Seven Protein "Frappuccinos" Hinata Kato Makes at Home Instead of Reaching for Sweets

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Overview

In this video, diet and fitness creator Hinata Kato walks through seven protein smoothies they actually drink, filmed over several days as each one was made. The pitch is playful but clear: these are meant to taste close enough to café drinks from Starbucks and Tully's that you no longer need to buy them, and to work as a "savior" on days when you crave sweets or a diet is going badly. Each recipe follows a similar template (a plant-based milk, lots of ice, a protein powder, and usually banana, chocolate, or honey), and along the way Kato explains why they choose particular ingredients and how their eating habits have recently changed.

14 min read

Why the recipes are filmed over several days

Kato explains at the start that they don't make these smoothies in bulk for the camera, because making many at once would be wasteful. Instead, each one is made on the day it is drunk, so their hair color, condition, and makeup change from segment to segment. They stress that these are not staged recipes but drinks they personally consider "seriously delicious," and they frame the series as something to turn to when a sweet craving hits.

1:10

Day 1: Dark Mocha Chocolate Chip Frappuccino

The first recipe is meant to replicate the Starbucks Dark Mocha Chocolate Chip Frappuccino. The base is 200ml of almond milk. Kato describes almond milk as a good source of fiber and vitamin E, gentle on the gut, and, because it comes from a nut, tasting to them like "fragrant milk." They ask viewers to choose a sugar-free version, since the sweetness should come from the protein powder and banana.

A large amount of ice is what turns the drink into a "Frappuccino," according to Kato, who says they love Starbucks Frappuccinos. For people who don't like their drinks very cold, they suggest using a frozen banana or simply reducing the ice.

The key ingredient for the café texture is 100% high-cocoa chocolate, which Kato says contains only cocoa, with no butter or sugar. They add two handfuls and say it is what gives the drink the feel of the Starbucks version. They also point to its polyphenol content as good for the skin, calling it "the chocolate I want you to consume." A banana goes in next. Kato calls bananas the perfect fruit because they contain oligosaccharides and dietary fiber, but notes the drink can be made without one.

1:38

The protein powder from the first recipe

Kato introduces the protein used here as one of their favorites and says they have recently become more particular about where their protein comes from. This one is fully organic and made with pea protein, which they recommend for people who dislike whey or whose stomachs don't agree with it. It is sweetened with stevia, which they describe as a plant-based, non-artificial sweetener, and contains acai, chia seeds, and quinoa. They call it a protein "for intestinal activity" that they thought would help with bowel movements. They mention it is made by the same company behind KitKat and Milo, that this version is chocolate fudge flavored, and that it tastes good even without being blended into a smoothie. They add that all the proteins in the series are good and viewers should pick based on their own taste.

The finished drink has visible pieces of chocolate floating in it. Most of the tasting segment is comedic. Kato says it is delicious enough that "your eyes will roll back," and tries out different "stylish" ways of holding the cup. They also mention that they have been stretching daily to relax the trapezius muscles in the neck and paying attention to posture, hoping to make the neck look longer and the face smaller. Then they joke that their shoulders shot up when they took the first sip.

5:12

Day 2: Tully's-Style Honey Milk Latte Frappuccino

The second drink copies Tully's Honey Milk Latte, which Kato says they recently started making at home. It begins with 100ml of unsweetened soy milk. Kato describes soy milk as rich in protein and isoflavones, good for skin, hair, muscles, and weight management, and singles out soybean oligosaccharides as "the best." Next comes 100ml of black coffee. Any brand works, they say, as long as it contains no sugar, so check the ingredients. The transcript also includes a mention of 200ml at this point, but it isn't clear which quantity that refers to. Kato says black coffee is good because it helps burn fat.

On the ice, Kato says they clean their ice maker with citric acid and use store-bought ice, and that the amount is personal preference. They like icy drinks, so they use a lot. The sweetener is one tablespoon of honey containing inulin. Kato says this honey improves the intestinal environment and helps bowel movements, and that once digested, honey becomes oligosaccharides and enzymes that are gentle on the body. Adding high-cocoa chocolate is optional here. If you use it, add a single handful, and 70% cocoa is fine instead of 100%.

