By Lizzie Briasco, Dietetic Intern [University of Minnesota – The Emily Program]
“It’s never too cold for ice cream!” is what you can hear me saying throughout most of winter. There really ain’t no mountain high or valley low enough to stop me from getting to my Edy’s or Ben & Jerry’s. I start getting withdrawal symptoms if I go more than two weeks without a shake or malt.
My name is Lizzie, and I’m an ice cream addict.
Thankfully for my waistline, I managed to find the following recipe, which cures my cravings with a healthier mix of ingredients.
This “ice cream” owes its creaminess to the frozen banana, which is high in fiber and potassium, as is the peanut butter. Milk adds more protein as well as vitamin D. All of these nutrients help build strong muscles, bones and teeth, and regulate digestion.
Creamy Chunky Monkey Blender “Ice Cream”
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 small–medium banana, frozen
- ¼ cup low-fat chocolate milk OR ¼ cup low-fat plain milk + 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
- 1 tbsp. honey or agave
Directions:
- Add banana, milk and vanilla extract to blender and blend until combined and smooth.
- Add peanut butter and honey or agave to blender and pulse until thoroughly combined. Mixture should be thick and creamy, but not too thick that it gets stuck. Add more milk if necessary to smooth it out to a creamier consistency.
- Grab a spoon or straw – or both – and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Per serving: 200 calories, 9g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 5g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 95mg sodium
