We don't just have to dream about sugarplums, we can wake up to the wonderful smells and tastes of Christmas.

The smells of oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit reminds me of Christmas morning because as a child my stocking was always filled with fruit and nuts.

But even after weight loss surgery, we can still enjoy the familiar smells and tastes of the holiday. And we can bring back those fun memories with this recipe for a creamy orange protein shake.

Start with the basic formula. Then you can play around with the flavors until you find one you like. 

One caution is to be careful of the sugar in orange juice and milk. But here are a few variations you might try. 

If you use real orange juice, be sure to keep the portions to 1/4 of a cup (or 2 ounces). When using orange juice substitute Hood milk to keep the sugar content to a minimum.  If this doesn't give you enough flavor, you could try a small amount of unsweetened orange Kool-Aid or orange extract. 

Orange you glad its Christmas? 

Orange Protein Shake

• Orange Juice 1/4 cup 
• other options: add unsweetened Orange Kool-Aid / or orange extract
• Hood 2% Milk (sweetened with Splenda, has less carbs and sugar)
• Protein powder
• Ice
• Vanilla Extract 

 It's sugarplum delicious.

The Basic Protein Shake Formula can be found in the "protein shake recipes" section under "basic information" on the left side bar.