Recipe: Healthy Chocolate Shakes

During last weekend when I was in KL, I went to Celebrity Fitness with my buddies for a workout and since I didn't bring any protein with me, I had to purchase a protein shake from the drinks counter in there. The shake I got for post-workout was a chocolate protein shake made from 1/2 cup low fat milk, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein and 6 ice cubes. Sounds so simple, yet tastes as delicious as any chocolate milkshake you can get. However, that simple shake set me back RM 10. So, I thought to myself,"I can totally do this at home band make it even tastier, and not end up spending a bomb."

So, I got a blender a few days ago from Jusco. I've been wanting to get one for a long time to make protein shakes and healthy smoothies and this incident spurred me on. Just wanna shake a few recipes that I came up with =)

Absolute Chocolate Recovery Shake (great for post-workout)
2 scoops chocolate 100% whey protein powder.
2 tbsp dextrose powder.
1-2 tsp 100% pure unsweetened Van Houten cocoa powder (depends on how chocolatey you want it).
1/2 cup skim/low fat milk.
1/2 cup water.
6 ice cubes.
(you will need a really big glass for this one)

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake (I swear, this tastes like an awesome dessert!)
1 scoop chocolate 100% whey protein powder.
1-2 tsp 100% pure unsweetened Van Houten cocoa powder.
1-2 tbsp 100% natural peanut butter (no added sugar, salt, oil or preservatives).
1/2 cup skim/low fat milk.
1/2 cup water.
Substitute water for 4-6 ice cubes if you want it cold.

Low Fat Mocha Latte Shake (the perfect pick-me-up)
1 scoop chocolate 100% whey protein powder.
1 tsp instant coffee powder.
1-2 tsp 100% pure unsweetened Van Houten cocoa powder.
1 cup skim/low fat milk.
Add 4-6 ice cubes if you want it cold.
Add some peanut butter if you want it creamier and nutty.

As you can see, you can LOVE chocolate and make it very healthy too. I'd add some fruits like bananas or berries but I don't have any to experiment with right now (Also, berries cost a bomb in Malaysia). If you don't have whey protein, just leave it out and add a bit more milk for a protein boost. If you don't use milk due to the recent melanine scare, you can substitute with soy milk or get milk imported from Australia or New Zealand. Honestly, the variations are endless. As for natural peanut butter, I use the CED brand, which also produces a lot of organic products. Look out for it when you're in Jusco or Tesco.

I've been having a galore making really mouth-watering shakes that taste indulgent, yet very healthy and low in calories. I won't even bother going out for milkshakes or ice-blended drinks anymore. They're often over-priced but simple to make. You just need to gather the ingredients, chuck them in and blend away. I won't even mind the cleaning later, coz these taste SO GOOD!