A Great Tasting Milkshake--Without the Milk or Ice Cream

Sometimes, when a sweet tooth rears its ugly head, healthy treats can be found by using a little creativity and by taking a chance on new flavor combinations. Recently, when this occurred, I found a combination of foods that made for a delicious treat that had the consistency and flavor of a milkshake—but without the milk or ice cream.

What is needed:

A few cups of lettuce or cabbage (both work well)
Handful or two of fresh spinach
Unsweetened apple juice and water (half of each)
Milled flax seed
Egg whites (optional—I used pasteurized egg whites in a carton from the refrigerated section--- the egg whites of fresh eggs have the potential for salmonella or other bacteria)
1 avocado
Sweetener or sugar-substitute (to taste)
Coconut flavoring (to taste)
Frozen raspberries (to taste)

(I guessed at the amounts, so it really is a treat to be personalized to the taste buds.)

To begin, I added approximately four cups of lettuce or cabbage (I’ve tried it both ways) to a blender with the apple juice and water and pureed the mixture. If using cabbage, the ice crusher mechanism on the blender works as a great start. Next, I added the spinach—about two handfuls--and pureed again. Then, the avocado was added along with the flax seed, coconut flavoring, sweetener, and egg whites, and a bit more apple juice or water. After pureeing, I added the final ingredients and pureed one final time.

The final result was a product with the thick, creamy, consistency of a shake, a shade of light brown to light pink, and a cold, sweet, delicious flavor. The thickness of the final product will depend on how much apple juice or water is added, so add these products in increments to find the desired consistency but be certain to add enough so that the blender is able to do its job.

Always be certain to follow the directions and work within the limitations of your own blender. It may be easier to put the cabbage, lettuce, or spinach through a food processor prior to putting them in the blender. Other than that, experiment with foods and flavors to create surprising, delicious treats at home!