What do you get when you pair two highly nutritious foods together? A superior workout recovery drink that you can make at home! In this recipe for this Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink – U.S. Montmorency Tart cherry juice or concentrate and chia seeds deliver a recipe to restore and replenish. Whether you’re an extreme athlete, a backyard weekend warrior, or someone just trying to build healthy habits in your kids, you’re gonna want this recipe. With just a few simple ingredients and five minutes, you can prep your recovery drinks for the week and pull them out as needed.
In an earlier post I mentioned how I’m a big fan of small, natural and food-based changes I can make toward better overall health. I focused on how to identify the difference between imports, blends and 100% U.S.Montmorency Tart Cherry products. Would you know where to look on the label? Can you tell the difference just by looking or tasting? Want to know which domestic farms and USA-grown products you can support? To learn more, visit my post titled, Powerful 411 on Michigan Tart Cherries.
Jump to RecipeTiny seeds. Big benefits.
Tiny can still be mighty. Don’t let this little seed or early marketing as a sprouted clay pot plant dissuade you from adding it to your diet. Just two tablespoons of chia seeds contain the fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and other micronutrients the body needs after strenuous exercise. Paired with U.S. Montmorency tart cherry juice or concentrate, you can double the recovery benefits instantly in the Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink recipe!
To get that satisfying, toothy, gel-like texture this recovery drink delivers, you’ll need to let your chia seeds soak in the cherry mixture a minimum of 20 minutes, but overnight is best. Chia seeds that are soaked can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I like to make this recipe for Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink in small batches so it’s always fresh. But really, it’s such an easy recipe to whip up you won’t mind doing it a couple times per week.
Keep moving with U.S. Montmorency tart cherry products
I’ve been noshing on tart cherries and drinking tart cherry juice for years to help with inflammation and insomnia. Research indicates that Michigan Montmorency tart cherries may help to naturally reduce inflammation related to arthritis and gout. This may help reduce painful symptoms associated with these ailments. And for me, less pain goes hand-in-hand with better sleep and increased activity. And this recipe for Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink is a great way to naturally support your body.
When it comes to replenishing what is depleted from the body during a vigorous workout, it’s hard to hold a candle to U.S. Montmorency tart cherries. As long as we’re spilling here, you should know that tart cherry juice is gaining popularity as a natural post-workout beverage. In fact, a growing body of evidence with endurance athletes has shown that tart cherry juice may help speed recovery and reduce exercise-induced muscle pain and strength-loss after extensive exercise.
As the saying goes, a body in motion stays in motion and U.S. Montmorency tart cherry juice delivers what the body needs to rebuild and keep moving. This Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink recipe is a great way to help your body rebuild and restore itself after a workout.
Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink – a fun way to engage young chefs and introduce them to team U.S. Montmorency!
My daughter grew up in the kitchen. She learned fractions baking along side me by measuring ingredients. I’m a firm believer that engaging kids in the kitchen helps nurture their curiosity and creativity. And this recipe for Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink ticks all the boxes when it comes to encouraging kids to both play and “play with” their food.
First, there’s an opportunity to go to the store together and shop for ingredients. While shopping, you can show them how to read labels so they know they are getting 100% U.S. Montmorency tart cherry juice and not a blend. If you want to give them a primer, check out the pictures in Spilling the Tea on Michigan Tart Cherries before heading to the store. Make it a game and have fun with it!
Then, you get to make an easy recipe with your kids. I like starting kids out with easy recipes like this one. Not too long or complicated. But something that will still spark a love for cooking in them. Watch them have fun as they add one ingredient at a time. And if you are mixing your Cherry Chia Recovery Drink in a container with a tight lid, you can let them give it a good shake. As they see the chia seeds swell and transform from solid seeds to something with a little body to it, it’s pure scientific wonder!
The kiddos are going to want to drink this right away, but the chia seeds need time to swell. To help them wait, engage them in a walk, bike ride or some other activity that gets them outdoors and moving. Heck, take a road trip to Traverse City and visit the National Cherry Festival!
When you’re done, you can feel good about giving them a nutritious treat that not only tastes good, but restores their little bodies and yours, too!
Food you can feel good about.
I love this recipe because it’s a great way to just be with your kids. To teach them about where their food is coming from. To engage them in making healthier food choices and to develop active living habits early on – habits that will benefit them their whole life.
For more information on Michigan tart cherries or to find more great recipes that feature U.S. Montmorency Tart Cherries, visit usacherries.com.
Delicious Cherry Chia Recovery Drink
Course: Sports beverageCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
1/2 cup servings5
minutes20 min.
This easy recipe is ready to enjoy in as little as 20 minutes, but is best left to rest overnight.
Ingredients
- Option 1 – Using U.S. Montmorency Tart Cherry Concentrate
2 cups cold water
2 oz. U.S. Montmorency Tart Cherry Concentrate
2-3 tsp. light agave nectar
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
- Option 2 – Using 100% U.S. Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice
2 cups 100% U.S. Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice
2-3 tsp. light agave nectar
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
Directions
- For options 1 and 2
- In a large mason jar or other container with a tight lid, add all the ingredients together.
- Shake or stir until incorporated.
- Place container in the refrigerator and allow to chill a minimum of 20 minutes. For best texture, allow to rest overnight.
- When ready, shake to redistribute the chia seeds and divide into four 1/2 cup servings.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve well chilled.
I absolutely love drinking this after a workout! It’s so refreshing and gives my body what it needs. Definitely recommend and it’s so easy to make!