RECIPE OF THE WEEK- BANANA SHAKE

Banana Milkshake Recipe

Submitted by frogstone and Calorie Count.com 

Makes 1 serving

Healthy low fat, low cal alternative to fastfood shakes. Tastes ten times better!

Ingredients

1/2 banana, sliced
6 oz skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup ice, crushed

Directions

1. Chop half a banana into slices, place in plastic baggy and freeze overnight. (Do the same with the other half and save for future shake. Trust me, there will be a future shake.)

2. Gather ingredients.

3. Place half banana (now chopped and frozen) into blender. Add 1/3 cup ice, 6 ounces of skim milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.

4. (Optional: Add 1 packet of Splenda for extra sweetness)

5. Pour mix into tall glass. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon on shake.

6. Drink it. It's healthy and tasty

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 314.6g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 128
Calories from Fat  4

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 
0.4g
1%

Saturated Fat
0.2g
1%

Trans Fat
0.0g

Cholesterol
3mg
1%

Sodium
78mg
3%

Total Carbohydrates
24.2g
8%

Dietary Fiber
2.7g
11%

Sugars
16.4g

Protein
6.4g

Vitamin A 8% • Vitamin C 9%

Calcium 19% • Iron 10%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional details are an estimate and should only be used as a guide for approximation.

If anyone took my poll last week the answer is: 

Running 8 minute miles burns 893 calories per hour.

 If running isn't your forte then bicycling at 18 mph burns 850 calories per hour. 

 Thanks for taking the poll.

Snacking, Dieting and Keeping It Off

Snacking is so important if you want to maintain your weight or you're dieting. I have learned that snacking helps burn more calories by keeping my blood sugar levels constant and keeps my metabolism revved throughout the day.


By snacking every 3 or 4 hours at the most I am not as hungry.  When my regular meals come around I don't feel ravenous so I eat slower and concentrate on my food.  I eat the right portions and never go for seconds.

I love looking for a variety of snacks and look for those between 100 and 140 calories.  I workout quite a bit so fueling my body with healthy snacks is important. There are so many to choose from.

My snack choices fluctuate and although I love almonds, and string cheese, fruit and veggies I also like to add chocolate to my snack list so I don't feel deprived.  However, I choose the right healthy chocolate snacks and desserts. 

Here are four of my most recent snack choices that I just can't do without:

I love Sugar Free Dove Chocolates.  I found mine at Target and they are a sweet lovers delight.  I usually eat about 4 of these with a cup of green tea.  I have the dark chocolates of course.  http://www.dovechocolate.com/ 

Check out their site for a list of their products and where to find them.

At first I wasn't crazy about Greek Yogurt then when I was watching an Oprah show a guest suggested using a packet of Truvia to this.  It is now my favorite yogurt and has the lowest amount of sugar.  I am all for getting rid of the large amounts of sugar that we digest everyday.  Cutting back on my sugar intake has made a tremendous difference in the way I feel.  I add about a tablespoon of granola or some strawberries to this and it keeps me full and satisfied for a long time. This site also has a coupon so you can

try one for yourself. 

http://www.fageusa.com/?gclid=CMTwnMWrwqACFcvV5wodXWi_aA

I love soups for a snack and Progresso has the best tasting in my books.  I heat up a can in the early afternoon and eat about a cup of this for energy.  It's quick, easy and soooo filling.  It's healthy and packed with vegetables. 

http://www.progressofoods.com/

Progresso also has some heart healthy recipes using their soups.  I'll introduce you to one of my favorites tomorrow.   

This has got to be my all time favorite right now.  My mom has diabetes and eats this.  Vita Muffins especially the Deep Chocolate are full of fibre and vitamins and taste like a brownie.  I heat mine up in the microwave add a tsp. of lite Hershey's Syrup and 2 Tbls. of Fat Free Reddi Whip for the most decadent

lo-cal dessert ever!  I think when all is said and done we're talking about 120 calories for a great way to end the day. 

Vita Muffin.com

So, you can have your cake and eat it too.  Even while maintaining your weight or dieting there's so much to choose from and I am always excited about discovering new ways to snack.  I'll pass on more of my favorites as time goes on.