St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and in addition to leprechauns, all things green and Irish soda bread, this means Shamrock Shakes are back. McDonald's releases these shakes around the holiday each year but only for a limited time and they've got quite a following. Maybe it's because they're not available all year, or maybe there's something about the minty "Shamrock Shake syrup" that drives people wild. But don't let that green color fool you: these shakes are nowhere near green-smoothie status when it comes to nutrition. They are high in calories and contain artificial ingredients.
If you're looking to get your Shamrock Shake fix but want to avoid the drive-thru, our Shamrock Shake Smoothie recipe has your back. Not to mention, it's quite a bit healthier than the original. While it's not quite a milkshake, our healthier copycat recipe is deliciously minty and festively green (the color comes from spinach instead of food dyes).
Try the recipe for Shamrock Shake Smoothie and check out how it stacks up to the competition when it comes to nutrition and calories.
(1 medium shake, 16 ounces)
560 calories; 16 g fat (10 g sat, 1 g trans); 0 g fiber; 91 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 65 mg cholesterol; 78 g sugar; 1,160 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 420 mg calcium; 0 mg iron
Ingredients:
Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream: Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono and Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate.
Shamrock Shake Syrup: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Yellow 5, Blue 1.
Whipped Light Cream: Cream, Nonfat Milk, Liquid Sugar. Contains 2% or Less: Mono and Diglycerides, Natural Flavors, Carrageenan, Whipping Propellant (Nitrous Oxide).
