Low Carb Chocolate Shake / Hot Cocoa

I have gone back to a low-carb diet, the only thing that worked for me in the past, and once again I'm seeing pounds dropping at a surprising rate. To help others who want to try this, I thought I'd share my recipe for chocolate shakes and hot cocoa.

Low Carb Chocolate Shake / Hot Cocoa

(serves 4)

These are yummy, though you definitely should not go in expecting it to taste exactly like a regular shake. The primary reason for this is that milk has a fair amount of natural sugar, so you should replace as much as you can stand to avoid with water. Depending on how much water you use, this will taste less and less like a regular shake. To reduce the impact, you can buy protein powder to add, which brings back some of the full-bodied flavor of milk, but without the sugars.

• 2 cups Whey Protein Isolate
  
• 10 packets (or equivalent) artificial sweetener
• 8 packed, level teaspoons dutch process cocoa powder
• 4 very small pinches salt, a bit less than 1/8 tsp
• 4 very small pinch nutmeg (fresh grated if possible, I use one-short pass over the microplane grater per cup)
• 1/8th teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 cups water (replace water with cream or milk to taste)

Stir and strain to remove any bits that did not dissolve. Refrigerate and shake before serving.

For the hot version, use the above recipe, add 1 raw egg and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Then whisk over low heat until the mixture begins to steam. Do not boil. A small amount of cream in place of some of the water is recommended for the hot version.