When it comes to whipping up a super-healthy, easy breakfast in a matter of minutes, it’s pretty hard to beat a shake. And who doesn’t love the classic combination of mint and chocolate? Make it once, and the Chocolate Mint “No-Milk Shake” recipe below is sure to become one of your favorite go-to easy breakfast options.

But Why No-Milk?

If you have our Clean Cuisine book, you know all about our “No-Milk Shakes” and why we are not big fans of dairy (Cheese disclaimer: For the record we do still indulge in a wee bit of cheese. We do this not because we believe cheese is an “anti-inflammatory superfood”, but because, let’s face it: cheese tastes amazing. Luckily, a little bit of cheese goes a very long way). If you are not familiar with our views on dairy though, be sure to read this: Top 10 Reasons Why Milk Does Not Do a Body Good

Easy Breakfast Booster: Consider Adding a Handful of Mache….

I am certain mache is going to be the new Kale for 2015. Also, known as lamb’s lettuce, mache is a butter-soft, velvety, sweet dark leafy green that, unlike most greens, has absolutely zero bitter after bite. No need to worry about sacrificing nutrition by using mild-tasting mache either, as one big handful delivers a giant dose of beta-carotene, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, potassium and iron. Mache is not only my favorite lettuce for making salads, it is incredible in smoothies because it simply cannot be detected. Needless to say, if you want to give your Chocolate Mint “No Milk Shake” a big nutrition boost, I would definitely suggest adding a handful of mache.

A Superfood Chocolate Choice

I’m very into working superfoods and super spices (such as cinnamon and turmeric) into my recipes these days. And since I am a lover of all things chocolate, it doesn’t take a lot of arm-twisting for me to sneak chocolaty cacao—in the form of powder and nibs— into my smoothies and desserts.. I have been using raw cacao powder for some time now, but I have recently become very fond of using raw cacao nibs too. The cacao nibs offer the same impressive antioxidant profile that you would get from the cacao powder (along with the same magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and fiber), but unlike the powder, the cacao nibs also contribute a crunchy something-something that I just love. If you remember biting into a Nestle Crunch bar, you know what I am talking about. In the Chocolate Mint Smoothie recipe below, adding the crunchy nibs is optional, but I really do think you will want to add them. I use Navitas Naturals Cacao Nibs, which is 100% certified organic, non-GMO and raw. Where can you purchase Navitas Naturals Cacao Nibs? Of course you can purchase then online at Amazon, but they are also available from Vitacost.com , one of my favorite online grocery shopping destinations for health foods. Vitacost offers savings of up to 50% off retail and free shipping on orders over $25.

Ok, on with the recipe…

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