Plant Protein Chocolate Mint Shake

Vegan protein shake that tastes like a thin mint cookie. Pea-rice protein blend with cacao and fresh mint — no dairy, no compromise on flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop plant-based protein powder (pea/rice blend, chocolate flavor)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup oat milk
• 1 tbsp cacao nibs or cocoa powder
• 4–5 fresh mint leaves (or 1/4 tsp peppermint extract)
• 1 tbsp cashew butter
• 1/2 cup ice

Method

1. Add oat milk and mint leaves to blender. Blend 10 seconds to break down mint.

2. Add frozen banana, protein powder, cacao, and cashew butter.

3. Add ice and blend until smooth and thick, about 45 seconds.

4. If using peppermint extract instead of fresh mint, add just 1/4 tsp — it's potent.

What You're Practicing

Plant protein tips:

• Pea-rice protein blends have a complete amino acid profile comparable to whey.
• Plant proteins tend to be grittier — frozen banana and nut butter smooth out the texture.
• Look for brands with digestive enzymes added (bromelain, protease) for better absorption.
• Plant protein typically has 20–25g protein per scoop vs 25–30g for whey.

Supplement add-ons (nutritional impact per serving):

• Creatine monohydrate (5g): +0 cal. Especially important for plant-based athletes — creatine is found naturally only in meat and fish. Vegetarians who supplement creatine see larger strength gains than meat-eaters who supplement, because they're starting from a lower baseline.
• Iron bisglycinate (18mg): +0 cal. Plant-based diets provide non-heme iron which is 2-3x less bioavailable than heme iron from meat. Bisglycinate form is gentle on the stomach (unlike ferrous sulfate). The vitamin C in the cacao aids iron absorption. Don't take with calcium.
• B12 (1000mcg sublingual, dissolved): +0 cal. The only vitamin completely absent from plant foods. Deficiency causes fatigue, nerve damage, and anemia. Every vegan needs to supplement B12 — no exceptions. Sublingual dissolves under the tongue for better absorption.
• Omega-3 algae oil (1 capsule, ~500mg DHA): +5 cal, +0.5g fat. Plant-based source of DHA (the omega-3 your brain needs). Fish get their omega-3s from algae — this cuts out the middleman. Provides the same DHA as fish oil without the fishy taste.