Fruity Green Tea Smoothie

No time for breakfast? Get your daily dose of nutrients and caffeine with this easy, fruit-filled green tea smoothie. By: Anna Velazquez, Nutrition and Dietetics Student at Dominican University When my sister, Kinga, and I were little girls, we loved burying ourselves in the tall grass beneath a shady tree and playing with our dolls. After hours of peaceful fun, inevitably we would bicker over who had the queen Barbie. Our clever mom knew exactly how to break up the Barbie wars. Her peace treaty: a refreshing fruit smoothie. While Kinga and I no longer play with dolls, we still reminisce about mom’s blender tricks and now make our own healthier versions. My favorite is this Fruity Green Tea Smoothie recipe inspired by Eating Well Magazine. I altered the ingredients to make it a substantial speedy breakfast. My recipe is loaded with fresh raspberries, blueberries, banana and avocado. It offers a good mix of carbohydrate, healthy fat, and protein and the perfect blend of antioxidants and caffeine to jumpstart your day. Here are few tips to help you whip up this turbocharged smoothie:

• Beware of over steeping. Steeping green tea for more than 4-5 minutes will result in a bitter taste.
• Save time. Prepare the tea the day before and chill it in the fridge overnight so it’s ready when you are.
• Don’t stress over the fat content. The majority of the fat in this smoothie comes from the avocado and chia seeds, which are an excellent source of the healthy fats you need, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids).
• No need for sugar. The sweetness comes from natural sugars in the fruit and stevia extract, which has no calories and potential health benefits.

For other nutritious breakfast ideas such as Revved-Up Oatmeal and Lean Eggs and Ham, check out Time To Eat Healthy a FREE app the on iTunes or Google Play.

Fruity Green Tea Smoothie

2 servings

Prep Time = 6 minutes for the smoothie Chill Time = 5 hours for chilling of the tea Cooking Time = 0 minutes Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 1 teabag of pure green tea
• ½ teaspoon of liquid or powdered Stevia extract
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 ripe banana, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds

Steps:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and place the tea bag in the saucepan and steep for about 4 minutes. Remove the tea bag and leave the tea in the saucepan to cool down to room temperature. Transfer the cooled tea to a shake bottle and place it in the fridge for at least 5 hours or leave overnight.
2. Place the cold tea in a blender and add the rest of the ingredients: stevia, raspberries, blueberries, banana, avocado, lemon juice, and chia seeds. Blend until smooth. Serve fresh.

Nutritional Information per serving (8 fluid ounces): 270 calories, 4 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 14 grams fiber, 10 milligrams sodium, 18 grams sugar   SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

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