With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, many people excitedly head to McDonald’s to enjoy the refreshing, seasonal Shamrock Shake. Every year, people run to the fast-food chain restaurant the day the shake comes out, which, this year, was February 5. However, it may not be such a good idea to order this drink.
Several ingredients in the Shamrock Shake are artificial, and the drink has an astronomic 72 grams of sugar, 500 calories, and 14 grams of fat. According to Healthline’s website (Healthline.com), the suggested added sugar intake per day is 25 grams for women and 36 grams for men. One McDonald’s Shamrock Shake has double the recommended daily amount of sugar for men and nearly triple that for women. The syrup that the shake contains is the unhealthiest ingredient; real mint does not give off a green color, so the hue comes from a combination of artificial colors, specifically Yellow 5 and Blue 1.
Making this drink at home not only provides a healthier version, but it is also an enjoyable activity. For those craving a Shamrock Shake, the following simple recipe can be followed at home by using only four ingredients. Enjoy this homemade, sweet, fresh recipe!
Ingredients:
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Whole Milk
Whipped Cream
Green Sprinkles or Sugar
Directions:
Use an ice cream scooper to take out 3 scoops of ice cream. (Note: The number of scoops will vary depending on how many shakes you would like to make.)
Measure 1 cup of milk and pour into the ice cream.
Use a whisk to mix the ice cream and milk together.
Pour the shake into a cup.
Top it off with whipped cream and green sprinkles or sugar.
