This recipe is so easy I don’t even know if I can call it a recipe! Friday is St. Patrick’s Day and all I am hearing is green beer and shamrock shakes! Do you know the nutritional value of a medium Shamrock Shake from McDonalds is? Just take a guess… Ok, here is the macro breakdown of their beloved shake.
McDonalds Shamrock Shake (size: medium):
Calories: 580
Fat: 16g
Carbs: 74g
Protein: 12g
And just for kicks, there is 80g of sugar. EIGHTY! Depending if you are male or female, the recommend daily intake of sugar is between 25g – 37g and with just this shake you are getting triple the recommended amount. Cue in the obesity epidemic…
And don’t even get me started on a size large… The McD’s shake is made up of vanilla reduced fat ice cream (don’t let “reduced fat” fool you!), shamrock shake syrup (aka fake ass sugar), whipped topping (whipped fake nasty ass sugar), maraschino cherry (which they of course added in more fake sugar) and green sugar crystals (sugar is right in the name! RED FLAG!). All of those have their own ingredients listed (check them all out here). The vanilla reduced fat ice cream is composed of milk, sugar, cream, corn syrup, natural flavors and the list continues. The ingredients that are listed first on nutritional labels is what makes up the bulk of the meal/food. In this example, that means this shake is mostly made of milk, sugar, cream and corny syrup. Super. Click the link above and you will see that the syrup, whipped topping, cherry and sugar crystals are pretty inline with the less than stellar quality of ingredients that are in the vanilla ice cream.
Now, let’s look at the nutritional value of my version of the Shamrock shake.
Kiss by Brooke’s Shamrock Shake (minus toppings*)
*Please note, I am leaving off the toppings since these are optional.
Calories: 305
Fat: 10g
Carbs: 28g
Protein: 25g
Sugar: 8g
The Vanilla Chia IsaLean Shake is a nutrient packed meal replacement with high quality dairy-free (whey options available too!), plant based protein, energy-fueling carbs, healthy fats and fiber your body needs to be in good health. It is also free of soy and gluten. #winning The main ingredients of this IsaLean shake are whole grain brown rice protein and pea protein isolate. Meaning, this shake is a protein power house! In order to build lean muscle and keep it around, you must eat a diet rich in high quality protein. Not only are you getting a full meal of the right protein, carbs and fat sources, but you are also getting a crap ton of high quality vitamins and minerals.
There you have it. I have laid out the facts for you and now you have the choice. Will you choose a highly (and I mean highly) processed sugary drink from McDonalds that you will have to drive to get and wait in line for? Or, will you take two minutes to whip up this nutrient packed, rich protein power shake?
- 1 packet of Dairy-Free IsaLean Vanilla Chia Shake or 2 scoops grass-fed vanilla whey IsaLean Shake
- 1 scoop Isa Greens
- 1 cup cashew milk (or other nut butter)
- ½-1 tsp peppermint extract
- optional: enjoy life chocolate chips, granola
- Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips and granola to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Top with chocolate chips and/or granola and enjoy!