The protein is NATURECAN's dark chocolate flavor. Kato again highlights that it is sweetened with stevia rather than an artificial sweetener, and says it lets the coffee flavor come through cleanly.

Kato says coffee lovers will enjoy this one. The recipe is also on their Instagram, and they report that people who made it sent DMs, including one saying, "Now I can drink protein. Thank you." In a short follow-up, their manager tries it, says it is delicious, and confirms it tastes like Tully's. Kato insists this was a genuine reaction, not an exaggerated one.

8:27

Day 3: Matcha Chocolate Chip Frappuccino with Moringa

On a day when they badly wanted a Starbucks Frappuccino, Kato makes a matcha version at home. They return to 200ml of almond milk and expand on why. Vitamin E can't be produced by the body and is good for the skin, and it is found in foods like avocados and almonds. Kato says they now mix protein with almond milk instead of water so they get vitamin E at the same time. Their reasoning is that if they are drinking protein anyway, they want it to carry nutrients the body can't make on its own.

The protein is a newly purchased organic matcha powder sweetened with stevia, which Kato admits they bought because the package photo appealed to them. Unsweetened chocolate chips go in for texture, followed by plenty of ice. Kato calls the result a protein smoothie that feels like a "drinkable beauty drip."

They explain when banana makes sense. In the morning, adding banana raises the protein absorption rate, they say, and bananas provide fiber, potassium, vitamins, and carbohydrates. This drink was made in the evening after training, so they leave the banana out and add moringa instead. Kato lists a string of comparisons for moringa: 10 times the potassium of tomatoes, 5 times the magnesium of spinach, 7 times the protein of milk, as much zinc as scallops, twice the iron of beef, 20 times the calcium of milk, 21 times the fiber of lettuce, and 22 times the GABA of germinated brown rice. They call it a "miracle tree" and say it is described as "the most nutritious leaf in the world." These figures are Kato's statements, presented without sources.

After tasting, they suggest adding honey or banana if you want it sweeter. They say that with whipped cream on top, you couldn't tell it from a Starbucks drink, call themselves a "smoothie-making genius," and joke that they want to collaborate with Starbucks. They estimate this drink has about 26g of protein.

11:53

Day 4: Black Sesame Banana Smoothie as a Quick Breakfast

The fourth recipe is a breakfast made right after a walk and a bath, on a day with a long hair salon appointment starting at 12:30, so Kato wants something fast. The base is again 200ml of almond milk with a banana. Kato repeats that pairing banana with protein helps the protein absorb faster. Ice goes in next.

The protein is NATURECAN's Black Sesame Latte. Kato points out that the powder is pitch black because it contains charcoal powder, and that it is their favorite because it is sweetened with stevia. Chocolate chips are added, and Kato jokes that they can't remember whether they explain them every time, since the videos are shot across different days.

For a stronger sesame flavor, they suggest adding ground sesame seeds, which they say makes it taste like the black sesame banana smoothies sold at bakeries, though they add there's no need to copy it exactly. They also add a tablespoon of moringa "for my gut, my skin, and for rejuvenation," while telling viewers it's fine to skip. They note that moringa makes the drink taste like matcha, and that without it the drink tastes like a black sesame latte. Kato says it reminds them of the black sesame soy milk banana smoothie found at bakeries.

14:06

Why Kato pays attention to sweeteners and additives

After the black sesame drink, Kato explains the thinking behind their ingredient choices. They recommend NATURECAN's black sesame latte and dark chocolate flavors because they contain fewer artificial sweeteners, and they say they've been trying to take better care of their body lately.

They are careful not to present this as a strict rule. Restricting everything, they say, makes life hard, especially when eating with friends or eating normal meals. Their approach is to choose plant-based sweeteners over artificial ones and additive-free products when possible, gradually cutting back on additives and "doing what makes my body happy." They connect this to gut health: they describe the gut and brain as connected, mention that the intestines are called the "second brain," and say that what you eat can affect your skin, muscle tone, happiness, and mental health.

