Before I was hooked onto matcha, I had been hearing this term thrown around a lot but never realized it was a type of green tea. Being a crazy tea fanatic, I had already tried various types of green tea blends but had not paid much attention to the matcha hype. That changed this year when I did a quick Booster Juice run and decided to try one of their matcha smoothies. Naturally, I was instantly enthused and began thinking of all the possibilities of using matcha. Besides tasting so darn delicious, I started wondering what the health benefits were and decided to do some research.

Firstly, the direct translation of matcha is ‘powdered tea’ which is exactly what it is. We all drink green tea because of the health benefits, but you don’t quite absorb the full nutrients since you discard the leaves after brewing the tea. Matcha utilizes the full power of the leaves by converting them into a fine powder and ingesting it.

Below is a short summary of the antioxidant benefits of matcha:

• Aids in the protection against heart disease and cancer
• Boosts metabolism and assists in burning calories
• Calms the mind and relaxes the body – assists in meditation and reducing cortisol (stress hormone)
• Is rich in fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins
• Enhances mood and aids in concentration
• Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
• Lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar, and reduces blood pressure
• Anti-aging by lowering inflammation

While I’m still working out various delicious ways to use matcha in our daily diet, below is my favourite matcha green tea smoothie recipe to date. I have tried many combinations of smoothies containing matcha, but you can’t go wrong with mango and vanilla yogurt, am I right? I bought my first batch of matcha green tea from David’s Tea as that is my trusty go to tea place. I don’t recommend buying cheap quality matcha as the way the tea is extracted and developed could result in lead contamination if managed poorly. Although it could be pricier to go with a higher quality product, it definitely lasts a decent amount of time since you only use about a teaspoon each time.

Try out this matcha green tea smoothie recipe and tell me what you think! What are some other great combinations? Share your favourites in the comments below.
🙂

Matcha Green Tea Smoothie

This matcha green tea smoothie will instantly energize and refresh you. It is the perfect blend of super greens and yogurt in one tasty beverage – the best morning wake-up or mid-day pick-me-up.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Servings 2 people

Calories 0.17 kcal

Equipment

• 1 blender

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup mango chunks frozen for an icier texture
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup kale
• 1 banana sliced
• 1 cup almond milk or substitute with any other non-dairy or dairy beverage (oat/soy/cashew/coconut/rice milk)
• ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt or dairy free yogurt
• 1 tbsp matcha green tea powder
• 2 tsp maple syrup or substitute with honey, Stevia, or other sweetener of choice
• ½ tbsp flaxseed powder (optional)
• ½ tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• ½ cup ice cubes (optional) for an icier texture

Instructions

 

• Add all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth for about 60-90 seconds or until desired consistency is reached. Add more ice for a thicker smoothie or milk to thin the smoothie as desired.
  
• Pour into your favourite cup, add a straw, and enjoy!