Green Matcha Smoothie

Do you know what matcha is? Do you think it's the same thing as maca? If you answered no and yes to these questions, you are not alone. Matcha was a big buzz word last year with cafes offering matcha lattes and these crazy looking comb things for matcha lattes. Maca...well, until I saw them on a menu side by side I realized I didn't really know they were two separate things but I think it has to do with chocolate.

Matcha is bright green and if you can taste color, it tastes green too. It's a subtle flavor so a plain matcha latte isn't a big deal but I've found adding some honey really brightens the drink up. Matcha has some caffeine in it but isn't as acidic as coffee. Other benefits I've discovered from Googling matcha, it is full of antioxidants, naturally detoxifies your body and can help with focus/attention. Sign up me at about 2pm every day.

 

I'm experimenting with different smoothie recipes to mix it up. The basic chocolate smoothie recipe is still great but I got some matcha samples at a Sweaty Betty event a couple weeks ago and thought the powder would make a vibrant green shake (spoiler alert: it did).

Usually green smoothies have spinach, apple, avocado, cucumber, all the different green fruits and vegetables. These did contribute to the green but the matcha really made it pop.

 

In a blender, combine coconut milk (for a little sweetness), avocado, spinach, vanilla protein powder and matcha. Blend until deliciously smooth. That's it! Super simple, perfect for getting through the morning mental fog.

Recipe

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 Tablespoon matcha powder
• 2 scoops protein powder (Arbonne is my preference) 

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth. The end!

Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

Breaking news: breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It's also the most delicious! Okay, neither of these are ground-breaking headlines BUT they're super true. Sweet breakfast is my favorite: waffles, pancakes, french toast, donuts, muffins, scones. Oh look at that, I've made them all (and a lotta pumpkin)!

But realistically, I can't eat these things for breakfast every day for an abundance of reasons. First and foremost, because of time constraints. Secondly, and probably more importantly, I would be a thousand pounds if I ate what I want at all times.

So I've come up with alternatives for breakfast. Generally speaking, I don't believe a liquid diet is sustainable or that a juice is a meal, even if I did juice for dinner this week. However, if I can trick my body into thinking it's having a milkshake for breakfast, we're in business. For my birthday, a friend gave me the Oh She Glows cookbook. Another blog to check out! There are some very tasty recipes in here but naturally I tried the chocolate one first.

Gradually, I've hidden more and more tasty things in these smoothies. Avocados make this extra creamy and like I'm eating actual ice cream. But the spinach gets hidden (save for a few green flecks) beneath a tiny amount of cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder (optional). I even added some berries in recent weeks.

Everything is blended until smooth. If you prefer a more velvety texture, use half an avocado. Otherwise, a frozen banana will suffice.

Recipe

• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I usually use almond milk)
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (optional)
• 1/2 an avocado (or 1/2 a frozen banana)
• Handful of berries, dried dates or frozen fruit of your choosing for added sweetness 
• Chia seeds if you feel so inclined 

1. Blend everything together.
2. Serve and enjoy! Super simple.