How I Love Thee, Healthy Chocolate Smoothie..Let Me Count the Ways!

Did someone say Summer AND smoothies?? Count me in!! I am one of those people that choose to eat foods according to the seasons and the weather. If it's hot outside, I can eat warm foods and drinks BUT I totally prefer cooler ones or at least room temperature. It is not pleasant to partake of something hot to make you even hotter in the sweltering heat.

 In walks our friend the smoothie....

I didn't grow up drinking smoothies..well except the VERY unhealthy step-cousin, half removed milkshake or a fast food version of a smoothie which is not healthy at all. My husband, who is a doctor by the way, introduced me to the deliciousness of smoothies. They are fast to make, can hide many nutritious things that picky eaters and/or children would never touch otherwise, are so delicious, and are great for on the go. What is not to like?? I'm so glad Tim introduced us. Now, we are good friends (especially in the warmer months). :)

This is my oldest boy when he was 1, and his first ever smoothie.
He's always been a highly picky eater,
and as you see here he likes my fruit and veggie smoothies!
Can you tell I was really surprised and excited??

And now that my big boy is 2.5 years old,
he still loves his smoothies..and chocolate ^__^

I plan on trying out several different flavors and focusing on different styles of smoothies over the next couple months. By styles I mean protein rich, low fat, low carb, low sugar, more veggies, more fruits, yogurt added, peanut butter added, and things added you would never even think about. I may mix and match some of these styles to come up with the most healthy, kid-friendly, and delicious cool summer perfect drinks for you.

I desire to create flavors that taste as if they should be "bad" for you but are really not! I can't help but think of the word CHOCOLATE. YUM! Now, we all know that chocolate is high in calories and fat and sometimes sugar, but if you're like me then you crave it at least once a day. So, if we can eat a Healthy Chocolate Smoothie with added fruit and veggies and with less fat, calories, and sugar then we would be stoked right?? This smoothie is really for all you parents out there who need a little stress relief, something that will put a smile on your lips, AND you could share with your kids...if you wanted to... and not have parental guilt. I'm in!!

What I love so much about this smoothie is how it soothes your chocolate cravings, but also gives you fiber, protein from oats and peanuts, iron, antioxidants and vitamin C and a decrease in blood sugar spikes from strawberries, tons and tons of nutrition in a WHOLE CUP of spinach, and of course calcium and other vitamins in milk. Please let me know what you think and if your family likes it!

*I have several tips for cheaper and healthier smoothies. Soon I am going to write a post just on ways to make healthier smoothies without going over budget. So stay tuned!

The Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
(Can be gluten free, dairy free, egg free, tree nut free, added sugar free, Vegan, Vegetarian)
Makes 1 serving (A little over 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sliced frozen strawberries*
• 2 tbs oats (I use Old Fashioned Oats, but Quick Oats would also work.)
• 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbs PB2** (or 2 tbs peanut butter) (I added this mostly for protein not flavor.)
• 1 cup unsweetened milk*** (I use Almond or Almond/Coconut milk)
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• Sweetener of choice to desired sweetness**** (I use 2g Splenda or Stevia (2 packets). Other options are 4 tsp Sugar or 1-2 tbs honey, ect.)
• Crushed ice if not using frozen strawberries*

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into blender in the order shown except for the sweetener and ice if using.
2. The next step all depends on what quality of blender you own. I have a very old blender with several options, but it takes a while to get everything blended down and blended together. 
3. With my blender I first use the "Ice Breaker" button, then the "Puree" button, and lastly the "Blend" button. The whole process may take about 5 minutes, and I check on the consistency occasionally to see how much longer it needs to blend. If you have something very powerful, like a Vitamix, then this step should be much quicker and easier for you. 
4. Add ice if you didn't use frozen strawberries and blend more until all ice is crushed and blended in.
5. Taste the smoothie to see if you like the thickness and the taste. If it is not thick enough, then add more ice and continue to blend. 
6. If you prefer a sweeter smoothie (I DO!) then add your choice of sweetener and blend for 20-30 seconds. Taste again and add more sweetener if desired.
7. Drink and Enjoy (and hide if you don't want to share)! 

Oops! Iot a little excited, and after I tasted it I couldn't stop!

If you like this recipe, please feel free to CLICK one of the "Reactions" below above the comments and/or add this recipe to your Pinterest board and/or share on Facebook! Thanks!

Notes:

*I buy fresh strawberries, cut them, and put them in the freezer for later use. You can also buy a huge bag of frozen cut strawberries at Sam's for a GREAT price. When I'm short on time, I buy those. If you don't have frozen strawberries, but you have fresh ones then just make sure to add ice to help thicken it.

**PB2 is an amazing food invention. I am in love. All it is is pressed peanuts that are ground into powder with a tiny bit of added salt and sugar. It has only 45 cals, 1.5g fat, 5g carbs, and 5g protein per 2 tbs. I like to add this to my food for extra protein and flavor.

If  you decide to use peanut butter instead of the PB2 to increase the protein count then you can, but it will also increase the fat and calories tremendously. The PB2 doesn't add much of a taste to this smoothie, so you can also just leave it out. 

***My son and I can not have cow's milk. I prefer to use the unsweetened almond or almond/coconut milk. If I am making a smoothie for my son, I use the original flavor soy milk and usually do not need to add sweetener to it or I may use a half of a banana or some honey. For my husband, I would use 2% cow's milk. We have TONS of milk in our fridge HA! 

****Since I am watching my sugar intake, I use Splenda or Stevia to add sweetness to my smoothies. My husband prefers to just use sugar or honey. As I mentioned earlier, I usually add half a banana or honey to my son's smoothies if needed. 

Nutrition Facts:

(for the whole recipe)

Cals-169, Fat-6g, Carb-25g, Sugar-3g, Pro-9.7g