Edit: This smoothie (recipe given below) worked like a charm! I didn’t hit a wall while running (which was fantastic) and I felt strong the whole time. Huzzah! We have a winner!

I’ve faced a challenge on the Paleo diet. I have had a really difficult time finding what Paleo-friendly foods serve as good running fuel.

My usual pre-run food is toast with peanut butter, banana slices, and maybe a drizzle of honey or sprinkle of cinnamon. It is the PERFECT running food for me. I can truly feel a difference in my performance when I’ve eaten that versus anything else. But, alas! Bread and peanut butter are not things I can eat on the Paleo diet.

On Thursday, about 2 hours before my 5 mile run, I made a smoothie with a frozen banana, some frozen strawberries and blueberries, coconut milk, almond butter, and spinach and sipped it alongside two scrambled eggs. This proved to not be the best choice for me–I hit a wall around mile 4 and had a very difficult time finishing out the last mile.

Really, I should have known better. I’ve never had eggs before a run–I’ve read in so many places that your body takes longer to break them down so they aren’t recommended pre-run.

Today, before my 6-mile run, I decided to change things up a little bit. I am just opting for a smoothie this time.

Here’s what I put into the blender:

-1 frozen banana
-4 frozen strawberries
-a handful frozen blueberries
-3 tablespoons coconut milk
-2 tablespoons almond butter
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
-1 teaspoon agave nectar
-1/2 an avocado
-a handful of spinach

Hopefully the extra almond butter, chia seeds, and avocado will give this smoothie some more staying power!

I’m actually sipping on the smoothie right now and it is fantastic. And don’t worry–you cannot taste the spinach and avocado. They just add a healthy kick without contributing to the flavor! The avocado can give it a weird savory aftertaste, but you can always add more agave if that’s the case for you.

Any fellow Paleo dieters out there (or people keen on nutrition!)–do you have any recommendations or suggestions as to what may serve as good running fuel?

For non-Paleo dieters–what is your running fuel of choice?