Sunday, August 18, 2013

My "go-to" Breakfast Shake

I am a creature of habit, and when I find a breakfast that I like, I can stick to it day after day. While some people may look forward to their morning cup of jo, my daily fix is a chocolate breakfast shake. Every now and then I've tweaked my "recipe" depending on what I'm in the mood for or if I had a hard workout or not. Here are the basics:

As you can tell, this is a monstrous shake. That cup is 28 ounces. I started out making this shake to have before camp counseling because I wanted something filling to last me until lunch time, but on the lower calorie side since I wasn't working out much those days. This definitely did the trick! 

What I like most about this breakfast is how easy it is, and how every person can adjust the ingredients to their liking. I personally love to use Silk's unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or original) because it gives the shake a nice consistency with a fraction of the calories as regular milk. I have made this shake with a combination of low fat milk and water when I've run out of almond milk which gives the shake a slight frothy texture. 

As far as yogurt goes, I used to be a Chobani girl all the way. Lately, however, I've been digging the Fage nonfat yogurt. It seems a bit thicker to me, which is one of the qualities I am always looking for in a shake. In the past I was really into using Friendship Whipped Cottage Cheese. I found that the whipped made it easier to blend in. Both yogurt and cottage cheese make great options. 

Now for the chocolate! I love chocolate. One of my most memorable Christmas gifts growing up was a whopping five pound Hershey Bar. While I still enjoy rich chocolate treats, I find that incorporating cocoa powder into my breakfast meal is a great way to satisfy my chocolate cravings. I use about 20-25 grams. Many times I add I spoonful of instant decaf coffee to create a mocha flavor. Mmmm! I used sprinkle in some Jello Sugar Free Instant Pudding, specifically the chocolate fudge flavor, which was deliciously chocolatey and made for a veryyyyy thick shake. However, I've been trying to slowly back away from artificial sweeteners and the cocoa powder is natural and tasty all the same.

I have been using Ez Sweetz in my shakes which comes in a dropper bottle since that is what my family has in the house. I've made these shakes with Truvia as well. I don't know how it would taste without any sweetener. 

Lastly, I use a lot of ice because I love a large and thick shake. I enjoy drinking it with a straw but also having to eat it with a spoon because it is so thick! I usually fill my huge cup nearly to the top with crushed ice and throw it into the blender after all of the other ingredients are mixed. Depending on your preference, you may or may not want to add less ice. 

So there it is, my favorite breakfast!! If only I lived somewhere where I could enjoy my cold shake year round! 

Yummy!!!



2 comments:

  1. I'm a Chobani girl all the way too! Have one every single day. I've tried Fage as well and thought it was all right.
    But I agree with smoothies- once you find the recipe that works for you, you stick with it!

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    1. Thanks for reading Maria! Whenever I eat yogurt on its own I always go for the Chobani too...black cherry is my absolute fav!!

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