In middle school, our city’s education department pushed back the time our first bell rang on Wednesdays by an hour. Instead of showing up at 8:30 am, kids filed into their classrooms at 9:30. Those of us band geeks thought it was an even sweeter deal—the city council decided to skip our 7:30 am A period on Wednesdays, so we got to sleep in 2 hours!
But in reality, we only stayed in bed an extra hour and used the remaining time to stop by the big smoothie franchise storefront on the way to school. With its close location about half a mile from campus, the line stretched out the door and around the corner by 8:45 am. Everyone wanted to be a “cool kid” and order a tall fruity drink to slowly sip while walking to school!
But as a slightly oblivious teen, I failed to realize that the reason we loved those smoothies so much was because they were basically dessert! True, they included a small serving of fruit fresh, but the sugary juice and huge scoops of sherbet that made the drinks thick and creamy completely outweighed those health benefits.
If only we had known about Carnation Breakfast Essentials! I found these Rich Milk Chocolate No Sugar Added packets at Walmart, and with only 60 calories, each serving contains 5 grams of protein and 300 milligrams of potassium in the powder alone. (That’s about as much as a small banana!)
I combined one of these packets (I’m a big chocoholic!) with the flavor of my favorite berry smoothie from my middle school days to create this skinny Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie! Bursting with refreshing fruit and rich chocolaty tastes, this healthy drink will satisfy your sweet tooth while still providing your body with lots of calcium and vitamins. It’s the best way to start your day!
My low-calorie smoothie recipe is super simple—you only need 4 ingredients! Start by making the strawberry layer. Because it’s lighter in color than the chocolate, you won’t have to wash the blender in between mixing the layers to preserve their bright hues!
I opted for frozen unsweetened strawberries to make the layer exceptionally thick without adding too much ice. Fresh berries contain more water and would quickly thin out the smoothie. If needed, you can add a bit of water to help the mixture move through the blender blades. As soon as the blender stops spinning, pour the strawberry layer into a glass and stash it in the freezer while preparing the second layer.
For the chocolate layer, pulse the milk and chocolate Carnation Breakfast Essentials powder in the blender first before adding the ice. This prevents any clumps of powder from sticking together and clogging your straw!
Right now, you can buy your own package of Carnation Breakfast Essentials powder packets at Walmart. Use this coupon for a special discount!
To assemble your smoothie, simply pour a little of each layer into a tall tumbler to create the number of stripes you’d like. (This recipe yields almost 16 oz, so make sure you use a big enough glass!) Or if you’re short on time, just stir the two layers together—whatever you feel like!
With our weather pushing 100° this week, I really enjoyed cooling off with this Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie! Between its summery berry flavor and indulgent chocolate taste, I felt refreshed and satisfied from my first sip to my last, and I’m already looking forward to mixing up another one. ♥
For more fun Carnation Breakfast Essentials ideas, visit their Facebook page!
With its summery strawberry and sweet chocolate layers, this smoothie practically tastes like dessert! But it’s still packed with calcium, potassium & lots of vitamins to start your day with a healthy treat.
- To prepare the strawberry layer, add the frozen strawberries, ¼ cup milk, and 4 ice cubes to a blender. Pulse until smooth, adding the water as needed to thin it out. Pour into a glass, and place in the freezer while preparing the other layer.
- To prepare the chocolate layer, add the remaining milk and Carnation Breakfast Essentials powder to the blender. Pulse until smooth and no clumps of powder remain. Add the remaining ice, and pulse until smooth.
- Alternate between pouring the layers into a tall tumbler to create the number of stripes you’d like. Drink immediately and enjoy!
Your pictures are gorgeous! Makes me want to reach right into my computer screen and inhale this smoothie! Definitely a perfect and healthy combination of chocolate and fruit. Pinned!
Thank you so much Gayle! I’m planning on making one again really soon; I’ll have to double it and invite you over! 😉
It really is sad how many ‘healthy’ smoothies are jam packed with artificial stuff and loads of sugar. It really is best to make it at home! This smoothie is an incredible combo of all things decadent, but still super healthy! I’m needing something cold and creamy right now – pinning!
Thank you so much Mary Frances! It’s true; I rarely order smoothies anymore from big franchises. I’d much rather make them at home so I know they’ll be healthy and jam-packed with fruit instead!
Instead of the chocolate breakfast mix could I use unsweetened natural coco powder?
Yes, that should work Becky! I’d recommend just a few teaspoons to start and adding more as you see fit. You’ll probably need to add some sort of sweetener as well since the Breakfast Essentials packet does contain sweetener, but that will depend on your tastes. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the smoothie!
Amy;
Hi,i just copied down your chocolate covered strawberry smoothie with carnation breakfast essentials no sugar added recipe,and I am going to make it asap.i have a magic bullet blender for one person,and I was wondering if I can use use your smoothies in my blender.
I don’t have a scale to weigh certain ingredients that call for it in your recipes that I was looking at,i should go buy a food scale soon.
I want to make your healthy vanilla ice cream but I don’t have an ice cream maker.can I make healthy ice cream without an ice cream maker?
I can also go buy an ice cream maker at Wal-Mart here in alberta with my family.
kim
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Kim! I highly, highly recommend getting a kitchen scale. Mine only cost $20 (I link to it in many of my recipes and blog posts), and I use it every day. It has been the BEST $20 I’ve ever spent! I’ve actually covered your ice cream questions in the Notes section of that recipe underneath the Instructions. I also highly recommend getting an ice cream maker for the best taste and texture. 🙂 If your magic bullet is large enough to fit all of the ingredients comfortably, then you should be able to make my smoothies in it! I’m so excited to hear what you think of the recipes that you try!
Amy;
Hi,can Iuse natrel milk,almond milk,coconut milk,cashew milk in your chocolate covered strawberry smoothie?iIcan’t drink skim milk because iIam lactose intolerant.
Kim
Yes, any milk will work! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this smoothie too, Kim!