This green tea, berry and yogurt smoothie is a fantastic way to start the day or hydrate after a hard workout!
Drinking enough water has always been a challenge for me. Of course, hydration doesn’t have to be just about water. It can include juice, fruits, vegetables, smoothies, milk and even tea. However, there are times when I talk myself out of drinking anything at all because I know I’ll be leaving the house for errands or to head to my son’s soccer game. Going to the bathroom in the bushes at the edge of the soccer field (why, oh why aren’t there bathrooms at fields?) sounds as appealing as eating a picnic beside a garbage dump. So, I cut myself off from water a couple of hours before leaving the house. By the end of the day, I’m so thirsty that I’m ready to drain the entire water pitcher in five minutes flat.
Now that I've increased my running mileage and the half-marathon is less than four weeks away, hydrating my body has become more and more important. Bring on the water, bring on the smoothies, bring on the herbal tea...you name it, I'm drinking it.
There are so many options for hydration. Let's go through a few of them:
Water:
Nothing beats good old tap water for hydration. There are no sugars, artificial sweeteners, flavorings or calories. Plan to drink water during your meals. Remember, taking sips of water while eating helps with portion control. There's nothing better than hydrating with water during exercise. However, if that exercise is intense and lasts more than an hour, you might want to consider re-fueling with energy drinks as well.
My son is drinking out of the new OXO water bottle (see giveaway below).
Fruits, vegetables and juices:
According to the Mayo Clinic, about 20% of our daily hydration needs can be met with food. Pick fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, tomatoes and citrus fruits. For juices, lean towards the pure stuff, which is not chock-a-block full of added sugar.
Milk:
Cow's milk, almond milk and soy milk can all count towards your daily hydration points. Consider choosing low- or non-fat varieties. Surprisingly, several studies over the past several years showed that milk can speed up recovery after intense exercise, thanks to its hydrating properties and levels of protein.
Coffee and tea:
The caffeinated versions of these drinks aren't your best options for hydration, but they can certainly count. Fully caffeinated beverages can act as diuretics, which is counterintuitive to hydrating. Herbal teas are your best choices in this category.
How much water?
We've all heard the the recommendation of "drink eight glasses of water per day". How accurate is this? According to the Mayo Clinic, the Institute of Medicine recommends that men should drink about 13 cups (3 liters) and women should drink about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of beverages (primarily water) each day. If you work exercise into your day, plan to increase your intake.
Let's move onto the recipe. Making this smoothie becomes even easier when you make extra green tea ice cubes. Whip out your OXO kettle and brew up your favorite green or herbal tea. Pour the tea into ice cube trays so that you have extra tea cubes for future use.
The recipe:
The ice cubes:
Using your favorite green (or herbal) tea, brew 1 ½ cups of tea.
Let the tea steep for extra time, 8 to 10 minutes, so that the tea is very strong.
Pour the tea into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer until frozen solid.
In a blender, combine, 4 green tea ice cubes, berries, banana, Greek yogurt, skim milk, flax meal and agave nectar.
Blend until smooth. Serve.
Green Tea, Berry & Yogurt Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 green or herbal tea bag
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 cup berries I used marionberries
- ½ banana
- ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup skim milk
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
Instructions
- Using your favorite green (or herbal) tea, brew 1½ cups of tea.
- Let the tea steep for extra time, 8 to 10 minutes, so that the tea is very strong.
- Pour the tea into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer until frozen solid.
- In a blender, combine, 4 green tea ice cubes, berries, banana, Greek yogurt, skim milk, flax meal and agave nectar.
- Blend until smooth. Serve.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by OXO and they supplied me with some OXO products for my personal use and the giveaway. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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This GiveAway looks great. The Smoothies sound Delicious and Refreshing. I definitely want to try them.
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Sharen
Great recipe. Thank you.
Vicky
love your spoon! and thanks for the frozen tea cubes idea. I never thought of that for smoothies!
Nancy@acommunaltable
Great post Dara!! I love the idea of using frozen green tea in the smoothie and will definitely have to give that a try!!! Excellent tips on hydration too - I pretty much always have water or sparkling water with me all the time and sip pretty frequently through the day - and I agree with you about the restrooms!!!
Ali
I have been looking for a good water bottle to keep at my desk. I find that if I have it in front of me I drink it. If I don't I am incredibly thirsty by the end of the day. I have also been on a major tea kick so the kettle would be perfect!
Patricia
OXO is the greatest.....can't wait to try the smoothie....thanks
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Cat
This looks like a great recipe to try.
Peggy
I definitely understand the importance of hydration - this smoothie sounds like the perfect cure for a hot sunny day =)
Ti
Whole flax seeds can't be digested and will pass right through your system, but are great if you suffer from constipation.
One could prepare the tea the evening before by putting a couple of teabags in a pitcher of water and leave it in the fridge over the night.
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