A Healthy Take On The Shamrock Shake With Matcha

I'm pretty sure that the only thing this "shake" and the Shamrock Shake have in common is the fact that they are both green! Don't hate me, but I am not a huge fan of the very popular seasonal shake! I know, I know, but it just tastes fake to me. BUT you know I am a holiday nerd, and love to make festive food...soooo... I thought that it would be fun to make a healthy green drink for St.Patrick's Day.

What makes this shake green, and healthy, is matcha!If you have not used matcha before, it is basically like powdered green tea. It is a "super food," because it is packed the antioxidants... and a whole bunch of other healthy things (info here, and here!). Matcha's taste is a mix between herbaceous and floral, which adds a really nice depth of flavor when added in with something sweet like a banana. Keep in mind that a little bit of matcha goes a long way. I tried adding a full tablespoon of matcha in the smoothie when I was testing out recipes...don't do that.

I like to use hemp milk in my smoothies, because I cannot have any nut milks, soy milk (which is terrible for you anyways! Don't drink it), and it is healthier than dairy milk. Hemp milk is made from hemp seeds, and has a mild yet creamy taste. You can use it the same way you use any other milk. It comes in different flavors, but I like to buy the unsweetened so that I can control what kind of sugar, if any, I add to the shake. Then, I add in a little spinach for an added touch of green color, and health. You can leave this out if you want though!

This smoothie is sweet enough for me from the banana, but if you want to make it sweeter, then you can add in a touch of honey, or whatever natural sweetener you like.