Spinach Protein Shake

My sister Whitney is an amazing cook.

When it comes to healthy eating she is always at the top of her game.  The other day I was visiting with her and she whipped up a delicious shake.  I was hoping it was made with chocolate and a splash of caramel syrup.  Well, when I caught her dumping spinach into it I thought she might have lost her mind.  

"You don't put spinach in a shake! Spinach is for granola type people who live in the wilderness and trap their own meat.  You just don't put spinach in a shake."  

Well, she did and it was absolutely delicious.  My kids even drank it up - I just didn't tell them that it was healthy. When they finally asked why it was green I told them and they were impressed with the fact that it actually was healthy for them.  Since Whitney does not measure things she had a hard time telling me what the recipe was.  So this is a knock off of her recipe.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how healthy you feel after drinking leafy spinach.

Spinach Protein Shake

8 oz. almond milk, soy milk, or skim milk
1 scoop Elite protein powder (vanilla or mint chocolate)
2 large handfulls raw spinach (about 2.5cups)
1-2 tbsp. honey
few pieces of ice, about 4 large cubes (you can always add more, but start with less)

Tasty and Nutritional Additions:

• If you are in need of omega-3 fatty acids (which we all need), you can add a tablespoon of flax seed or flax seed oil. You can also add 1/2 an avocado, which makes the shake very creamy.

• If you don't want your shake to be green, you can add frozen mixed berries, which is always delicious. (think chocolate dipped strawberries or rasberries shake-style) 

• Other tasty additions include sugar-free strawberry jam (smuckers), it tastes phenomenal in this. Any type of jam can be put into this, just make sure it's 100% fruit.

Directions: (use blender)
-Blend milk and spinach for a few seconds before other ingredients
-Add protein, splenda, ice, and your additions. Blend. ("ice crush" for a while, then turn to a medium level of blending, the longer I blend the better it tastes, I would say a minimum of 30 seconds. For thicker shakes add more ice, if you accidently add too much ice, add a bit more milk or water, tap and tilt your blender to mix better.)
-If you want a stronger taste of an added ingredient, wait on adding it until after blending everything else, then pulse in blender for a few seconds before drinking.