Have you ever made a smoothie with tea?  I like to think that I’m the only one who has ever done this and that it is going to blow everyone’s mind. I refuse to google tea smoothies just in case (BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT IT) it has already been thought up.  Anyway, on with it! Summertime Tea Smoothies are so refreshing and they even involve a bit of caffeine if you use the suggested teas.  Of course, you could always substitute with whatever tea is in your cupboard or if you don’t drink caffeine, blend in your favorite caffeine-free tea.  The tea adds a whole other flavor element and makes it easy to switch up the smoothies even if you have loads of the same fruits and veggies on hand.  Like most smoothie recipes, the sky is the limit.  Feel free to substitute, subtract and add in ingredients to best fit your diet. For instance, if you don’t eat dairy, swap out the yogurt and add in a little bit more tea.

A few tips:

• Usually I use greek yogurt, but this time I used Kefir, which is much thinner so the smoothies pictured here aren’t as thick as traditional smoothies. If you’ve never tried kefir, I urge you to give it a taste!  Kefir has loads of probiotics and among other benefits, it has a positive effect on both gut and bone health.  That’s my kefir plug for the day.  Let’s get fruity.
• If your fruit is not frozen, simply add a handful of ice cubes to the blender to cool off your smoothie.
• The greener the banana the less sugar.  If you like your smoothie sweet add a really ripe banana. If you’re cutting back on sugar, add a green one!
• I make jars of tea ahead of time, but if you’re in a hurry, simply pour a half cup of boiling water over one tea bag and steep it then stir in a few ice cubes to bring it to room temperature.
• When layering smoothies (as shown below) start with the thickest smoothie. Tilt the glass so you’re pouring the smoothie onto the side of the glass first and then it will settle slowly onto the bottom layer and so on.

Berry Spearmint

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup watermelon
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup Tazo Zen Green Tea

Add the strawberries, fresh watermelon, yogurt and tea to the blender and pulse.  This smoothie is on the thinner side because of the juicy watermelon.

Ginger Cherry Oat

• 1 cup cherries, pits removed
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup Tazo Green Ginger Tea
• 3 TBSP uncooked oatmeal

Remove the pits from about a dozen cherries to equal one cup. Add the tea, cherries, banana, yogurt and oatmeal to the blender and pulse until smooth.  Top with additional oatmeal if you please.

Coconut Banana Maca

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 tsp maca powder Maca Powder
• 2 TBSP uncooked oatmeal
• 1 TBSP shredded coconut (optional)

Add the bananas, coconut water, maca and oats to the blender and pulse until smooth.  Top with shredded coconut if you please. (Pssst: this smoothie would also be great with a spoonful of peanut butter and a scoop of protein powder, if you’re into that!)