Vanilla Chai Date Smoothie

Serves 2

This vanilla chai date smoothie is a delicious way to start your day, fuel your workout or satisfy that sweet craving.  The milk and yogurt, combined with the natural sweetness of dates and spices results in a creamy milkshake-like treat that is packed with both flavor and nutrition. 

Ingredients

1 cup of nonfat or 1% milk

1 chai spice tea bag

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

5 dried, pitted dates

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon allspice

Ice cubes (3-4)

Directions

1. Heat milk just to boiling.  Add tea bag and steep for 15 minutes.  Place in fridge to cool.  (Note this can be done ahead of time.  For a thicker and colder shake, the steeped milk can be transferred to ice cubed trays and frozen.)

2. In a blender, combine cooled or frozen steeped milk, yogurt, dates, spices and ice cubes.  Blend until smooth.

3. Enjoy!