Thick and Creamy Chocolate Protein Shake

There's nothing like the satisfaction you get from sipping down a rich and chocolatey milkshake. But like all other tasty things in life, they are high in calories, sugar and fat and low in all the other amazing things like lean protein. Believe it or not, it is possible to turn your average chocolate protein powder in to a Thick and Creamy Chocolate Protein Shake without adding ice cream or a banana. Your first choice is to add Xantham Gum. It's an unflavored thickening agent used to change the consistency of a liquid. It's often used in salad dressings and sauces. Just add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon to your shake before blending.

Another option is to use a blend of proteins including Casein. Casein is a milk protein that is naturally creamier than other protein powders when mixed in water. If you mix it with cream or milk it will be even thicker.

Finally, my favorite way to thicken up a shake is to use about a tablespoon of Sugar-Free/Fat-Free Instant Pudding mix. Add the pudding mix to your shake before blending. For an even thicker shake, add a bit of milk as well. The pudding mix comes in a ton of flavors (pistachio, cheesecake, vanilla, double chocolate, chocolate, butterscotch, banana, etc) making it easy to come up with new and interesting flavor combinations. Pudding mix can be found in the baking aisle of any local grocery store (besides Whole Foods because they don't carry anything that has artificial sweeteners added).

What's your favorite way to thicken up a shake? Have you ever used Xantham Gum or instant pudding mix?

Thick and Creamy Chocolate Protein Shake

Prep time 5 minutes - Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used a blend of whey protein isolate, egg white protein, and casein) 1 tablespoon chocolate Sugar-Free Fat-Free Instant Pudding Mix 1/2 cup milk or cream ice 1 tablespoon Carob Chips (optional)

Directions:

The best way that I've found to make a well-blended protein shake that does not have fruit is to put your dry ingredients in to the blender first. Add your liquid and a few pieces of ice. Cover and pulse a few times. Then add more ice and pulse in until ice is broken well. Add more ice and continue to pulse. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add a bit more liquid if your shake is too thick.

Top with carob chips for a yummy, crunchy treat.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Mint Protein Balls

What's better than chocolate balls? Mint chocolate balls. Then again, that's only true if you like mint more than you like chocolate. I'm not sure which I like better but I do know one thing, these are amazing balls...or AMAZEBALLS! (Finally! A use for that word!)

Moving on. TGIF! That's right, it's Friday! Today is a rainy day here in NY but I'm not going to let the rain rain on my parade. I wish I could say that my Friday is going to be loaded with fun, relaxation and joy, but instead I get to say that my Friday is going to be spent at work, like the rest of the world. After work is a whole different story. Gonna grab a quick CrossFit workout, then straight home to catch new episodes of Say Yes to the Dress (yes, I'm one of those girls). And for dessert, a couple of Double Chocolate Mint Protein Balls!

Question of the day: What's your favorite thing about Fridays?

What's even more cool? These balls are grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy free. You could call them Paleo if you want, I would.

Be careful making these balls, use only 1 teaspoon of mint extract, or else you may end up with a breath freshener instead of decadent treat.

Double Chocolate Mint Protein Balls

prep time: 15 minutes - cook time: none - makes 9 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Almond Meal 1/4 cup Flaxseed meal 1 cup chocolate protein powder 1/4 cup extra dark unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon mint extract 1/4 cup cacao nibs 1/4 cup raw honey 1/4 cup water

Directions:

In a large bowl combine almond meal, flaxseed meal, 3/4 cup of the protein powder, sea salt, cocoa powder and cacao nibs. Stir with a large spoon until all ingredients are well dispersed.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the honey for 15-20 seconds. Add extract to warm honey and stir. Then pour the honey mixture in to the dry ingredients; mix with a large spoon. Slowly add water and stir until batter gets sticky. Be careful not to add too much water. If batter is too sticky simply add a bit more protein powder.

Line a plate or cookie sheet with parchment. Place remaining protein powder in bowl. Scoop batter in to small 1-1.5 tablespoon size portions. Roll in to a ball in your hand, then roll in the protein powder for a nice chocolate dusting. Place balls on lined cookie sheet and allow to set in fridge for 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition facts provided by nutritiondata.com Nutrition per serving: Calories: 119, Total Fats: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 107 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 14 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 10 g, Protein: 11 g, Iron: 1.0 mg