It’s that time of the year again. McDonald’s has brought back a seasonal crowd favorite: The Shamrock Shake. Let’s face it, these vanilla, minty, green shakes of deliciousness are almost irresistible. I mean, there are so many great reasons to drink a Shamrock Shake: they’re deliciously minty, you’re being festive (they’re green, duh) and it’s easily justifiable because you can only get them during St. Patrick’s Day season. What do we have to lose?! Unfortunately, those festive green shakes pack a wopping 470 calories for a small, and 120 of those calories are from fat. What’s even worse about the nutritional value of these shakes is that a small has about 65 grams of sugar. That is more than double your daily suggested sugar intake.
Photo courtesy of e!online
You don’t have to stop enjoying these tasty treats, though. We have brought to you a healthy version of the crowd pleasing, Shamrock Shake. With just two ingredients, this shake has about 13 grams of protein, half the calories and much less guilt.
The New and Improved Shamrock Shake:
¾ cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup of mint chip halo top ice cream
5 Ice cubes
Green food coloring (optional for intense green color)
Other options:
Low fat milk
Vanilla bean halo top
Mint extract
Blend together ingredients, add a cherry on top for fun, sip and enjoy!