My alternative to milkshakes

MILKSHAKES!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE milkshakes! The more chocolatey - the better! What's not to love? They're thick, creamy, and cold - the perfect treat for our Texas heat! Heck, who am I kidding? I would have a milkshake even if it was snowing outside - yeah, they're that good :)

Unfortunately, they're not so good for our waistline. 

I found that I really like the chcolate banana vivanno smoothie from Starbucks, and it's been my saving grace to my milkshake cravings, but I can't afford to pay $4.60 every time I want one (yeah...that's the price! And there's only one size option!). However, it did inspire me to create my own version of it. A smoothie has a similar texture and consistency to a milkshake, so when I want something cold, creamy, and chocolate-y, a smoothie is a wonderful substitution for me. I've been making these for awhile, but I decided to amp it up even more tonight, and I found a mix of it that I absolutely loved! Unfortunately, I drank it too quickly before I thought to take a picture of the chocolate-y goodness, but I'll make it again in the near future and put a mouth-watering picture up to go along with this post. Tonight, I added peanut butter for the first time. I had boot camp tonight, and my instructor always tells us to go home and eat protein. I had already eaten dinner tonight, and wanted something that was fairly light, but healthy, so I decided to end the day on this delightful treat! Anyways, here's tonight's recipe: 

10 ice cubes

1/2 c. skim milk

1/2 - 3/4 banana

1 T. peanut butter (optional, but so yummy!)

1 tsp. sugar/sugar substitue (I always use Splenda)

3 tsp. cocoa powder (it's so low in fat and calories, but adds a ton of flavor)

Blend all ingredients in blender on a high speed until smooth and creamy. Enjoy! 

For anybody curious about the nutritional value, I have added it up (this is an approximation, but an educated guess):

Calories with peanut butter blended in: 235 cal.

Fat with peanut butter: 8 g.

Calories WITHOUT peanut butter: 150 cal.

Fat WITHOUT peanut butter: 0 g