Healthy Chocolate Shake

If you’re a sucker for a milk shake, this post is for you. A healthy chocolate shake with three key ingredients; avocado, banana, cacao.

Woah there, avocado in a smoothie? I promise you that with the right things, all it brings to the table is amazing creaminess and nutrition, nothing in the taste department.

Let’s set the scene…

Years ago, when I was first ill and eating was just plain hard work, my Sister would take me to McDonald’s drive through to pick up a chocolate milkshake. I’d get in the car, still in pyjamas, she’d blast her Dolly Parton and I’d wonder how on earth we were related.

The lyrics made me cringe; ‘Baby when I met you there was peace unknown, I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb’ and that isn’t the worst of them!

The idea of these trips was that if you’re not feeling too awesome, sipping your way through a milkshake is way easier than facing a plate of food. Now, you may have heard the horror stories about the inclusion of chicken fat or lard, but you’ll be pleased to know there’s nothing bizarre in them, they’re just not very healthy.

Then, I figured out how to make this.

A healthy chocolate shake.

I’d be lying if I told you that this will taste just like your favourite fast food chocolate shake; it doesn’t have half of your daily intake of sugar in for one thing (ahem, McDonalds, Yazoo, Frijj).  What it does have though is two servings of fruit and veg, loads of antioxidants and vitamins and nothing but unrefined natural ingredients. No food guilt here!

I’ve mentioned a few times about trying to clean up my food and making an effort to give my body the best I can. This shake is a part of that move that I’m particularly enjoying, the lack of biscuits? Not so much. Food is one of the things I enjoy most in life and stepping away from the biscuit tin after a particularly draining day is tough. My latest blood tests didn’t look pretty so it’s more important than ever for me to eat well right now. There’s some motivation for me, I guess.

Coming back to the recipe… if you’re a hard core juice and smoothie fanatic, you’ll probably enjoy this without any extras but I like to sweeten mine with a little maple syrup or honey.

I make this in my Nutribullet but given how soft avocado and banana are, I’m sure any food processor, smoothie maker or stick blender could handle this.