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It seems fitting that the first recipe of 2018 is one that fits so perfectly into my new-ish focus of more veggies, more gluccie, more Fuel Pulls – but still in a classically weird Briana-style flavor combo. This Chocolate-Covered Cranberry Superfood Shake is full-on health in a quart jar, and I refuse to apologize for the flavor. 😛 It definitely won’t be everyone’s go-to craving fixer, but it is very unique, very bold (thanks to cranberry, my favorite holiday flavor this winter), and I happen to love it. Partly because it’s a Fuel Pull and it’s very filling. And was it a coincidence that I drank this before I went to bed one night and woke up over a pound lighter, finally busting through a plateau and finally weighing in below the weight on my driver’s license??
Okra and glucomannan are both ingredients that help balance your blood sugar, which in turn aids healthy weight loss. Gluccie (glucomannan) has the added benefit of helping you feel full without eating so many calories – also beneficial to weight loss. Cranberries boost your immune system and add the star flavor to this shake, and cottage cheese adds creaminess without a bunch of extra calories. Add some protein in the form of whey protein powder or collagen and you have a meal! I try to keep shakes for snacks or desserts most of the time so I keep my meals to “real foods” in their whole forms, but since this shake contains so many veggies, using it as breakfast or lunch on occasion wouldn’t be a bad idea at all!
You may also enjoy:
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STARTING THM
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my recipe index
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recipe index by fuel type/allergy/theme
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all my okra recipes
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all my cranberry recipes
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission (but your price doesn’t change).
Want to start the New Year out right? Grab a copy of my cookbook to get nearly 400 RECIPES to jump start your healthy journey! You’ll find lots of our Thomas family church cookbook favorites made healthy in this easy-to-use, hard cover/spiral bound book. CLICK HERE for details!
- 1 c. frozen diced okra
- 1 c. unsweetened almond milk
- 1 c. water
- ⅔ c. frozen cranberries
- ⅓ c. low-fat cottage cheese
- 4 ice cubes
- 2 T. whey protein powder or collagen
- 1-2 T. cocoa powder
- ⅛ tsp. THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (or more, to taste)
- ½ tsp. glucomannan
- Blend the ingredients together until completely smooth and lighter in color. (My Vitamix does a great job.) Taste and add more cocoa powder and/or sweetener if desired. Do not under-blend! Blending well helps cut possible slime factor from the okra.
- Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup makes a great topping! (It's sweetened mostly with erythritol and is available at many local grocery stores.)
-If the shake is too slimy for you, try decreasing the okra and/or glucomannan, or just chug it and embrace the health!
-Some frozen banana would be a good addition! (That would make this a THM:E shake.) You could also add some orange sections or orange extract.
-If you don't want a whole quart to drink, cut the recipe in half. I don't recommend making it with the intention of storing leftovers because the texture and flavor will be weird if it sits in the fridge.
You can pin this recipe here:
I’ve made this a few times, I can’t taste the okra at all. I don’t have the type of Hershey’s syrup which would help with it being more chocolate-y so, I decided to leave out the chocolate all together. I also added raspberry extract and more cranberries. I have strawberry protein powder so, I added that, wow that sure makes it fluffy. Just wanted to mention it if people wanted to try this recipe a little differently.
Thank you for sharing your tweaks, Priscilla! Those sound delicious!
I saw this recipe when you first came out with it, and have been wanting to try it. Now, I finally have that chance! However, we do not have glucomannan, or almond milk. And I can’t have cottage cheese. So I made some adjustments. I am not trying to stick to THM standards, just trying to eat healthy. So, I used whole milk, skipped the glucomannan, and used homemade yogurt in place of the cottage cheese.
I halved the recipe too, after reading the comments. Good thing, because it filled me up. It was pretty good, but not super flavorful. So I think next time I may add more cocoa powder and maybe more cranberries.
I didn’t have cranberries, so I substituted some frozen cherries so I could finish them off. It was good!
Thank you for additional information on okra! I did not know okra needed to be blanched to get rid of slimeyness…this may be my game changer for okra in shakes-haven’t tried one yet. I love it are up on fried okra. I have grown my own and froze it, but I did not blanch before I freeze. Might have to change my harvesting ways! Looking forward to trying this one!
So I didn’t have cottage cheese, but I had Greek yogurt. Worked pretty well, just not sure if it changed it from fuel pull to S or E
As long as it was low-fat Greek yogurt, you’ll stay in the same fuel category. 🙂
Is there a way to make this totally dairy free? It sounds yummy, but I need to keep it dairy free.
You could try using collagen instead of whey protein and omit the cottage cheese, but it won’t be as creamy. Maybe use some light canned coconut milk in place of the cottage cheese for a Light S version?
I’m having a hard time finding frozen or fresh cranberries :/ Any suggestion on what the best substitute would be??? Congrats on your engagement!
Thanks, Jennifer! Strawberries or raspberries would be good, I’m sure!
Delicious! I don’t have cranberries available at the moment so I used strawberries, and it turned out great. Thank you, Briana!
Great idea, Heidi!
I made this the other day and could not believe how creamy it tasted. I didn’t grow up here in Canada with okra but started using it once I bought the Trim Healthy Mama plus your cookbook Briana. You can’t taste the okra at all, though I made the whole recipe I think I will made it by half the next time because I couldn’t finish it ?
So, so good! Surprising flavor combo that really works. I think I will make this a regular meal option for me from here on out. My husband liked it, too. Thank you!
When I’ve used Gluccie in the past, it’s made me very bloated, even using a tiny bit. So I omit it from recipes and I’ve had success. Can I leave it out of this recipe and still reap the benefits of the other foods? Thanks! And congrats on your upcoming marriage!
Hi Rosalie! You can try that, but it will be a lot more icy and not as thick and creamy.
I don’t have gluccie. Is there any replacement you could recommend trying?
You can substitute xanthan gum in the same amount. 🙂 It can be found at pretty much any grocery store.
I’ve been easing into THM for the last month with plans to begin full force today and this was the first recipe I chose to make on my full-time THM journey. What a TERRIFIC recipe to begin my day with! Thank you so much! It is delicious and refreshing.
aaaannnnnnddddddd from the great state of Wisconsin ( aka Cranberry Country ) Thank you for another way to
incorporate cranberries into my life!!!!
Congrats as well on your upcoming nuptials!!
A little too bland for my taste, but very filling and I got my okra in!
Feel free to add more cranberries, cocoa powder, and/or sweetener to amp up the flavor to your taste!
Love it! I’m kind of a cinnamon fan so I added a couple of shakes of it as well. Delishious! Thank you for the perfect way to start my 2018.
What a great recipe to wake up to in my inbox on the first day of the New Year! I was so excited that I tried it right away, and while it was absolutely fantastic, it made waaay too much for me to even think about finishing. I knew I should have halved the recipe, darn it! ?
Thanks for another wonderful recipe Briana. ?Hope you have a lovely upcoming New Year!! ?❄️☃️
Wow, you’re on the ball, Michelle! I’m so glad you liked the recipe, and Happy New Year to you too!
BAM, first person to make this! Haha. Wow, this shake is SO good. Perfectly tart and chocolate, huge, and filling. You really knocked it outta the ballpark on this one! Definitely going to make again. Happy New Year! 🙂
Woohoo! So glad you liked it! I was worried I’d be the only one who could stomach it….