It’s ice cream. Peanut butter and chocolate, like the iconic candy but in ice cream form.

Except that it’s not.

“Everything is protein,” explains Dominik Vlk, co-owner of the newly opened The Nutrition Spot in Mexico.

The P.B.Cup shake is thick and rich, with the velvety allure of peanut butter and milk chocolate. If you didn’t know, you could be fooled into believing Vlk starts with a scoop or two.

But this is a healthier indulgence – four grams of fat, 24 grams of protein and only 200 calories.

It’s the same for the butter pecan flavor, or the red velvet, the thin mint, banana cream pie or whatever “java lava” means. Coffee, one presumes. All are clever blends of protein powder that through some blender alchemy transform into smooth, creamy treats.

The Nutrition Spot opened on Feb. 22 in a corner of West Plaza and is still in the process of becoming. The walls are bare, the signage is nothing more than a scribble on cardboard taped to the door.

Yet the place is gaining attention.

Vlk, who owns the shop with his wife Chandlar, has been at this for a few years. The operation has locations in Oklahoma and they are considering expanding in Missouri. They chose Mexico because it would bring something different to the community.

“We were trying to bring a healthy option – a fast breakfast or a fast lunch,” he said.

The menu is at once basic and expansive. There are shakes, teas and coffees, all loaded with protein. But the shake menu offers 32 flavors, not including the line of energy drinks, or heeding the “ask about our fat burner donut shot” advice listed at the bottom.

Teas are herbal and given to purpose. Level one – that’s the menu designation – are simple, like peach or chai. By level three they carry names like Blue Gusher, Pineapple Paradise or Captain America and are treated with Niteworks, which promises to enhance heart health, or NRG, a raw guarana powder that claims to boost mental alertness.

Level four goes big, with aloe, herbal teas and everything from the other lists. Then there are “Special Teas” — clever — that are more focused. The flu fighter, for instance, includes zinc, vitamin C and echinacea.

“People need to focus on health, especially now,” Vlk said. “We have a big menu, so there’s a lot to choose from.”

Vlk adds that the flavors result from a lot of “playing around.” But the experimentation seems to work. In the P.B. Cup shake, an earthy, sweet and mellow sensation – the very essence of peanut butter – is touched by a whisper of chocolate.

It folds into the glass like a classic milkshake. The only hint that this is a protein powder treat is a slight graininess that doesn’t intrude on the fun.

Yes, it’s fun. But with just nine grams of sugar, it might just be good for you, too.