If you follow our blog, you probably know that we are big smoothie lovers here at Food Heaven Made Easy. We love smoothies because they are easy to make, absolutely delicious and an easy way to increase your vegetable intake. But not all smoothies are created equal. In fact, the problem with most smoothies is that they are way too sugar heavy, and often contain excessive fruit and/or fruit juice. A balanced smoothie should contain two parts vegetable for every one part fruit. That means, if you add 1 cup of fruit, make sure that you add 2 cups of vegetables to balance that fruit out and bulk up the fiber.
For this recipe, we teamed up with our friends at Lipton® to make a smoothie with green tea that is sure to keep you feeling hydrated and refreshed. We wanted to focus on tea for this smoothie because it has zero calories and is a naturally refreshing alternative when you need something a little fancier than water, but still want to keep it nutritious. Tea is one of the first beverages we recommend to our patients when they ask for fun ways to spice up their fluid intake. Having a glass of unsweetened, no sugar added Lipton® Pure Green Tea in the morning can be the perfect way to start your day.
Keep in mind that this smoothie should be enjoyed as a refreshing snack, not a full meal, since it is super low in calories. If you wanted to turn this treat into a breakfast smoothie, for example, we recommend adding a few more ingredients. Think almond milk, a sliver of avocado and a handful of pumpkin seeds or cashews. This will ensure you are getting healthy fats and proteins with the meal.
- 2 bags of Lipton® Pure Green Tea (we will use 1.5 cups of green tea for this smoothie)
- 3 mint leaves
- 3/4 cup of mango
- 2 cups of spinach
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Crushed ice
- Steep 2 Lipton® Pure Green Tea bags for 5 minutes in 1.5 cups of water, then let cool.
- Add 1.5 cups of cooled Lipton® Pure Green Tea to a blender, then add mint mango, spinach, lime, and crushed ice.
- Blend all ingredients together until you achieve a thin liquid consistency.
- Enjoy!
FTC: This post is sponsored by Unilever, whose Agents of Change program celebrates the work of dietitians – like us – who are passionate about creating a healthier, more sustainable future.
Frances Knowles@lessthanfiveandeasyrecipes.com
November 15, 2016 at 12:04 am (2 years ago)I love to make smoothies, this one looks interesting with green tea and limes.
Akhil
November 30, 2016 at 5:49 am (2 years ago)I just want to say I absolutely am in love with the direction and feel of your blog. My eyeballs don’t even know where to look! Esp with this recipe, I love the fact you mentioned to keep in mind that this shouldn’t replace a meal, and if it is going to replace breakfast, think almond milk. I drink these types of smoothies all the time for breakfast, but usually use water. That’s changing starting tomorrow. Just curious, what’s the benefit of almond milk in the smoothie? I imagine it’ll definitely be a bit creamier than adding water.
Thank you so much for the inspiration, and keep up the phenomenal work.
Wendy
December 1, 2016 at 4:20 pm (2 years ago)Hi! Yes it definitely is creamier, and almond milk is usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, which boosts the nutrient content!