Start your morning with this delicious and refreshing Matcha Smoothie made with banana, almond milk, and green tea powder.
Today I’m sharing one of my favorite smoothies and it’s Matcha Smoothie (抹茶スムージー). Summer is just around the corner and I thought some of you might be interested in healthier food and drink menus. If you’ve been reading Just One Cookbook for a while, you know how much I love matcha (green tea powder) and it seems right to start sharing smoothie recipes using matcha.
Difference Between Matcha and Green Tea Leaves
Before I start, I want to mention once again that matcha (or green tea powder) is NOT something you can make by grinding green tea leaves that you normally drink at home or in a restaurant. I receive this question all the time, so please make sure that you don’t grind green tea leaves to make matcha. What’s matcha then? You can read this post where I explain a little bit more about matcha.
As my work requires me to spend a lot of time testing recipes which comes with a lot of eating and sitting in front of the computer which means staying glued to my chair and not moving enough, I noticed I had involuntary put my health in negligence. I knew it was time to do something about it. So back in October last year I made a resolution to take better care of myself. What that means is I make sure to 1) make time to go to the gym 5 days a week and exercise for at least one hour, 2) sleep by 1 am, not 2 am anymore, and 3) eat smaller portions (and less carbohydrate). They seem ambitious, but I am determined to carry them out.
One of the new habits that I incorporated into my daily routine is drinking smoothies. Smoothies are simple, delicious, and exciting, but they are not a replacement for a meal in my case. Instead, they are more like a healthier “snack” between meals to fill me up, so I don’t gorge on a big portion during meal times. I make healthy smoothies for Mr. JOC and myself every morning, and another round of smoothies for my kids and myself every day after school.
Of all the smoothie recipes I’ve experimented with so far, my favorite is the matcha green tea smoothie. The taste of banana mixed with matcha green tea complements each other well and you get a creamy consistency. What I love most is the power duo also gives you an energizing boost and the natural sweetness helps stave off cravings for sugary snacks.
You can use any blender to make smoothies, but I bought a Nutribullet from Costco a while back when it was discounted. It’s so easy to use! You can make as many servings as you like, but what I like most about this Nutribullet is that it’s easy to make ONE serving. And the blender container can turn into a cup so you don’t need to pour the smoothie into a glass (one less thing to wash!). You can even take it on the go with a special lid. How awesome is that? (I am not being paid or compensated by Nutribullet for singing praises here. I just truly enjoy the product).
If you are looking for a power morning drink or an afternoon pick-me-up, I hope you enjoy this matcha smoothie. It makes a deliciously refreshing treat, especially on a sticky summer day. Cheers to a healthier daily routine!
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Matcha Smoothie
Video
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 5 ice cubes
- ¾-1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or cow’s milk, coconut milk, etc)
- 1 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Put banana and ice cubes in an electric blender/mixer or NutriBullet.
- Pour almond milk and add matcha green tea powder on top.
- Blend until all the ingredients are combined and smooth. Pour into a glass/glasses.
