These Beat A Frappuccino

August 10, 2012 by PJ | 13 Comments

I am sure Frappuccinos are good. I mean they sell a kazillion of them a year globally (www.no-statistical-data-could-be-found.com), so they’ve got to be pretty tasty.

What stops us from ordering one is the knowledge that one Grande (16 ounces) will set us back 110 calories and push our recommended daily sugar intake through the roof – almost 6 teaspoons – and that’s the “light” version we’re talking about.

Order a full fat Grande, and you’re looking at 240 calories and almost 12 teaspoons of sugar. Yikes, no thanks! We would much rather give our bodies some nutrition while providing it with a tasty cold drink to cool off with during these hot days.

So, what do we suggest? A protein smoothie. They are fast and easy to make, tasty and full of nutrients that the body can both metabolize and put to good use.

If you are new to protein powder, I suggest that you start out with a protein isolate blend, unsweetened, or if you are like me and have a sweet tooth, sweetened with Stevia. These can be purchased at any higher-end grocery store, as well as any health food store.

We also suggest that you purchase the smallest containers that you can of both the vanilla and chocolate flavors, so that you can ensure that you like the taste (believe us, some powders are way better tasting than others!), and so that you can cycle through all of the recipes.

Happy blending and let us know what your favourites were.
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Chunky Monkey – makes 1
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 c unsweetened almond milk
½ frozen banana (see tip below)
1 tbsp. all-natural smooth peanut butter
¼ c 0% Greek yogurt
2-3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
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Pina Coloda – makes 1
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 c unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana (see tip below)
2 tbsp. flaked coconut
½ c pineapple (fresh, or canned – drained)
¼ c 0% Greek yogurt
2-3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
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Chocolate Mint – makes 1
1 ½ scoops chocolate protein powder
1 c unsweetened almond milk
Peppermint extract, to taste (start with less than 1/8 tsp, adding more as desired)
5 ice cubes
2 large handfuls fresh spinach (you can’t taste this at all!)
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie  – makes 1

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/3 c canned pumpkin
1 frozen banana (see tip below)
5 ice cubes
¾ c unsweetened almond milk
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
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Almond Joy Smoothie – makes 1
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 c coconut water
½ c unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp. flaked coconut
3-4 ice cubes
½ tsp. coconut extract
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
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Tip: peel your bananas and cut them half and place them in a zip-locked baggie before freezing them. This way they are easy to pull from the freezer and add to your blender and portioned perfectly – whether you need a half banana or a full.

 

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