How to Add Protein to Iced Coffee #SkinnygirlProtein

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Skinnygirl. As a Skinnygirl Savvy Snacker, I was given product and compensated for my opinions which are, of course, my own.

Did you guys know that I'm addicted to iced coffee? Yes, you did. This is not news. So let me confess this: I crave iced coffee after my workouts, and it's a craving that I'm all too willing to satisfy. Nutritionally speaking, coffee isn't the best post-workout snack. I know this and I should be reaching for protein, right? And I do. I reach for protein-based snacks and snack bars and build protein-based meals—to go with my coffee, of course. It's bad, it's seriously really bad and out of control that I can't go without iced coffee.

But there are worse things I could be eating and/or doing.

So when Skinnygirl reached out with the opportunity to feature, once again, their new protein shakes, I got to thinking: Could I use these shakes to add some protein to my coffee?

Answer: Yes.

It's true that I stop by the coffee shop quite frequently, but I also brew my own iced coffee at home to save money and time. I add a bit of creamer and a squirt of caramel syrup (#sinfullygood) to round out the flavor. Again, not exactly nutritional, but I've been playing with my Skinnygirl shakes to change it up a little.

With flavors like Vanilla Bean Sundae and Rich Chocolate Brownie, no description of their great taste is necessary. They're just that good. Each shake has 80 calories and 12 grams of protein—and NO grams of sugar, which is a nice bonus. Eaten solo, the shakes are a great source of protein on the go. I'm not normally a huge fan of pre-mixed protein shakes, but seriously, these are good.

Going back to the coffee talk, they make a great add-in to iced coffee. I poured a bottle of Vanilla Bean Sundae into an ice cube tray, then put about four cubes into my cup of coffee (along with a small squirt of my caramel syrup).

As they melted, my cup of plain iced coffee turned into a Vanilla Bean Sundae iced coffee with a touch of protein. Note: Probably not enough protein to satisfy my post-workout nutritional needs, but still...it upgrades my coffee, for sure. To get even more protein in my iced coffee, I turned to the Rich Chocolate Brownie flavor.

Essentially, I made a Rich Chocolate Brownie iced mocha.

I poured equal parts iced coffee and Skinnygirl protein shake into a glass with some ice cubes and sipped away.

Literally, so good.

Skinnygirl protein shakes can be purchased at your local Walmart or via the Skinnygirl website. But if premixed protein shakes aren't your thing, you might consider whipping up a protein shake with your favorite powder and freezing it into cubes. Or using iced coffee instead of water to liquefy your protein powder. Please note that I haven't tried either of these two options, so I can't say for sure if they'll work. But it seems like they would, right?

If you try it, let me know.

FYI:  If you share your Skinnygirl protein shake experience on social media, be sure to use #SkinnygirlProtein so we can all see what you're up to! You can find out more about Skinnygirl on Facebook. Or check out these posts:

• I'm making healthy snack swaps with @SkinnygirlDaily.
• New @SkinnygirlDaily Tasty Nutrition Bar Flavors
• Lemon Frozen Yogurt #sgsnackswap
• What you need to know about protein (...and, a Skinnygirl protein shake review)

Question: How do you like your iced coffee? Do you ever sneak in protein? Are you as addicted as I am? If you make iced coffee at home, what coffee do you use?