Cassi's Chocolate "Shake"

So as those you who know me outside the blog may know, I'm trying to eat smaller meals during the day while also increasing my calories. I've been looking up food suggestions for people with Crohn's disease (aka me) and I'm not having much luck at all finding credible sources with actual research, so I've decided to try to tackle it myself! When I did a nutrient analysis on myself I realized I wasn't getting nearly the calories I should be and I've been trying to work on it. Once summer starts (in a week!) and I actually have more time, I'll be able to work on it much more and start looking at more research and developing some recipes. This is my first try, and it makes a pretty good snack for finals week!

Cassi's Chocolate "Shake"
1 medium banana, FROZEN (this helps create the "shake" texture)
1/4 cup 2% milk* (you may need more, depending on what thickness you like)
1/4 cup regular yogurt (vanilla or plain. You can also use greek, but don't use light yogurt**)
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder

Makes 1 serving

I like to use my Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender when I make smoothies or shakes. First I blend the banana with the milk (so I don't have frozen chunks) and then I add the yogurt and cocoa powder and blend everything together. And that's it!

So here are my reasons behind what I recommend above:
*2% Milk:
I like to use 2% milk because of the higher fat content. As a downside, it does have saturated fat which isn't great but the fat helps slow digestion (1). For people who have fast moving guts, like some of us with Crohn's, the fat can help slow the process of digestions which increases absorbtion of all those great nutrients like Calcium and Vitamins A &D.

** NO light yogurts:
Light yogurts can contain some sugars, used to substitute the fats, that can create digestive upset for those individuals with sensitive stomachs

Personally, I like to eat something with a texture like a smoothie or shake later in the day. If I eat something like this without anything in my stomach, it doesn't sit as well as it does when I eat it later. Also, what more could you want as a yummy dessert?!

Resources:
(1)
Gropper, S., Smith, J., & Groff, J. (2005). Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism: Fourth Edition. Thomson/Wadsworth.

xoxo Cassi