Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Shake (Weight Loss Wednesday)
So this has been my FAVORITE smoothie this month. I discovered it on accident when I went to make my regular shake with spinach, coconut/almond milk, ice and blueberries... and realized that I was out of blueberries. As I looked at my bright green smoothie, I thought, "Huh, that looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream..."
And OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH...
I grabbed some mini chips out of the freezer, threw in some extra ice and a bit of mint extract (both peppermint AND regular mint extract work equally well).
I'm listing my ingredients, because it's what I have on hand and pretty much my favorite things. This is my FAVORITE protein powder for taste and value. I don't have the $$$ to spend on the super top notch stuff and this is the best tasting prtein powder I've had, so I've just stuck with it over the years. The coffee flavor is incredibly yummy, too, but probably not with mint :)
I have been using Isagenix for years. I love it for the nutrition and it always seems to help 'reset' my digestion when I start having issues. I don't use it as a 'diet' but I do enjoy it added to smoothies when I have one. You can, of course, use whatever meal replacement you prefer.
I buy bags of fresh 'cooking spinach' because they're cheaper (even more so when they're on sale!) and throw them directly in the freezer. That way it doesn't go bad before I get a chance to use it, it blends better and I can use it for cooking as well.
This is my favorite brand of flavor extracts. I had mint around because we made Christmas candy last year and this flavor doesn't need much at all. MAKE SURE YOU DON'T USE TOO MUCH! I accidentally spilled too much in my smoothie a few days ago and I think I can STILL taste it! :)
I added a tablespoon of chocolate chips for that little touch of chocolate. You could leave that out or maybe use chocolate protein powder instead, but that might make for an interesting color shade ;)
YUMMMMMM! Seriously, I rarlye have a shake every day, but since making this blend, I have wanted one every day. When I add plenty of ice to the mix, it tastes just like a mint chocolate chip shake and soothes my craving for an ice cream treat.
And now, as a thank you to my son, Kainan...
My oldest son (who is 22 currently) stopped back to take me out for lunch last week. He usually brings steak and food over and we cook, but this week he wanted to take me out to eat instead. As I've said in the past, I do intermittent fasting and only eat from X to Y time. When he stopped by, I wasn't even close to my eating window... BUT the more improtant thing is enjoying life and appreciating the relationship that I have with my kids. I mean, really. How many moms get to go out to lunch with their 20+ year old kids very often? I wasn't about to say "No, I'm not in my eating window" when he asked me to go for lunch.
I got my usual "treat" meal of BBQ ribs with a sweet potato. I only eat about 1/3rd of the meal, but the rest is great for leftovers. I still track everything and fit it into my calories for the day.
I also get a side of fries, because their fries are awesome. Yeah, fries aren't healthy, but when you go out as rarely as I do, it's a nice treat. Plus, I don't really have a problem with just eating a few when it comes to fried foods, so I can enjoy a few and be done.
Then afterwards, we went to the store where he works and he got me some of my favorite healthy treats <3
- Grapes, which I freeze for a F*CKING AMAZING treat. (I eat a pound a day when they're on sale for 99 cents a pound and keep my freezer as empty as possible so I have room for them!)
- Coffee, which I drink black during my fasting hours, so I get the 'girly' coffee.
- Almonds, these were chili lime and on the clearance rack, and sales are my second favorite thing... so yeah :)
Not pictured: - Fuji apples (that I generally eat with pink sea salt and the almonds)
- LaCroix sparkling water with a hint of lime. Mmmmmm. It makes for a nice, non-soda bubbly drink when I'm in the mood for that.
I have the best kids ever. <3
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I expected the term "healthy" to be misleading and have this be loaded with carbs and just have one healthy thing tossed into it, but this is actually pretty healthy IMO. I'm wondering how it would actually taste (how close to a mint shake).
The only thing I'm unfamiliar with is the meal replacement but I looked up the info on it, and it is fairly decent when it comes to the carbs and everything, so that's good.
For the protein powder, you can go with chocolate (or some companies make mint chocolate chip flavored already). You should look for other ones besides the brand you posted, that's a popular brand and it's a bit overpriced for the amount you get. Just a simple search on Amazon I've found stuff that's a lot cheaper and the taste difference is negligible, especially if you just mix it into a smoothie like I do!
But I may actually give this one a shot :)
Thanks. I have tried (and do HAVE) a lot of varieties of protein powder, but this is my favorite by far. I always end up going back to this one for their white chocolate flavor and the coffee flavor. Every once in a while I think about trying yet another new one and buy it... and it just sits there after one use until my kids use it. I'm old and set in my ways, I guess :)
Thanks for the comment.
Also, I'm sure that ice cream would taste better, but this is close enough when it's blended well that it eases my cravings without all the carbs.
Whatever you like, go with. Just offering alternatives :).
Most of the "healthy" stuff is just unhealthy stuff with something healthy thrown in, or it's considered healthy because it doesn't have a lot of fat, but the sugar is still there (which I think is a lot more important to cut down on than fat).
Absolutely. I try to keep my sugars to a minimum. Keto loves me, but I can't maintain it for long without becoming an obsessive crazy woman, so I just try to be moderate.
I loved Isagenix, but alas, can't afford it. Question: the Lean Shake is mostly whey protein. Could a person ditch the Lean Shake and double up on the protein powder?
I suppose. I like the isagenix for all of the extra nutrients (because my diet isn't varied much, and it makes me feel like I'm being at least a little bit more well rounded in that are.) I mean, i think it would be fine even just as a protein shake without the extra meal replacement as well, I just like to have it as a whole meal. I'm weird, I suppose, in that I get really REALLY tired of eating sometimes (unless I could have all the chocolate in the world, maybe!)
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