Get your day off to a bright and healthy start with this Healthy Strawberry Smoothie! The infusion of green tea with its slow-release caffeine, the protein-rich creaminess of almonds and the fruity sweetness of strawberries make for one deliciously perky glass of smoothie!
This easy, healthy strawberry smoothie is made with just 5 ingredients, and it’ll keep you full and energetic all the way through to lunch!
Coffee and I have a love-hate relationship. I love a good cup of brewed coffee and the spark it adds to my day, but I hate the post-caffeine crash that almost always comes with it.
So, on days that I need some sustained zing to carry me through the day (or a few hours at least), I turn to tea! Having lived in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), tea is near and dear to me. I know the taste of an excellent cup of tea (particularly black tea).
Tea infused healthy strawberry smoothie
The thing about tea is that even though it generally has less caffeine than an equivalent amount of coffee, tea releases its caffeine into the body far more slowly, so you get a sustained source of juice to power you for several hours.
So you don’t have to worry about the caffeine jitters you get from coffee, but you still have a great morning beverage to look forward to.
But you know what’s even better than just a cup of tea? A tea infused smoothie! Not only do you get that invigorating feeling with the tea, but you also get some great nutrition and protein to fill you up and keep you going till lunch with a great protein smoothie!
I wanted to make a smoothie that was dairy free yet delightfully creamy, and I’m always partial to a delicious strawberry smoothie.
So I decided to combine two of my favorites – Sencha green tea and almond to make this delicious healthy strawberry smoothie!
What is Sencha green tea?
Sencha is a Japanese green tea that has plenty of health benefits as well. It is said to help in lowering body fat and cholesterol levels, and is also rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin C, E, polyphenol, beta carotene etc.
So with all that good stuff, it seemed natural to incorporate the Sencha tea into a healthy and energizing breakfast. Sencha tea tastes amazing with some great earthy, grassy notes.
Even with the bright and buoyant flavor of strawberries, the green tea flavor is unmistakable in this healthy strawberry smoothie.
However, if you don’t have Sencha tea, that is NOT a problem. You can use any good-quality brewed green tea for an awesome green tea smoothie.
How to make healthy strawberry smoothie
For this strawberry smoothie, I brewed the Sencha in hot water (not boiling water), and then used that tea water for the green tea smoothie.
I brewed the leaves in the same way and for the same length of time that I would’ve brewed them for a cup of tea, but with less water. This way, I avoided extracting any bitter notes from the tea.
I used unsweetened almond milk that I could control the amount of sweetness in this almond strawberry smoothie. I don’t really like sugar in my green tea, but I do add just a bit of honey to this smoothie.
Alternatively, you can use softened dates or agave if you like. I don’t like using maple syrup because to me, the flavor of maple doesn’t really complement the flavors in this smoothie, but if that’s what you like, go right ahead. You do you! 🙂
Another ingredient that I added to this almond strawberry smoothie is ALMOND BUTTER! It adds a creaminess, plus the extra nutrition to keep you full and satisfied for longer.
Make sure to use an all-natural almond paste (without sweeteners and additives). If you don’t have almond butter at home, swap it with some peanut butter (but the peanut butter flavor will be more prominent – think of it as a green tea version of a peanut butter berry smoothie).
This green tea infused healthy strawberry smoothie recipe is very flexible and plenty delicious and filling, with the added benefit of green tea and the fruity sweetness of strawberries and the creaminess of almonds!
Have you guys tried infusing your smoothies with tea before?
Recipe
Healthy Strawberry Smoothie
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
Strong sencha tea
- 2 tsp Sencha tea leaves or your favorite green tea
- ⅔ cup hot water just under boiling temp.
Healthy strawberry smoothie
- ½- ⅔ cup brewed strong Sencha tea or your favorite green tea
- 6 – 8 oz frozen strawberries about 1 – 1 ½ cup whole strawberries
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp all natural almond butter
- 1 – 2 tbsp honey
Instructions:
Strong sencha tea
- Place the tea leaves in a tea infuser (or in a cup).2 tsp Sencha tea leaves
- Pour hot water over the tea leaves and let them steep for 3 minutes. Strain the tea leaves and set aside the infused tea water.⅔ cup hot water
Tea-infused healthy strawberry smoothie
- Place the tea, almond milk, strawberries, almond butter and honey in a blender.½- ⅔ cup brewed strong Sencha tea, 6 – 8 oz frozen strawberries, 1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tbsp all natural almond butter, 1 – 2 tbsp honey
- Blend until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve. (Strawberry garnishes are optional).
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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