THE BEST protein ice cream recipe (weight loss hack)

Hi everyone and welcome to my channel. Today I'm going to be sharing one of my all-time favorite low-calorie, high-protein recipes and that's low-calorie, high-protein ice cream made with the Ninja Creamy. I really wanted to dedicate a full video to this recipe because it's such a staple in my own routine. I usually have one to two Ninja Creamy pints per day and I've had this machine for almost two and a half years now, which means I've likely made this exact recipe over 1200 times. So needless to say, this recipe has been an absolute game changer for me and the reason is very simple. I really, really love food but I also want to maintain a lean and healthy body weight and recipes like this are exactly how you do that. If you focus on finding low-calorie meals that are also super enjoyable to you, weight loss pretty much becomes effortless and I think protein ice cream is one of the best examples of that. Almost everyone loves ice cream but ice cream is probably one of the worst foods you can eat for weight loss. Not only is there very little nutritional value but it's also extremely high in calories, with over a thousand calories per pint. This ice cream on the other hand has only 150 calories per pint, which is actually an insane difference. You can essentially eat seven times as much ice cream for the same amount of calories or rather than just limiting yourself to a tiny portion, you can have entire pints in one sitting without sabotaging your weight loss and fitness goals. In addition, it has around 20 grams of protein, which is definitely the most important macronutrient for weight loss and body composition. And before you're like, oh well it probably isn't very good though, trust me when I say if you use the right ingredients, which I'm gonna share in this video, I truly believe protein ice cream can be just as good as regular ice cream. Especially considering how much better you feel eating this compared to regular ice cream. Of course, there are several low-calorie high-protein ice creams on the market and I'm definitely not the first one to make low-calorie protein ice creams using the Ninja Creamy. They're probably one of the most common recipes in the macro-friendly space. However, despite the countless Ninja Creamy recipes on the internet, I still haven't come across one that I like as much as mine. Even if they taste really good, most versions simply aren't this low in calories. For example, common store-bought protein ice creams usually have at least double the calories. And if they are this low in calories, they usually taste super icy and watered down. This recipe, on the other hand, is both super low calorie and super delicious. And as long as you have the right tools and ingredients, it's also super simple to make. But it does require getting the technique just right, as well as using a few key ingredients that make all the difference. So in this video, I'm going to walk you through the base recipe I use for essentially all my Ninja Creamy pints, share a few of my favorite variations, and show you some of my favorite creative ways to work them into your daily diet. So without further ado, here is my go-to low-calorie protein ice cream recipe. So we are going to start off with the ingredients. The first one is 40 calories worth of unsweetened cashew milk, which is around 400 grams. You can honestly use any sort of milk you want, but unsweetened cashew milk is the best because it is the lowest calorie milk on the market, and also adds a few grams of fat to this recipe, which actually does make a difference. The next ingredient is 80 calories worth of a whey casein blend protein powder, which is usually around 20 to 23 grams. And this is the first game-changing ingredient. Most people just use regular whey protein powder when making protein ice cream, and although it can still work, it just doesn't make it as thick or creamy as casein protein. So using a blended protein powder really does make a difference. You can either buy a blended protein powder, or you can simply use half whey and half casein. The brand doesn't necessarily matter too much, but I personally had the best results with PE Science Protein. It's definitely one of the best protein powders I've tried, and it's pretty accessible for most people. And this isn't even a full scoop of protein powder, so if you want to use more, you definitely can. But the whole point of this recipe is to be as low calorie as possible without sacrificing taste or consistency, and I found 20 grams to be the minimum amount of protein you need to achieve this. The next ingredient is 10 grams of fat-free sugar-free pudding mix, and this is the other game-changing ingredient. Thanks to the way it interacts with the protein powder and the thickeners it contains, it actually prevents ice crystals and makes the texture way creamier. Plus, it comes in tons of different flavors, so it gives you a lot of flexibility to get creative. The next ingredient is 30 to 60 grams of sugar-free syrup. I usually use half and half maple syrup and a sweetener used for coffee. Now, this step isn't absolutely essential, but it definitely does help with the overall taste and consistency. The thickeners in most syrups makes the end result a lot creamier, but even better is how many flavors there are. Another step you can get super creative with, some sugar-free syrups still have a few calories, but the ones I personally like to use are