Need a good natural post-workout recovery drink? Skip those artificially colored energy drinks and pasteurized, highly-processed, refined juices in bottles and tetra packs. Instead, prepare your own fresh, all-natural, and truly nourishing high-octane vegan sports drink! They are easy to make and loaded with nutrition and will keep you from binging after a long and tiring workout.

All you need is a large sports bottle and an insulated lunch box to carry along your smoothies or juices. Don’t forget to put an ice pack inside your insulated lunchbox to help keep your freshly made drink cold for hours. Here are some amazing recipes to get your started.

1. The Cocolina — A Coconut Spirulina Energy Drink

Coconut water is Potassium-rich and nature’s best isotonic drink. Spirulina is a protein-rich algae that contains 8 essential and 10 non-essential amino acids, potassium, energy giving B vitamins such as B1, B2, and B6, and magnesium, a mineral essential for energy.

Ingredients: Coconut water and ½ teaspoon spirulina powder

Directions: Pour coconut water into sports bottle and mix in the spirulina powder. Tightly secure bottle cap and shake well. If you cannot stand the taste of spirulina, just take 500mg tablets and down them with the coconut water in between training or workouts. This can also be consumed as a pre-workout drink.

2. Orange Flax Smoothie

Oranges are good sources of potassium, magnesium, B1, B2, B3, B6, and folate. Flax oil (or hempseed oil) will slow down the release of fruit sugar into the bloodstream, giving you a steady supply of energy for a few hours.

Ingredients: 5 peeled, sweet, seedless oranges and 3 tablespoons of cold-pressed flax oil or hempseed oil.

Directions: Add a little cold water (about half a cup) and blend. Drink slowly. Great as a pre-workout drink.

3. Refreshing Apple Cider Drink

Apple cider vinegar contains significant amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, B1, B2, and B6.

Ingredients: 2 teaspoons raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar; 16 ounces cold water; 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup/raw agave syrup/raw coconut nectar (for diabetics: 2 teaspoons yacon syrup/2 teaspoons coconut sugar or raw coconut nectar/4 drops stevia)

Directions: Transfer all ingredients into a sports bottle and shake well.

4. Green Banana Smoothie

Bananas are the best source of potassium, an important mineral that beats fatigue and enables the body’s enzymes to control energy production. They are also high in vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6, which all help convert food into energy; phosphorus, which helps reduce tiredness and increase physical endurance, and magnesium, a crucial nutrient for muscles and nerves. Romaine lettuce is high in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and potassium.

Ingredients: 4 large sweet and ripe bananas; A bag of mild-tasting salad greens or one head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped; 3 cups of cold water

Directions: Pour 2 cups of cold water into the blender. Add 1 cup of ice and salad greens or chopped romaine lettuce and process for 30 seconds to a minute. Put the 4 peeled bananas and blend until smooth. This is a great post-workout drink.

5. Banana Wheat Grass Smoothie

Wheat grass is an abundant source of protein, potassium, magnesium, and B complex.

Ingredients: 3 large sweet bananas; 2 cups cold water; 1 tablespoon wheat grass powder

Directions: Process all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Pour into a large sports bottle!

Image Source: Peter Lindberg/Flickr