Green Tea Smoothie Recipe

The health benefits of green tea have been well documented for decades and part of many cultures daily wellness habits for centuries.  Typically the common manner in which green tea benefits are delivered is in the form of a hot brewed tea, iced tea, or as a pill supplement.

However you can also enjoy the many benefits of green tea blended in a delicious smoothie.  There are 2 main ways to incorporate green tea into a smoothie:

1) You can brew the green tea first and then allow it to cool down or add ice cubes to quickly chill it down being careful not to dilute the tea down too much so you do not lose the flavor. Green tea is a particularly sensitive tea that can become bitter if you brew it at too hot a temperature or for too long a period of time.  Ideally you will want to brew the tea at a temperature between 170 to 180 degrees for approximately 2 ½ minutes.  Any hotter or longer brewing time will create an astringent bitter taste.

2) You can add it in the form of matcha.  Matcha is essentially powdered green tea leaves in which you consume the entire green tea leaves in your beverage instead of just brewing the leaves. Matcha is very popular in Japan and is considered a much more potent source of green tea’s health benefits since you are consuming the entire green tea leaves. There are many ways to prepare Matcha such as using a wisk and hot water, creating a paste by adding just a little water to the matcha first, then adding the additional water after you have created the paste, or just adding the powder directly to your smoothie like any other dry ingredient like a protein powder for example. You can purchase matcha at most grocery stores, health food stores, and online.

Green Tea Smoothie Recipe ( using green tea matcha)

½ cup milk ( cow, coconut, soy, almond, rice)
½ cup yogurt ( plain or vanilla)
½ frozen banana
½ cup ice
1 tsp of green tea matcha

Directions:
Combine the ½ cup milk, ½ cup of yogurt, and 1 tsp of matcha.  Blend briefly to mix the ingredients into smooth mixture. Next add the ½ frozen banana and ½ cup of ice. You can also add a sweetner if you prefer, however the other ingredients will add a sweetness. Too much sweetness will over power the subtle green tea flavor.

Green Tea Smoothie Recipe ( using brewed green tea )

1 green tea bag ( or equivalent loose tea)
½-1 cup water
½ to 1 cup frozen fruit ( peach, mango, or favorite fruit)
½ cup to 1 cup ice

Directions:
Brew the tea at a temperature of between 170-180 degrees for about 2 ½ minutes using approximately ½ to 1 cup of water.  Cool down the tea in the refrigerator or stir in an ice cube to cool it down. Add cooled tea with ½ to 1 cup of your frozen fruit of choice. Think of popular iced tea flavors you see in the store or restaurants for ideas on flavors that will compliment the tea. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of ice. Depending on how much tea you add, you might want to add more of the frozen ingredients to reach desired consistency.

TIP: different types of green teas have different taste profiles.  For example a green tea from china will taste completely different that a green tea from Japan.  So have fun, be creative, and enjoy!