Pre-Workout, Gluten-Free Endurance Smoothie

Ingredients

2 cups coarsely chopped spinach
2 cups filtered water
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 small raw beet, trimmed and chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 pear, cored and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
Optional: 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Wake up with this gluten-free, nutrient-rich, endurance smoothie.

A number of studies have shown that the lowly beet is high in dietary nitrate, a natural substance that boosts the efficiency of working muscles, delays exhaustion, and improves overall exercise performance.

Not a beet fan? Chard, arugula, celery, and rhubarb are also high in dietary nitrates. Mix these vegetables into your morning smoothie for a high-octane endurance boost.

Makes: 1 serving
Free of: gluten and all top allergens

Recipe courtesy of The Gluten-Free Edge: A Nutrition and Training Guide for Peak Athletic Performance and an Active Gluten-Free Life, by Peter Bronski and Melissa McLean Jory. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment.

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (If your blender isn’t powerful, grate the beets and chop the celery into small pieces.)

Melissa McLean Jory