New perk! Get after it with local recommendations just for you. Discover nearby events, routes out your door, and hidden gems when you sign up for the Local Running Drop.
Everyone knows the four “R’s” of endurance recovery: Rehydrate, refuel, repair, and rest. While each one is essential, we happen to be a little biased about our favorite “R”, because it involves tasty, nutritious food.
You should always seek out professional help for fine-tuning your nutrition to meet your individual needs, but there are certainly general recommendations experts give when it comes to what to eat for ideal recovery.
Studies show that good, fast recovery should include consuming carbohydrates within two hours after your endurance training. This not only replenishes glycogen reserves, but it will keep your energy levels up and your immune system working properly so it can repair broken muscle and tissue.
And as surprising as it sounds, a little dark chocolate after a workout may be just what your body needs. Not only does a serving contain 98 percent of your daily intake of manganese and 67 percent of your daily iron intake, dark chocolate is high in polyphenol, which can improve muscle recovery process.
In the perfect balance of both of those recovery musts, this apple nachos recipe contains plenty of carbs, natural sugars, dark chocolate, and even a little protein from the nut butter. Plus, it’s totally customizable, so play around with the toppings for variety.
RELATED: When Do You Need a Post-Run Recovery Shake?
Ingredients
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- ¼ dark chocolate chips (We recommend Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup nut butter
- ½ cup trail mix of choice (We recommend Gourmet Nut Protein Packed Trail Mix)
Preparation
- Wash, dry, and remove apple cores. Slice into thin pieces. The thinner the slices are, the easier they’ll be to stack and eat. Layer the sliced apples on a circular plate.
- In microwave safe bowls, heat the chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-40 second intervals. Be sure to stir between each interval until chocolate is completely melted. NOTE: If the nut butter you’re using is pretty thick, it’s a good idea to microwave it, too. This will help it drizzle easily.
- Drizzle nut butter, Greek yogurt, and chocolate over the apple slices in circular motion.
- Chop up trail mix into tiny pieces and sprinkle on top of apples.
Recipe and photos courtesy of Courtney Paige, A Paige of Positivity.