Lemon Cheesecake Protein Shake

• 250 g Nonfat milk (1 cups)
• 80 g Nonfat Greek yogurt (⅓ cup)
• 25 g Low-fat cream cheese (1⅔ tbsp)
• 30 g Vanilla whey protein powder (1.1 oz (about 1 scoop))
• 20 g Lemon juice (1⅓ tbsp)
• 2 g Vanilla extract (½ tsp)
• 5 g Maple syrup (¾ tsp)
• 15 g (1 sheet) Graham cracker
• 100 g (a handful) Ice cubes (a handful (about 3.5 oz))

You'll need: Blender, Spatula, Tall glass.

Method

1. Load the blender

   Pour the milk into the blender first. Add the yogurt, cream cheese, whey, lemon juice, vanilla and maple syrup.

   Liquid first keeps the cream cheese from sticking under the blades.

2. Blend until thick

   Blend for 30 seconds, until smooth with no flecks of cream cheese. Add the ice cubes and blend for 30–45 seconds more, until thick and creamy.

   Add the lemon juice with the milk, not at the end. It gets blended in evenly and doesn't curdle in one spot.

3. Pour and crumble the crust

   Pour the shake into the glass and crush the graham cracker over the top, like the crust of a cheesecake.

   Crumble the cracker on at the end. It goes soggy within a couple of minutes.

Swaps

• Nonfat milk → Unsweetened almond milkAbout 50 kcal fewer and 8 g less protein.
• Low-fat cream cheese → Extra Greek yogurt, 25 gTangier and lighter, about 40 kcal fewer.