Is it just me or do smoothies taste extra good after a workout? I’m sure it’s because I’m a little dehydrated so any kind of liquid sounds good, but the thought of refreshing fruit and creamy yogurt all combined in a cold drink really gets me excited after a big sweatfest! Even though it’s winter and there is almost a foot of snow sitting in my yard I still look forward to refreshing smoothies like this Raspberry Green Tea Smoothie.
One of my New Year’s resolutions, if you can call it that is to drink more tea. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t get myself to like the stuff. I have no problem sucking down my coffee in the morning, but whenever I make a cup of tea I have about two sips then decide I don’t like it any more. In particular, I really want to like green tea because of all the great health benefits.
In case you aren’t familiar with some of the benefits of green tea, let me fill you in. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. These catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in stopping oxidative damage to cells. So why do we not want oxidative damage to our cells? Easy, oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancer, and seriously, anything that helps stop the growth of cancer I’m all for!
The best way to get these catechins into your body is through freshly brewed tea. Bottled, decafinated, and instant teas have less of these powerful compounds. To me this is one of the most important benefits, but I’m sure many of you are wondering about the metabolic or fat burning qualities of green tea.
So there are mixed results when it comes to whether green tea actually boosts your metabolism. Some studies have found that it does while others don’t show any change.
My thoughts are that the fact that it contains caffeine will give you a small boost in energy which can help prolong and boost performance in physical activity, hence burning more calories. When I train for marathons I often need some sort of caffeine to give me a boost during long runs. While the extra energy the caffeine gives me doesn’t last a long time, I do find that it gives me the kick that I need for 30-45 minutes.
As with any food or drink that claims to have health benefits, take it with a grain of salt. There will always be cases for and against them. In my opinion though, adding green tea into my diet can’t hurt and will hopefully only benefit me.
So, back to how I’m going to make myself enjoy a cup of tea…stick it in a cold refreshing smoothie of course! Instead of using milk or juice in this smoothie I substituted if for green tea. I added in one of my favorite berries, raspberries, a frozen banana, Greek yogurt for protein, and honey for sweetness.
Not only was I having my cup of tea, but I was also enjoying the health benefits from the raspberries and banana! Until I find a brand of tea that I fall in love with I’ll remedy the situation by making myself this delicious Raspberry Green Tea Smoothie!
Raspberry Green Tea Smoothie
This delicious and healthy raspberry smoothie uses green tea instead of juice or milk for an extra boost of antioxidants!
Ingredients
- 1 cup green tea, chilled
- 1/3 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 large frozen banana, cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup ice
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 6gSugar: 22gProtein: 13g
More Smoothie Recipes
Green Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Chocolate Espresso Banana Smoothie
This sounds great. What can I use instead of the yogurt ?
Mj,
I haven’t made this smoothie with anything other than yogurt, but you could always just leave it out. The smoothie won’t really be creamy, but will still have all the flavor.
Hi! I’m not a big tea drinker. Do I need to brew a cup of green tea, chill, and add to smoothie? Do I add from a bottle of green tea? I’m so excited to try this recipe!
Hi Bridget,
You can either brew a cup of your own green tea and chill it before adding it to the smoothie or you can buy a bottle. Whatever is most convenient for you. If you do buy a bottle, make sure it is unsweetened. Enjoy!
Nice simple recipe. I was looking for new recipes to reference for Green tea smoothies and will mention this in the post. Could add a cup of spinach to this recipe and it would be great.
thanks
Anna
Nice Pics and good recipe. will try this out.. Thanks for shareing
I have not tried this yet as I am allergic to bananas and it seems every smoothie recipe includes thm. Sometime I sub pears for bananas. It would be nice if allergy concerns were taken in consideration and subs listed.
I like raspberry. I like green tea. And I like smoothies. Winner winner!
You have to try Strawberry Fields Green Tea in a smoothie with banana. Yumm. Or even better, a banana matcha smoothie. :)
Hey Danae,
Wow, looks soooo yummy. I’ve become a real fan of green tea recently. I actually just wrote a post on the topic that you may find useful.
Cheers!
Kaitlin
Thanks Kaitlin! I’ll have to check out your post on green tea!
Wow this is perfectly made and must be yummy too. I will give it a try this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Lubna! I hope you enjoy it!
What a delicious and healthy smoothie combination! Raspberry and green tea sounds so delicious together.
Thanks Thalia! I love the raspberry and green tea combo!
I love using green tea in my smoothies but I have yet to try a creamy version. I usually pour hot green tea over frozen fruits and berries but this raspberry smoothie sounds delish!
Thanks Christina! I never thought to pour the hot tea into the smoothie, I’ll have to give that a try!
I LOVE how bright this smoothie is! I never would have thought of mixing green tea into a smoothie. And I second your resolution to drink more tea this year–I need to do it, too!
Thanks Lisa! I’m so glad I tried adding the tea to the smoothie, it was the perfect addition!
This is a beautiful smoothie and love the flavor combo.
Thanks so much Meagan!
I’m probably the most boring person when it comes to tea. I love it but I only drink it unsweetened hot or iced with lemon. Sometimes I get the fancy flavors but usually I just stick to black tea!
Just saw this smoothie over on IG. So pretty and I love that you added green tea to it. What a great idea, Danae!
Thanks Julie! I wish I could be like you, but I think if I want to get in the habit of drinking it I’m going to have to jazz it up somehow!
Oh my gosh, this is so pretty! I have never added green tea to my smoothies. What a great way to add healthy goods. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Fabiola! This was my first time adding green tea, I love how it turned out!
I love the idea of green tea smoothie! This looks fantastic!
Thanks Anna! :-)
I love adding tea to my smoothies! And the color you’ve achieved is just lovely!
Thanks Melissa! It was my first time adding tea and it definitely won’t be the last!
Love that you added green tea to a smoothie! This looks like the perfect post-workout refuel!
Thanks Jessica, it’s perfect for after workouts!
I am an absolute smoothie freak! I cannot wait to try these recipes.
Thanks Cindy! :-)
Hi, I’m Ashley and I’m a tea-aholic! I love tea, especially green. Have you tried the flavored green teas, like pomegranate? They are a ltitle more flavorful than standard green. I can’t wait to try this smoothie!
Thanks Ashley! I want to love tea so bad, I’ll definitely give the pomegranate a try!