5 Ways To Lower The Calories In Your Milkshake

As cocktail connoisseurs and mocktail maestros continue to duel against one another, milkshake lovers sit in one corner, watching, and sipping on their creamy concoctions. In fact, frankly, when it comes to pitting beverages against one another, milkshakes simply don't make the cut as valid participants. And that's because milkshakes don't fill your stomachs, they go straight to the heart. 

Unfortunately, however, calories don't have much regard for emotions. Those pesky units of energy, continue to mock and taunt us, regardless of how passionately we feel about treating ourselves to a milkshake every now and then. And as you probably already know, one can choose to live in the land of denial for as long as the milkshake glass is in their hand. But the minute you finish the last drop, or sometimes even when you're just halfway through, unsettling thoughts of the eventual impact of all these calories on your diet and fitness, come wafting past. 

But that annoying feeling of guilt, really just takes all the fun out of guzzling a glass of milkshake, doesn't it? Talk about a party pooper. But what if we were to tell you, that there are ways you can turn this drink normally classified as "junk food", into a healthy beverage not nearly as harmful for your fitness goals as the OG one? All you need to do is scroll on, and by the end of it, you'll be armed with 5 proven hacks to reduce the calorie content in your milkshake. Take that, calorie count concerns!

1. Use Fat-Free Ice Cream 

Simple substitute, but highly effective. Especially for moments when you feel like being indulgent with your milkshake choice, not including ice cream in the recipe is borderline unethical. But a great way to do that without racking up the calories in your milkshake is to swap your regular full-fat ice cream brand with a fat-free or low-fat product. Even massively popular ice cream brands in India like Amul and Haven, offer low-fat diet-friendly scoops. 

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2. Replace Chocolate Syrup With Maple Syrup

Without drizzling some sugary syrup in your milkshake, it somehow just seems incomplete. Most of us tend to reach for the chocolate syrup bottle, because well, first, it's easily available and second, who doesn't like chocolate, especially in a milkshake? But substituting the sickly sweet chocolate or strawberry syrup with the equally sweet, but half as diet-unfriendly maple syrup, can go a long way in making your milkshake healthier. Besides a lowered sugar content, maple syrup is linked with a host of other nutrients like antioxidants, calcium, iron and potassium. 

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3. Use Part Greek Yoghurt Instead Of Full Milk 

Every diet fanatic out there is familiar with the benefits of Greek yoghurt. Often purported as a highly healthy snack, it does indeed live up to its fitness-enhancing reputation. So, one strategy to lower the calorie count in your milkshake could be to use a combination of greek yoghurt along with some milk to create the recipe, instead of going the full milk way. 

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4. Swap Regular Milk With Almond Milk 

Almond milk has been proven to be a lot lower on calories and fattening properties than the regular milk variety you get from your local Kirana shop. It's also low in sugar, while being richly packed with diet-friendly and health-boosting nutrients like calcium, Vitamin E, and Vitamin D. Oh, and it's naturally lactose-free, dairy-free and also, vegan. So, yep, there's a pretty good reason for its rising popularity, it works!  

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5. Use Honey Instead Of Regular Sugar

It is sweet, but low on calories, fructose and glucose, quite contrary to your regular white sugar. It also has a low Glycemic Index, which means it does not raise your blood sugar levels as quickly as the classic variety would. That being said, we wouldn't recommend making a habit out of consuming honey regularly, because at the end of the day it does have some sugar even if the content is relatively less. But then again, I am yet to meet a diet-conscious person who has a milkshake every single day. Just remember, honey is sweeter in taste than sugar, so you'll require a lower amount.  

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My milkshake brings all the health benefits to the yard, and I'm like, it's better than yours!