Tropical Green Tea Smoothie (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Some days you need a little extra help in the morning. Those days are usually Mondays. You're unmotivated to go back to work after a fun weekend and the alarm always seems to go off a little earlier. On days like that I like to trade in my usual almond or coconut milk based smoothie for a green tea based smoothie. It gives me that little bit of a caffeine boost I need to get my day started.

For this smoothie I used Yerba Mate instead of a traditional green tea. I like using Mate because you get the initial jolt of energy you would if you were drinking coffee or espresso, but without the jitters or the crash later. It's a gentler pick-me-up, that's also gentler on your intestines. To save time in the morning and for a smoother tasting smoothie, brew the tea the night before and place it in the fridge to cool. Or if you plan on drinking one of these smoothies everyday, just make up a pitcher at the beginning of the week.

In this smoothie I used papaya, pineapple and banana for the fruit which are all great to have after a weekend of probably not eating like we should and drinking a little more than usual. Papaya is full of water and fiber to help flush your system, pineapple had lots of  vitamins and minerals and sweetens up the grassy tasting Yerba Mate, and bananas are full of potassium which helps regulate the water and pH balance in our bodies. Feel free to use frozen of fresh fruit. Always try to buy organic, especially papaya which is one of the top genetically modified foods. For a bit more of a nutritional boost I added a couple handfuls of spinach which also helps give this smoothie it's oh-so delicious looking swamp green color (Sam tells me the more a smoothie looks like something scooped out of a swamp the better, not sure I agree, but this smoothie does taste great!).

Tropical Green Tea Smoothie

• 1 Banana
• 1/2 Cup Papaya chunks
• 1/2 Cup Pineapple Chunks
• 1/2 Cup Yerba Mate (or your favorite green tea)
• 2 Handfuls of Spinach

Makes 1 Smoothie.

Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend away until smooth. Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to add a little more liquid, feel free to add more tea, water or your favorite non-dairy milk. Pour the smoothie into a pretty glass, sit back, relax and enjoy. You deserve it, it's Monday.

Have you ever tried tea in your smoothies?