Happy St. Patricks’s Day!  In honor of today, I wanted to make myself a HEALTHY version of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake or Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies.  Since I have never actually had a Shamrock Shake, it’s hard for me to compare the shake I made to that.  I know how Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies taste and I will say it is similar to it.  It took me a couple tries to make the shake because I put way too much Peppermint Extract in my first one.  Make sure you do not put in more than 2 drops!

Chocolate Shakeology Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookie:
– 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
– 1/2 cup Almond Milk or Skim Milk (I use Unsweetended Almond Milk)
– 3/4 cup water
– 2 tablespoons Jello Sugar Free/Fat-Free Pistachio Pudding powder
– 2 drops of Peppermint Extract
– A few drops of green food coloring
– Ice to taste

Let’s quickly compare the two shakes…

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake nutrition facts in a 12-ounce cup:
540 calories
10 g protein
16 g fat (10g saturated fat; 1g trans fat)
88 g carbs (74g sugars; 0g dietary fiber)
160 mg sodium
…loaded with artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients I can’t even pronounce or recognize.

Chocolate Shakeology Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookie nutrition facts:
195 calories
19 g protein
3 g fat (0g saturated fat; 0g trans fat)
24 g carbs (9g sugars; 4g dietary fiber)
500 mg sodium
…all-natural with 70 different ingredients including super fruits and vegetables.

The only thing bad about the shake I made is the sodium and a couple ingredients from the Pistachio Pudding powder  but I’ll take that over everything else bad with the Shamrock Shake.  I don’t mean to bash Shamrock Shakes for those who do love them, I’m stating the facts.  At least it’s a good thing it’s only seasonal if you do want to indulge yourself.  Remember, moderation folks!