4 Watermelon Recipes that Speed Muscle Recovery

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written by The Nutrition Twins,

By now you’ve probably heard that watermelon is being hailed as the newest workout superfood. Experts recommend consuming about two cups of watermelon or 500 mL (roughly 17 ounces) of watermelon juice an hour before exercise. But thanks to this summer fruit’s high water content and slew of additional nutrients, even smaller amounts may help repair muscles after a tough sweat session. Here are four easy ways to incorporate more watermelon into meals and snacks.

Antioxidant-Packed Muesli
Makes 1 serving (300 calories)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick Cooking Oats
1/4 skim milk
1 tsp honey
½ cup nonfat yogurt
1 cup watermelon, cut into pieces
1 tsp slivered almonds

Directions:
Combine oats, milk and honey and leave soaking in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, mix in the yogurt, watermelon and almonds.

PB&W Sandy
Makes 1 serving (260 calories)

Ingredients:

1 whole grain English muffin
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 slices watermelon, cut into circles about the size of hockey pucks

Directions:
Toast muffin. Spread peanut butter on each half. Place watermelon slice on each half and enjoy open face sandy!

Easy Breezy Watermelon Smoothie
Makes 1 Serving (121 calories)

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped watermelon
1 cup ice
1 tsp chopped mint (optional)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Straw-Nana-Watermelon Smoothie
Makes 1 Serving (212 Calories)

Ingredients: (*See note below)

2 cups watermelon, chopped and frozen
1 large banana, chopped and frozen
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup water
½ inch piece ginger (optional)
1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

*For longer workouts, use only half of the ingredients listed above and add a scoop of protein powder or 6 ounces nonfat yogurt. Calories will remain roughly the same but the higher protein will help to prevent hunger if you have a longer workout.

Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse “Lyssie” Lakatos—otherwise known as the Nutrition Twins—are registered dieticians, certified personal trainers and authors of Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever.

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