On Friday I woke up and realized I was getting a cold. My parents and my brother all suffered from that horrible flu that has been going around, and I just assumed I was the next victim of it. While it’s hasn’t escalated too much over the last few days, I do still have an achy head and a sore throat.

And what better to soothe a sore throat than a smoothie?

I decided to do a little bit of experimenting on Friday, and concocted this smoothie that not only was refreshing and cold, but also satisfied my sweet tooth. And, bonus, it’s healthy!

For as many syllables as its name is, it only has 3 ingredients… 🙂

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie (egg, nut, dairy, and gluten free)

Ingredients:
– 1 heaping cup frozen strawberries, slightly thawed
– 3 tbsp. milk of choice (I used coconut)
– 1/2 tbsp. to 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
– Optional: natural sweetener (like Stevia) or mini chocolate chips (dairy-free, if necessary)

Directions:

1. Blend the berries and milk in a blender until thick and creamy.
2. Add the cocoa powder, starting with 1/2 tbsp., and blend. (Taste the mixture at this point, and decide if you want more cocoa powder. I like a dark chocolatey flavor, so I added a full tablespoon. Up to you!)
3. If you want a hit of sweetness, blend in the sweetener or stir in the mini chocolate chips. This is totally optional – if I wasn’t trying to glamorize my smoothie, I wouldn’t have added the chips, and it would have been just as delicious!

Notes:
– You could add protein powder to this to make it even more filling!
– I bet this would be AH-mazing using cherries or raspberries instead of strawberries…

Nutrition facts (using coconut milk; not including the sweetener or chocolate chips):
Calories: 80.2, Fat 1.9, Carbs 18, Fiber 5, Protein 2

Enjoy!