Posted on April 1st, 2008 by Shannon Clark  •  Filed under: Health

If you often find yourself passing by the local coffee house eyeing one of their fancier hot beverages, you aren’t alone. Consumption of these products has begun to skyrocket, but unfortunately, our waistlines have as well.

It’s not unusual for these flavorful drinks to contain 500 or more calories, along with a whole host of saturated fat and pure sugar. If you have any concern about your physique, this is definitely a beverage you want to avoid. Luckily, with a little creativity, you can whip up your own gourmet hot chocolate.

Here’s a recipe that’s high in protein, while being low in fat and sugar - just what your trainer likely ordered.

6 oz. fat free skim or 1% milk

6 oz. hot water

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1-2 packets of sweetener, depending on your individual taste preference

First mix protein powder and milk together in a shaker bottle and shake until well-blended. Add the hot water to this and stir in the artificial sweetener. Note that you can increase or decrease the milk content depending on how rich you desire the beverage to be.