Maca and matcha are two ingredients that have become common in shop-bought smoothies owing to the nutritional benefits they bring, but if you stick to home-made smoothies you might not yet have dabbled with them.
If that’s simply because you don’t have a good recipe to uses them, then we’ve got good news: this healthy smoothie recipe from cookbook The Cycling Chef by Alan Murchison includes both maca and matcha powder.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the ingredients, matcha is a powder made from green tea leaves – so it’s rich in antioxidants – and can be found in supermarkets these days. Murchison says it boosts metabolism, mood and your ability to concentrate. Maca powder is a little harder to find on the high street, though you can get it on Amazon easily. Maca is a Peruvian vegetable, the root of which is ground up to create the powder, which is a great vegan-friendly source of iron and is also high in several other vitamins and minerals including calcium, potassium and B3 (niacin).
Matcha tea is an acquired taste and a bit of a faff to make, so throwing it in a smoothie is a simpler way to try it – plus you get the added bonus of its strong colour turning your smoothie a delightful shade of green. That’s enhanced further by the spinach in this recipe, which also contains dates, a banana and flaxseeds to throw even more vitamins and minerals into the mix.
Murchison has also shared this smoothie bowl recipe, and we have more of the best smoothie recipes if you want to put your blender to good use.
Method
- Simply place all the ingredients apart from the ice in a smoothie machine or blender and blitz until smooth.
- Serve with ice and enjoy ASAP.
Ingredients (serves one)
- 250ml almond milk
- 2tsp maca powder
- 1tsp matcha powder
- 1tsp flaxseeds
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 2 Medjool dates
- 1 ripe banana, peeled
- Handful of spinach
- 1tbsp almond butter
- Handful of ice
Nutrition per serving
Calories 478
Carbohydrates 88g
-of which sugars 59g
Fat 13g
Protein 13g
Sodium 25mg
