Shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, seas of green clothing and various beverages of the same color: Whether you are 100 percent or 0.1 percent Irish, many of us enjoy partaking in St. Patrick’s Day traditions and festivities.

If you’re looking to keep the “new you” from the beginning of the year in check, the St. Patrick’s Day Shake is a tasty treat that will keep your Irish eyes smiling. Featuring Halo Top ice cream and matcha powder, this lucky drink would have pleased St. Patrick himself.

Halo Top, the suggested ice cream in the St. Patrick’s Day Shake, offers great flavor while promoting nutrition that is more angelic than standard ice cream. This pot of gold is no myth; it’s low in both sugar and calories yet high in protein. How does it keep the flavor without the calories? Halo Top uses stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener, to replace most of the sugar in its tasty concoctions.

Matcha, which means “powdered tea,” is a special form of green tea that boasts an impressive array of antioxidants. With matcha tea the whole leaf is ground into a powder and mixed with hot water, as opposed to traditional green tea, in which leaves are steeped and discarded prior to consumption.

By consuming the leaf itself, matcha offers an increased antioxidant profile superior to other teas. These lucky leaves contain a specific class of antioxidants called catechins, which studies show may contain cancer-fighting properties. In addition to antioxidants, matcha is high in vitamin C, fiber and chlorophyll.

Make the St. Patrick’s Day Shake for yourself, make a large batch to share or turn it into an ice cream punch to serve at your St. Patrick’s Day get-together. Serve it to kids and sneak in some antioxidants — they won’t even know. Want to do something special for your kids on St. Patrick’s Day?

Pour the St. Patrick’s Day shake into popsicle molds and freeze for a festive after-school snack. No matter how you choose to enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day Shake, it’s sure to bring some luck to your day— and keep you from getting pinched.

St. Patrick’s Day Shake

Serves 1

All you need

•1 cup low-fat vanilla bean or pistachio ice cream, such as Halo Top

•½ cup coconut milk

•1-2 tsp Hy-Vee honey

•1 tbsp matcha powder, plus extra for dusting

•½ tsp ground cardamom

•2 tbsp thawed coconut whipped topping

All you do

1. Place ice cream, coconut milk, honey, 1 tbsp matcha powder and cardamom in a blender. Cover and blend on high until smooth. Top with whipped topping and dust with additional matcha powder.

Source: Hy-Vee Balance

The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.