them in a blender and wait for them to turn into butter. Some people like adding coconut oil and salt, however I prefer mine with just almonds.

On the other hand, the cocoa powder is also great after a workout since it contains anti-inflammatory properties which can help with recovery. It could also help replenish energy levels which could be lagging after a difficult workout. Did you know that chocolate is a superfood? Here is a list of the top superfoods you should be eating.

With these smoothie recipes in hand, your workout is bound to be successful! And while we're at it, here are pre and post workout meals to try.

Thinking of joining a new gym or a fitness class? Have a look at these health and fitness clubs.

Keep on discovering local with Yellow!