Nighttime snacking can be a difficult habit to quell.  If you crave ice cream, Dr. Annina Burns of Oxford Nutrition Health, says you may be lacking magnesium. Magnesium helps with muscle relaxation and sleep.  Many people are deficient in magnesium because of ongoing chronic stress.  Dairy is one source of this vital mineral.  If something frozen and tasty is your passion and you can tolerate dairy, try this frozen treat instead of ice cream.  

Ingredients

1 C Full-fat Greek Yogurt
1C Whole milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Whole Foods brand Whey protein powder)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon to taste
2 cups frozen berries

You will need a blender that can blend frozen fruit into an appealing consistency and paper cups to freeze ~¾ cup individual servings.

Directions
Pour milk and scoop yogurt into blender.  Add protein powder, vanilla extract and cinnamon.  Blend for a minute until combined and smooth.  Add frozen berries to the blended liquid and pulse blender to break up the frozen berries.  Continue to blend mixture until all the berries have been liquefied into a uniform mixture.  This may take up to 4 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.  Pour ~¾ cup smoothie mixture into paper cup for individual servings.  Place the smoothie cups in the freezer.  When firm, place them in a bag to protect their flavor.  To enjoy, allow the smoothie to sit at room temperature to soften for a few minutes.  If you can’t wait, partially defrost it in the microwave on high for 25 seconds.  

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Written by: Miriam Graham, PT, DPT, MBA