Guilt Free Coffee (2 recipes)

Have you seen it yet?

As of January 1^st all restaurants are required to post the caloric content of all their menu items right on the main menu boards. No more hiding them in a pamphlet that you had to ask for and that they never seemed to have. No more telling you to go online to see nutrition data. Now it’s right there, right in your face. And this includes everyone guilty pleasure –Starbucks.

I was in line there the other day and there was a long line as usual. The girl in front of me was dutifully studying the new data while we waited, when it was her turn do you know what she ordered after waiting in line for well over 5 minutes? WATER! She said after seeing all those calories “I can’t bring myself to order anything. I’ll just take this bottled water”. I guarantee you, that’s a girl who is going to stay in her skinny jeans.

And while I believe in the 90/10 rule of eating clean and “cheating” most of us enjoy having coffee everyday (or almost everyday), so today I have a recipe for you that is a healthy recipe alternative for a normally sinful vice many of us have these days…  gourmet coffee drinks!

Candy Cane Coffee -Makes 1 serving

by Nedah Barrett of leanKitchen.com
1 cup vanilla almond milk  (or, 1 cup brewed coffee)
1 scoop Prograde chocolate protein powder
1- 6oz. cup Greek yogurt -vanilla
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee (more or less to taste) (you don’t need this if you are using coffee in place of milk)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or a spring of fresh mint if you have it
1 candy cane (if desired-can be omitted)

Blend using Magic Bullet or Blender.

Nutrition Info (the protein makes this a fat burning drink and not empty calories)

Calories:  274
Protein:  40 grams
Carbs:  16 grams
Fat:  4 grams

The NO-GUILT Fat-Burning Frappucino

-sugar-free non-fat vanilla yogurt
-non-fat milk or almond milk
-instant coffee crystals
-vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder
-cinnamon

Directions:
You’ll start by spooning sugar-free, nonfat vanilla yogurt in an ice cube tray and freezing it into cubes overnight. Then you’ll add them to a blender with a splash of fat-free milk or unsweetened vanilla soy milk, a teaspoon of instant coffee crystals, and a scoop of vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder. Lastly, just sprinkle on some cinnamon to add a little fat-burning kick.  If you want to cut down on the caffeine, just use decaffeinated instant coffee instead.

Try these recipes, add a pinch more of this a pinch more of that and find your own custom belly friendly gourmet coffee blend.

Remember, it’s not about depriving yourself of all the things you love. Sometimes we just need a work around 🙂

Have some other food or drink you need a work around for? Let me know and I’ll hunt one down.