15:08

Day 5: Chocolate Chip Banana Smoothie and a Diet Change

The fifth recipe is a rich chocolate chip banana smoothie. It uses 200ml of almond milk (Kato jokes that viewers must be tired of hearing about its fiber and vitamin E), one scoop of NATURECAN banana-flavored protein, plenty of ice, a very ripe banana covered in "sugar spots," which they joke might be a fossil but is still edible, about two swirls of honey, and a cup of the 100% cocoa chocolate chips. Kato says afterward that it needed even more ice.

They call it a flavor banana smoothie lovers will enjoy and repeat that the 100% cocoa chocolate is rich in polyphenols and good for the skin. They describe the drink as good for dieting, beauty, and skin, and estimate it at about 23g of protein. They say they drink it while working.

Kato then shares a personal reflection. They say they've been feeling unusually fulfilled lately and thought about why. Their answer is that they changed their diet under the guidance of a gut specialist, which they describe as different from their earlier habit of just eating gut-healthy recipes. Since the change, they report that they stopped feeling the urge to eat, their skin changed, and their dry heels went away. They also say that even though they've been making and eating a lot of cheesecake recently, they are less likely to gain weight. All of this is presented as personal experience, not measured results.

17:50

Day 6: Kinako Smoothie

The sixth drink is built around kinako (roasted soybean flour). It starts with 200ml of unsweetened soy milk and ice. Kato adds a cup of unsweetened kinako, saying any kinako you have at home will work. They mention that the product they use also contains black sesame and that kinako raises the protein content.

The protein is a kinako-flavored powder containing chia seeds, moringa, and inulin, sweetened with brown sugar and fructooligosaccharides. Kato says the fructooligosaccharides are very good for intestinal activity. They add four tablespoons and note it costs around 3,000 yen, which they don't consider expensive. Its drawback is that it provides only about 12g of protein per serving, so Kato makes up the difference with the soy milk, which they say adds roughly 10g of protein per 200ml. A banana is optional and contributes fiber, potassium, vitamins, and carbohydrates.

Kato calls this a good smoothie for the gut and a "drinkable beauty serum," and says the finished drink, with visible grains of kinako, tastes like kinako milk. They admit they tend to exaggerate when calling things delicious, then go on calling it delicious anyway. They say any of the recipes so far makes dieting fun and easy and is a tasty way to eat something good for your body.

20:03

Day 7: Mango Lassi Protein Smoothie

The final recipe, made after a walk on a day Kato was too lazy to cook breakfast, is a mango lassi based on the ones served at curry restaurants. They say it turned out richer than expected, with a creamy, cream-cheese-like taste.

The base is again 200ml of almond milk, and Kato repeats that drinking it instead of water provides vitamin E, which the body can't produce. They use plenty of ice, saying the drink is rich and the ice balances it. The protein is NATURECAN's tropical flavor. Two spoonfuls of yogurt go in. Kato suggests low-fat Bulgarian yogurt for people dieting, and says Greek yogurt will make it thicker. They aren't sure whether the protein or the yogurt creates the cream cheese flavor, but they say it tastes just like their favorite Häagen-Dazs pineapple and cream cheese ice cream, then joke that they may have drifted too far from mango lassi.

Mango and the usual banana are added. Kato explains that eating carbohydrates and protein together helps nutrients reach the muscles faster, which they consider important for building a lean body. In place of added sugar, they rely on the sugars in the banana and mango, using one handful of mango. They describe the result as a rich lassi with a cheesecake-like quality.

22:43

Closing

Kato says they chose seven recipes, one per day, because they had too many favorites to include. Their closing advice is for viewers to drink these instead of sweets, and they call the smoothies an indispensable part of their routine. The video ends with a brief mention of a website collecting their weight-loss workout menus and an invitation to follow their Instagram, where they post recipes, clothing, and beauty content.