Fresh Mint Shamrock Smoothie

Written By Rachel Kreider, MPH, RD

Looking for a way to get a taste of a certain famous mint milkshake that comes around only a couple of months each year? Well, look no further. We’ve created a better-for-you version that has less than half the calories, carbs, sugar and fat plus 17g of high-quality protein.± We’ve used refreshing mint leaves and a handful of spinach to sneak in some veggies while giving that characteristic green color.

Ingredients

- 1 packet/scoop French Vanilla Lean Shake™ *

- 1 cup ice

- 1 cup skim milk

- ½ medium banana, frozen

- Handful baby spinach leaves

- 30-40 mint leaves^

- ½ tsp vanilla extract

- Pinch of kosher salt**

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend on the highest setting until your shake is nice and creamy. Garnish with a mint leaf and enjoy immediately.

Makes: 2 Servings

Serving Size: 1½ cups

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Cal. (180); Fat (1.5g); Carbs (24g); Fiber (6g); Sugar (11g); Protein (17g)

^{* You could also make this a chocolate mint shake by using a chocolate flavored protein powder}

^{^Yes, this sounds like a ton of mint, but you need a lot to really get the freshness of the mint. Another option is to swap this out for about ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract.}

^{**Salt may seem like a strange addition, but it really helps the flavors to pop. Try it out, just a pinch!}

^{± Compared to a 16 oz. McDonald’s Shamrock Shake which contains 460 calories, 13g Fat, 63g Carbs, 72g Sugar and 10 g Protein}