Remember Ovaltine? The chocolatey drink our parents fed us in the morning before school because they thought it was so good for us? We loved it and our parents did what they thought was best for us. We have come along way since then, and people are starting to pay attention to ingredients and deciding for themselves what is really “healthy”. Today we also have Instant Carnation Breakfast, where the second ingredient listed by weight is sugar and includes a healthy dose of potentially cancer causing synthetic ingredients like carrageenan. So, since I wouldn’t feel good feeding our kids either option, I got busy doing what I love, re-vamping my old junk food favorites into something I can feel good about eating. I experimented and came up with a chocolate smoothie that beats out Ovaltine in both nutrition and taste. Enjoy!
Disclaimer – we did not drink our smoothie with the the yummy whip cream and chocolate chips on top, this was added for the benefit of my photo. BUT, if you wanted to add whip cream, you could always make your own clean version by mixing coconut cream, honey, and vanilla. There is also a brand of chocolate chips called Lilly’s that is sweetened with Stevia if your looking for a healthier chocolate chip.
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk - make sure it's VERY cold (I like to place it in the freezer 15-20 minutes prior)
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- Handful of spinach
- 2 tsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 3 tsp vanilla plant protein powder by Garden of Life
- Note - I did not get compensated in any way for using their product. These opinions are all my own and I just love the added nutrition, probiotics, and enzymes it adds to smoothies.
- Blend all ingredients in bullet or blender. NOTE- smoothie is best using cold almond milk and cashew butter.
Nutrition Facts:
Almond Milk – considered heart healthy as it is high in omega fatty acids and has no cholesterol. Low in carbs and low on the glycemic index. Great for digestion.
Cashew Butter – lowers your risk for certain types of cancer, supports healthy brain function, good source of protein
Cocoa Powder – wonderful antioxidant, provides calcium and potassium and may lower LDL cholestrol
Spinach – high in iron, zinc, protein, potassium, and fiber to name a few. Spinach has anti-inflammatory properties, and is great of eye health
Plant Protein Powder – contains essential amino acids, probiotics, enzymes, vitamins and an excellent source of protein. NOTE – I did not get compensated in any way for using this Garden of Life product. These opinions are all my own and I just love the nutritional addition it adds to smoothies.
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