Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

According to the Abs Diet for Women, smoothies are perfect for meal substitutions (and when I say that, I’m referring to a lifestyle that has you eating something every couple of hours, not substituting only one of 2 or 3 meals a day – I believe that would not be beneficial to your body or your mind) and as potent snacks.  The author says that they work for a number of reasons:

• They require little time, so you’re more likely to consume them on a regular basis.
• Adding berries, flavored whey powder (and in the specific case of this recipe, chocolate whey powder), or peanut butter, they taste like a dessert, which satisfies your body’s sweet cravings.
• Their thickness takes up a lot of space in your stomach.

They help control weight in the following ways:

• Researchers at Purdue University found that people who drank thick drinks stayed fuller longer than people who drank thin drinks with equal calories, temperatures, and amounts.
• Researchers at Penn State found that when people drank yogurt shakes that they had blended until they were double in volume ate 96 fewer calories a day than those who drank shakes of normal thickness.
• The North American Association of the Study of Obesity found that drinking meal replacements (and I in no way advocate the prepackaged “shakes” that are filled with chemicals and soy and fake food), increased the chances of losing weight and keeping it off longer for a year.
• A University of Tennessee study found that people who added three servings of yogurt a day to their diets lost 61% more body fat and 81% more stomach fat over 12 weeks than those who didn’t eat yogurt.  They speculated that the calcium helps the body burn fat and limit the amount of new fat your body can make.

Yesterday, I was really craving something sweet.  Well, specifically, I was craving chocolate cheesecake, which is kind of dangerous in my kitchen because the chances are good I have everything on hand I need to make it.  So, the boys and I had Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothies for a snack, and it more than satisfied that craving.

Since we’re in the season now, I will add that this is a great way to up your protein during Lent.  And, as you can see from the pictures above, my kids love them.

1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup milk
¼ cup peanut butter (see note below)
1 scoop chocolate whey powder (the whey powder will come with its own measuring scoop – if you don’t have whey powder, you can use one envelope of Carnation Instant Breakfast.)

1 banana
1 envelope plain instant oatmeal
1 cup ice cubes

measuring cups
blender
rubber spatula in case you need to scrape the inside of the blender pitcher

Place all ingredients in a blender.

Blend for at least 1 minute, longer if the ice needs more time.

3 16-ounce servings.

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Very high in protein
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I use a natural peanut butter that is enhanced with flax seed and wheat germ, then sweetened with honey.  You can add some flax seed or wheat germ to this recipe, if you want, and if you feel like it needs some more sweetness, you can add a tsp or two of honey.

I would love to hear any feedback about this recipe.  Did you make it?  Did you enjoy it?  Did you make any adjustments to it?

Hallee

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