zero calorie, so you get all that additional flavor without adding anything extra. And finally, you can add any extra sweeteners and flavorings. Most of the ingredients I use are already sweetened, but I always like to add a bit more stevia. Things taste way less sweet when they're cold, so don't be afraid to add a bit more sweetener than you usually would. I also like adding a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness, and extracts can be a total game changer when it comes to boosting flavor. Once all the ingredients are added to the pint, you simply need to mix them all up. I highly recommend using a handheld milk frother like this one, since it just makes it way easier, but you definitely don't need to worry about it being perfect, since it's all going to get blended anyway. Then, you just pop it in the freezer on a level surface for at least 12 hours. A lot of recipes and ninja themselves say to freeze it for at least 24 hours, which may be ideal, but I found 12 hours to be perfectly fine. One key tip here is to freeze it with the lid off. This helps prevent it from forming that annoying dome shape on top, which can make it harder to blend, and can actually damage your blender over time. And after waiting 12 hours, all that's left is blending. But before you do, another key tip is to let it thaw slightly first. If you blend it straight from the freezer, the blades can sometimes fail or skip, but since I'm personally too impatient to wait for it to thaw, I personally just microwave it for 15 seconds, and then run the container under hot water until the ice cream starts pulling away from the sides. I usually know it's ready when I can turn the container upside down, and the frozen block starts sliding down the sides. This also helps with blending, and protects your machine over time. And as for blending, I like to use the light ice cream mode. It runs a little longer, and it does make the consistency a little bit airier than if you use the ice cream setting, but I have way less issues when I use this setting, and it prevents you from needing to re-spin it multiple times. And this is a key point, because I often see people making low calorie ice creams like this, as well as adding extra liquid or water in between blends, because it turns out too icy. In my opinion, this is simply a sign that the recipe isn't very good, because that only happens when your base isn't thick enough to begin with. With this recipe, you shouldn't ever have to do that. And that's basically it. The end result is a super creamy and delicious pint of ice cream that's only 150 calories, and with roughly 20 grams of protein, it will actually keep you feeling full and satisfied. Once you've nailed the base recipe, you have a ton of options for what you can do with it. You can completely change the flavor just by using different protein powders, using different pudding mixes, or different syrups and extracts. I love making the classics like chocolate and vanilla, but I also really like using the fun pudding mix flavors like lemon and pistachio. And there are also so many mix-ins and toppings you can add. This is why this recipe is such a staple for me. And because it's so low in calories, it's also extremely versatile in terms of how you can use it. You can definitely eat it on its own as a snack or dessert, but you can also combine it with other ingredients to make much more satiating meals. If you've watched my channel before, you would know this is one of the best ways to make your diet truly sustainable. Rather than completely cutting out higher calorie foods, you have them alongside lower calorie ingredients like this, which ensures you get both enjoyment and volume. In short, recipes like this are a great way to add volume to the treats you already love, and to make your favorite foods into weight loss friendly foods. One way to make this recipe have an even creamier consistency and make it even more filling is by adding high fiber fruits or other fiber sources into the base. My go-to fiber sources are pumpkin and strawberries because they're both super low in calories, as well as super tasty. And here's the trick to adding these. If you simply reduce the base recipe by 20% and add roughly 30 calories of something like pumpkin or strawberries, the overall calories and volume basically stay the same. My personal all-time favorite way of consuming protein ice cream is to combine it with puffed grains like rice cakes, puffed cereals, and other puffed snacks. The light and airy texture just complements ice cream super well, almost giving a vibe of an ice cream cone. And because puffed grains are also super low in calories, combining the two makes a super high volume satisfying meal. And that is my go-to low calorie protein ice cream recipe. Like I said, I've literally made this over a thousand times, and it still hits every single time. If you end up trying it, definitely let me know which version you made in the comments, and if you're interested in seeing other protein ice cream recipes, maybe vegan versions or versions that don't require a ninja creamy, definitely let me know that too, because I have a lot of low calorie high protein recipes that I've perfected over the years. I really hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and maybe even discovered a new daily staple. Please make sure to give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to my channel so you never miss any of my future videos. See you guys soon!