My mom and youngest sister visited SoCal this past week and brought back a lot of memories from my childhood back in Chicago. The month of March has special meaning to the Irish Americans in Chicago; it is the month of St. Patrick’s Day! Many people can attest that March can be divided into 2 parts. 1) The build up to St. Patrick’s Day and 2) The recovery from celebrating the holiday.
As someone who has participated in the parade marching, green beer drinking, corned beef & cabbage eating, shamrock sprinkled cookies tasting, and even McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes celebrations I was looking for a healthier way to get in the spirit this year.
So about that McDonald’s Shamrock Shake….let’s just say there are (more than) a few ingredients you should avoid. The kind of ingredients that are linked to health issues ranging from annoying (acne & allergies) to disastrous (leaky gut & fertility issues). I’m not referring to the ice cream, mint extract or even whipped cream. I’m talking about the synthetic chemicals used as food dyes, additives and preservatives. Here’s a full list of ingredients from the McDonald’s website. Don’t feel like reading? See Huffington Post’s infographic:

Source: Huffington Post
Ready for the REAL FOOD FIX for your Shamrock Shake Craving? Below is a Whole Food Love approved shake with ONLY 6 ingredients. So Sláinte!
Sláinte Shamrock Shake
Serves 1
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 small ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed
2 Tbsp. raw honey
1 frozen banana
½ tsp. vanilla extract
handful ice cubes (optional)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!
Live your WHOLE life,
Shannon + Meg
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Awesome blog. I am so much grateful to this blog.
Thanks for the kind words Anny!We love the taste of this shake 🙂