Matcha Tea Green Smoothie

Green smoothies – love them or hate them? For the longest time, I was in the hater camp… When I first tried making a green smoothie I didn’t realize how important it was to have a good blender. So, that first smoothie was pretty chunky/chewy. Yuck. Now that Will and I invested in a little better blender, I am giving the whole green smoothie thing another chance. With some hesitation, I tossed a handful of spinach in this smoothie and crossed my fingers. Turns out, this was a winner!

The recipe redux for this month focused on cooking with tea. Since summer is coming soon, I made up this slimming smoothie to share rather than a tasty baked good or other dessert. (We all know bikini season is quickly approaching!) Make yourself one of these refreshing green smoothies and give your day a healthy jump-start. 

Let’s talk a little about why this smoothie is so good for you, shall we?

Cucumber: Although cucumbers don’t get much press for their nutrition benefits, they are a rich source of antioxidants like lignans and triterpenes. Cucumbers are also incredibly low in calories with only 16 per cup.

Spinach: Spinach definitely lives up to it’s title of “superfood”. It’s packed with so many nutrients like: Vitamins A, C, K, iron, and calcium. Vitamins A and C especially, play an active role in building rebuilding collagen for healthy hair and skin. Iron is responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells; more oxygen availability leads to increased energy levels. 

Coconut: Coconut adds some satiating fat to this smoothie. Some of the fat in coconut is a unique form called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are absorbed directly into the blood stream. That may sound like a bad thing, but MCTs are converted into energy faster and actually less likely to be stored as fat. 

Matcha tea: Numerous studies have indicated that consumption of green tea may lower your risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Matcha tea in particular is noted to have a higher concentration of antioxidants. 

Mango: Mangoes, like pineapples, also contain enzymes that break down proteins – putting your digestive tract at ease. This bright yellow fruit is also a great source of fiber and Vitamins A and C. 

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