It's now officially fall, however that doesn't seem to stop my sweet tooth from wanting ice cream treats and chocolate shakes. Since we occasionally still have those crazy hot fall nights or afternoons, an ice cream or shake can be a refreshing and decadent treat for the entire family. So what are you to do? Abandon all your hard work getting in bikini shape to suck down a Baskin Robbins, only to leave your belly swollen and frustration welling up at your lack of willpower. And what is that teaching our children? Remember, their habits are a reflection of our own. In an effort to find a balance between experiencing and enjoying the decadent side of life, while still keeping your health as a top priority, I've created a wonderful alternative to your chocolate shake craving that will not only fill you up, but also fuel you with some wonderful sources of protein, omega 3's, healthy fiber, and is safe to consume if you are vegan or raw. Remember - this is a chocolate shake recipe! While it's made from wholesome sources, it's still a chocolate shake. Treat it as such, and teach your friends and family how to treat themselves good too. This means if you are using it as a treat watch portion size and consume only half, sharing the rest with your kids or friends. Otherwise choose to have it as a meal replacement. It has sufficient carbs and protein, will hold you over, and gives me amazing energy! Let's look at the nutrition stats:
Baskin Robbins 24oz chocolate shake:
Calories: 990
Fat: 40g
Carbs: 149g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 142g
Protein: 20g
(OUCH!!! For most of us that's at least half of our daily intake in calories and fat with limited nutrient density. Check out the sugars and carbs! Remember, we should only be consuming 40 grams of sugar a day!!!)
Chocolate Hemp Dream Shake (16-18 oz):
Calories: 412
Fat: 12g
Carbs: 68g
Fiber: 30g
Sugar: 22g
Protein: 21g
(That's nearly your entire recommended fiber consumption for the entire day, AND you're getting hemp protein which is a rich source of Omega 3's and offers you all 21 amino acids including the 8 essentials! The sugar and 40g of the carbs are coming from the bananas, so feel free to lessen these by only using one frozen banana.)
So let's get blending! Pull out your high speed blender. You'll need these ingredients (i've specified the brands i used, however use what you have or choose from what's available):
1 cup almond milk (I used pacific unsweetened low fat vanilla)
2 tbsp Raw Chocolate Powder (by Nature's First Law)
4tbsp (one serving) Hemp Protein Powder with Fiber from Nutiva
1 medium (approx 7 inches) plus 1/2 frozen ripe bananas
1/4 tsp cold pressed, extra virgin coconut oil (also by Nutiva)
1/2 single serving packet of stevia (approximately 1/2 gram of stevia)
4 ice cubes
Blend away, pour into your favorite tall glass, drop in a fancy schmansy straw, and serve or sip away.
For an even lighter shake, use only half the amount of hemp powder and half the chocolate. While this drops your fiber and protein by almost half, you still get a great chocolatey shake for 312 calories, 9 g fat, 45 carbs, 18g fiber, 21g sugar, and 12g of protein.
Ahhhhh, how sweet it is to have some Chocolatey Bliss that won't weigh you down or make you feel bad about your giving into that sweet tooth!
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