Chocolate Electrolyte Protein Shake

The yummiest, creamiest chocolate shake, perfect for an after school electrolyte boost, post workout recovery, and for all of your busy athletes after long practices!

Trial and error…

Motherhood is full of trial and error. Whether you’re in the middle of navigating the sleepless nights of newborns or the delicate balance of letting your teens feel freedom while also still needing to parent them, there definitely isn’t a handbook for any of it! One of my learning experiences when the girls started those younger school aged years, was just how depleted these little ones were after school. I couldn’t even recognize where my sweet child was when she got into that car some afternoons! Yes, even my kids, who eat a super huge breakfast, and typically clear their entire lunchboxes each day! They would get into that car and have a complete and utter meltdown over practically nothing at least part of the week!

A quiet car and a nourishing snack

Now there is something to be said for “after school restraint collapse.” This is basically the effects of your little guy going all day in a stimulating environment, trying to learn and do all the things. They finally get into your car (a safe, familiar person and environment), and they feel like they can emotionally release. This is a very real thing! But 9 times out of 10, they also just need a snack! A little electrolyte boost from burning all that energy all day. So, keep in mind their “after school restraint collapse” as well as their depleted minerals. Save your questions for later, keep the car quiet, and have a snack at the ready as soon as they get in the car!

My favorite little guy after school snack…turned into an post-practice staple!

Fast forward years later, and my youngest is now 10. Three years ago she decided that gymnastics was absolute *life,* and I had a new dilemma on my hand. Hours of strenuous practices multiple times per week, and I was back to making a staple after school snack for my recovering gymnast! My favorite recovery drink for melting down kindergartners is now my favorite drink to make after her 3 hour practices.

Chocolate Electrolyte Protein Shake key ingredients

This chocolate shake is not meant to be a full meal, although you could add more of certain components and bulk it up. My 10 year old is downing this at 8pm after 3 hours of practice. My goal is to replenish mineral stores, give her muscles some carbohydrates to use up for energy, and provide some protein to satiate hunger and build. And get her to bed asap! She has already had a nourishing, full dinner earlier, so this is to help her recover, and help her sleep well.

Here’s the Line Up!

• Coconut Water: Nature’s original electrolyte drink! It has electrolyte balance to hydrate and replenish electrolyte stores after strenuous work, OR a busy day of kindergarten!
• Banana: Bananas provide another mineral source. More importantly, the banana has the carbohydrates needed to build muscle after a work-out, practice, or running around playing outside! Our bodies need a ton of energy to build muscle. We typically think of protein as “muscle building,” but the protein is just the building block. In reality, our body needs glycogen to have the energy to build muscle with those building blocks. Carbohydrates (think “real food carbs” that have fiber such as fruit, veggies, and whole grains) are stored as glycogen in the body, and it goes directly to the muscles that need it. If the glycogen is not there, it will start stripping from protein sources. This means that protein is NOT going to the muscles to rebuild after tearing them down. This is not good! Your busy kids, your athletes, and really all children NEED carbohydrates. Especially after strenuous activity.
• Protein Powder: We use Designs For Health Chocolate Protein Powder. It has a fantastic, clean source of beef protein to supply the building blocks needed to repair and build muscle. It is also sweetened with monk fruit, so if your protein powder does not have a sweetener, you may need to add more.
• Collagen: We use the Perfect Supplements Grassfed Collagen. This is another protein source. I also like the joint and collagen support for my kiddo that is flipping off vaults, and springing off the floor to land on her feet for 3 hour practices. She is young, yes, but I’ll give her all the joint support I can. You can also think of the collagen as gut lining nourishment for all of your kids!
• Sea salt: This just provides another mineral punch to aide in recovery. It also makes the chocolate flavor shine!
• Fat Source Options: The little hit of healthy fat will help satiate and calm. In my first cookbook, Nourished Beginnings, I put a toddler staple recipe of a fat rich tonic drink that I used to give the girls to help with sleep. It was a GOD SEND, and worked so well. Whether you’re putting a little peanut butter into the shake or an egg yolk, this will satiate and help with sleeping. My daughter has an affinity toward butter, so she tends to pick that for her shake (or she just eats butter like a slice of cheese with her shake!)

How to Make the Chocolate Protein Electrolyte Shake

I use my little NutriBullet blender for this shake. Most of the time I’m just making them one at a time when needed, so it works for that amount. If you need to double or triple the amount, use a bigger blender. Most often, she just slurps it up right from the bullet blender cup, and we are off to bed! When the girls were little and I was bringing them a shake like this for after school, I’d put it in a little travel cup with a straw.

Can the Chocolate Protein Electrolyte Shake travel?

Yes! Just keep it in a travel cup that will keep the shake cold and in a cooler. You’ll want to pack it with a cup that has a lid so that you can shake it up before drinking it. When we are traveling for meets, it is so nice to pull that shake out for her to sip on while she unwinds. It is also convenient to travel with for your little ones that need a little boost after school!

My kids hate bananas! Can I use something else?

This electrolyte shake is delicious with dates as well! They will sweeten it, provide all the necessary minerals, and fiber from the whole fruit. If you do not have dates, you could use raw honey. If you do this, then use about a quarter of an avocado to provide the creaminess (and that could be your fat too!).