This super green smoothie recipe will energize you in an instant! A healthy blend of green tea, yogurt, almonds, banana, spinach, and kale all in one tasty sip. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
As we gear into a fresh new year, let’s get excited to take on our personal health goals! With a chance to restart and recharge, I am always motivated to make actionable changes to my food and fitness routine to stay on track. I love the challenge of developing better-for-you recipes, but that you will still enjoy and crave! One way is by creating breakfast recipes that add more nutrition to your day.
This super green smoothie will give the energy boost that you need to kick-start your mornings. By making some simple, wholesome swaps, it’s easy to add protein, fiber, fruit, vegetables, and antioxidants into your glass without compromising on flavor. Let’s start this year off right together and put that blender to work!
I’ve been keeping a secret from you. I know, I’m sorry. It’s not because I didn’t want to share, just that I was waiting for just the right time. Being a full-time mom, wife, food scientist and blogger is so fulfilling, yet can get hectic juggling all of the incredible gifts that I have. To stay active and energized for my family and me, I always commit to two things each day; eating a healthy breakfast and exercising (no matter how little or intense).
Today I am sharing the ULTIMATE super green smoothie recipe that I make each morning to get the cylinders firing. My son calls it “mommy’s super juice,” and it sure is. Let me tell you why and show you how.
HOW TO MAKE A GREEN SMOOTHIE
Greens – Baby kale and spinach are delicate and tender, and the earthy and bitter notes are not as strong for the smoothie. One cup of kale is packed with about 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber, vitamins A, C, K, folate, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and the phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. Spinach is rich in iron and an excellent source of vitamins K, A, C and folic acid.
Matcha Green Tea-The ground green tea leaves can contain up to 10 to 15 times more overall nutrients, and 100 times more antioxidants compared to traditional green tea. The antioxidants from different catechins help to protect against free radicals and strengthen your immune system.
Protein-Greek yogurt and almonds (nuts and milk) add a boost of protein, so you stay satiated until the next meal. Yogurt also contains probiotics which daily consumption has been shown to help to increase the immune system and promote a healthy digestive tract.
Fruit- Bananas add a light natural sweetness and creamy texture to the green smoothie. It’s also a good source of potassium, electrolytes, and contains prebiotic fibers that aid in digestion.
Natural Sweetener– To balance the bitterness from the greens and tea, two teaspoons of Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonables is added to the smoothie. It’s zero-calorie and a stevia-based sweetener. It’s the perfect swap for sugar, one packet of Truvia® Natural Sweetener provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar.
All of these nutritional powerhouse ingredients get added to your blender, and in less than 5 minutes you have a cold, creamy and delicious smoothie ready to drink at home or on-the-go.
A glass of this super green smoothie with matcha tea will help nourish your body so you can optimize your day! Now that I’ve shared my top-secret daily breakfast regimen, how will you incorporate this recipe into your routine? Breakfast or a quick afternoon snack, it’s a refreshing beverage to add to your meal plan. I can’t wait to hear about your smoothie adventures in the comments section below!
5 Matcha Tea Smoothies to Lose Weight and Boost Your Health
I’ve been a big fan of green tea for years so you can guess how excited I was when I recently found out about a type that is even more potent (and healthy) than even traditional green tea!
I couldn’t wait to start taking advantage of the extra benefits so I started looking around for ways to include it in my smoothies.
I wasn’t sure what kind of smoothies to use it in, to begin with, but soon found out it’s actually pretty versatile and works well in a lot of different recipes.
Adding matcha green tea to your smoothies is a really easy way to take advantage of its impressive qualities.
In this post, I’m going to share some of the healthiest and most delicious ways to enjoy its goodness as part of your smoothie habit, as well as what to beware of when using Whisk Matcha.
Before we dive into the recipes, let’s take a look at what matcha is and exactly how it can help you to get healthier and lose weight.
Matcha comes from the Camellia sinensis plant and has been popular in Asia for more than a thousand years. It’s specifically grown in the shade and this is what gives it such a vivid green color.
For centuries, Japanese monks meditating for long hours used matcha tea to remain alert while keeping calm.
Researchers have confirmed that matcha can aid in achieving this “relaxed alertness state” and concentrating better, which is beneficial if you’re studying or meditating.
The reason for these benefits of matcha tea is high contents of the amino acid L-Theanine. Matcha has 5 times more L-Theanine than usual green or black teas.
Unlike other green teas, you ingest the whole leaf, which is crushed into a fine powder, and not just the leaves brewed in water. This brings a whole heap more health benefits!
Health Benefits of Matcha Tea
Matcha green tea is one of the healthiest things you can add to your smoothies and here’s why:
Full of antioxidants: Green tea is known for having lots of antioxidants but matcha is in a league of its own, particularly when it comes to Catechin (a really powerful type of antioxidant) called EGCG. Matcha has a staggering 137 times more EGCG than what we typically think of as green tea.
It can fight diseases: Catechins such as EGCG have a big role to play in fighting diseases and can be more effective than vitamins C and E in reducing oxidative stress on cells.
It can protect against cancer: Studies have shown that matcha can reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, notably bladder, colon and rectal, breast and prostate cancers. It’s thought that this is another effect of the high levels of EGCG in matcha.
Antibiotic:The high amount of EGCG also gives matcha tea anti-infective and antibiotic qualities.
Improves cardiovascular health:EGCG has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and green tea catechins can also reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels.
Reduces diabetes risk: Studies have shown that green tea can reduce insulin sensitivity and fasting glucose levels.
Improves mental health: The high concentration of L-Theanine in matcha has been shown to help treat anxiety.
May be able to treat chronic fatigue: Matcha is known for providing an energy boost but studies on mice have suggested that it can even treat chronic fatigue syndrome.
Detoxes the body: Matcha contains high levels of chlorophyll, which is believed to have detoxifying qualities.
How Much Should I Consume a Day?
With matcha, you’re drinking the whole leaf and this makes the effects a lot more potent.
This means you don’t need to go overboard with how much you drink and one cup a day is enough when it’s drunk as tea.
This goes to adding it to your smoothies as well - if you add the same amount of matcha powder to your smoothie as you would add to a cup of tea, you should limit it to a single match serving per day.
Precautions - Can Matcha Be Unhealthy?
I’ve introduced you to some of the reasons why matcha is so highly regarded as a health food but there are some potential downsides to be aware of too:
Not all matcha has the same qualities;some products vary in terms of the catechins and caffeine they contain and this can affect how healthy your matcha really is. Teas with fewer catechins won’t have the powerful benefits that I’ve talked about in this post - go for the reputable brands.
Some matcha products contain a fair amount of lead, which is naturally absorbed by the plant leaves from the environment. The report suggests this is more the case with some Chinese sourced matcha, while Japanese sourced teas were cleared.
How Long Can I Store Matcha Tea?
Matcha needs to be kept away from heat, light, and air. If it’s exposed to these elements, the nutrients will degrade quickly.
Storing the matcha container in the refrigerator before you start using it can help it to stay at its best for longer. Once it’s open, transfer the matcha to an airtight container and keep it in a dark cupboard or in the refrigerator.
For the most part, matcha will last for at least 6 months and sometimes up to a year but it will usually be past its best after that.