This Tropical Creamsicle Post Workout Smoothie is the perfect cold, creamy and refreshing liquid after a workout. Full of carbohydrates, protein and electrolytes, it’s a great way to balance your nutrition needs after exercise. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Premier Protein. The opinions and text are all mine.

It’s no secret I’ve been enjoying smoothies throughout pregnancy, even in this colder weather. What is it about the thick, cold liquids? I don’t quite know.

I’ve also been enjoying my fair share of citrus fruits, especially blood oranges and frozen mango. Honestly, I always thought I wanted citrus more in the summer, when it’s hot. But, that actually hasn’t been true. Usually, when it comes to fruits, I’m more of a berry and apple gal, but the citrus fruits have me wrapped around their fingers right now. So, why not combine the two?

Recently, I became obsessed with Cara Cara oranges. Have you ever had them? To me, they taste like a blend of a sweet orange and a grapefruit. But, their real uniqueness comes from their beautiful light pink orange color. I’ll also say I’ve never been a huge creamsicle flavor girl. I gravitate more towards chocolate and cookie flavors – gimme the choice of cookie dough or cookies ‘n cream and I’ll order it 99% of the time. But now, I feel like I’ve totally underrepresented the power of a good creamsicle flavor.

The hint of citrus and tropical fruits + the creamy dairy addition + the slight sweetness – it’s almost too good to be true! The result is a creamy smoothie, that really is more like a milkshake.  I feel like I’m undervaluing by calling it a smoothie. Mmmmmmmm.

Call it what you will and it’s fair game.

I have been missing out all this time. I don’t want you to miss out. So, I encourage you to make this soon. It is great any time of year. Of course, it will be super refreshing in the summer to rehydrate and refuel after a summer workout. It also holds it own in the winter, though, when oranges are in season and you start to crave them more. There’s really no wrong time for this milkshake errr, smoothie.

Post Workout Nutrients

This is the perfect post workout smoothie because it’s a fun blend of carbohydrates and protein. You’re also getting some micronutrients and electrolytes as well, including potassium and magnesium. I love Premier Protein’s vanilla protein powder because it goes with anything. With 30 grams of protein + 10 vitamins and minerals in each scoop, it’s a perfect refueling and recovery vehicle. Remember: protein AFTER a workout is vital to replenish those muscles. There are also no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. If you’re a Sam’s Club shopper, you can find this powder at a better deal – it’s so convenient to buy in bulk. I think I’ve even gotten Ed on board the smoothie train with some of the flavor concoctions we’ve come up with.

You don’t taste the 1/8 tsp of salt we’re adding to the smoothie, but it’s an important addition of sodium (about 260 mg sodium). Sodium is a vital electrolyte to replenish after long endurance workouts (hey runners, I’m looking at you). While it’s easy to recognize our sweat in the summer, it can sneak under the radar in the winter with the cooler temperatures because it evaporates quicker. You still need to replenish sodium in the winter months if you are exercising for an hour or more and this is an easy way to do so.

This post workout smoothie is also loaded with potassium and Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that helps with our immunity, but also helps our cells recover. Potassium is another electrolyte we lose through sweat, and helps with our muscle cramps and balancing heart contractions. Both are very important for all, especially athletes!

I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know if you like it!

How to Make Creamsicle Smoothie

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Does your exercise routine change in the summer vs winter? I love running outdoors in the warmer weather. In the winter, I tend to do more yoga and gym workouts.