Chocolate Protein Spread

Free of dairy, peanuts, treenuts, soy, eggs, and gluten

Okay, I want to talk about post-workout recovery food. I’m a runner and for a while I would come back from an 8 to 10 mile run and replenish with a salad that had some chicken on it. Not only was that mean to myself emotionally (because come on, after a long distance run, who is looking forward to a salad?), but I wasn’t providing my body with the proper nutrients it needed to assist with the protein building process.

My post recovery lacked both carb and a sufficient amount of protein, and eventually my body began to burn through my muscle mass for energy, which caused me to shed an unhealthy amount of weight. Not. Good.

I am lucky that I have my very-knowledgeable-almost-doctor and workout-guru sister, Jenna, who informed me that after my workouts, I have to be recovering with a higher glycemic load — more carbohydrate than protein. Even though vegetables are carbohydrate, they aren’t simple enough to consume after a workout without compromising your body’s ability to replenish its muscles. Also, they won’t provide enough calories. The salad also had a decent amount of fat in it from the dressing, and, as she informed me, fat also compromises your body’s muscle rebuilding process.

My challenge then became: what can I eat after a run that is quick and delicious, but lacks fat and contains enough protein. With my food allergies, peanut butter toast and most protein bars aren’t an option, and I didn’t always feel like mixing a banana smoothie each time. I wanted something spreadable to mirror peanut butter toast, but not use a fat to create that spreadable-consistency.

What I came up with was a black bean and protein powder based spread. Don’t let the word “bean” intimidate you, this stuff tastes just like chocolate and whatever brand of protein powder you use. Not to mention, it’s incredibly easy to make, and stores in your fridge for several weeks so you can always have it on hand.

Ingredients:

• One can of black beans
• 1/2 cup of protein powder
• 3 Tbs of Unsweetened Coco Powder
• 3 Tbs of Nesquik Chocolate Powder (can also be substituted for 1-2 Tbs of sugar and an extra Tbs of Unsweetened Coco Powder)
• Splash of Unsweetened Flaxseed Milk + Protein (or your dairy free milk alternative)

Directions:

Nutrition Fact Breakdown:

• Calories: 765
• Carbohydrate: 108 g
• Fat: 9.3 g
• Protein: 70 g

This is the breakdown for the ENTIRE recipe. It makes roughly half a quart, and I probably only consume a few tablespoons of it when I use it.

My favorite way to spread it is on a banana or onto a Whole Wheat English Muffin and topped with half a banana!

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*Disclaimer: This is my understanding of nutrition based on my sister’s advice (who does a lot of research and is still pre-med in undergrad) and my own personal experience. I am not a licensed dietitian.*