Alright ladies and gents. I’ve had this matcha sitting in my house for a while. For some reason, I keep forgetting about it. I love my tea in the morning, but I haven’t gotten sophisticated enough to try a matcha latte. It takes work and sometimes that’s the last thing I wanna do in the a.m. But here’s the deal: matcha doesn’t NEED to be consumed as a latte.
Right?
So here I am, trying to figure out how I want to enjoy this matcha. In cookie form? Granola-bar? What about an energy ball?
I go to Pinterest for matcha energy ball inspiration and I keep finding recipes with dates. I don’t have dates right now, so they’re all no-go’s. I decide take it upon myself to throw things together and see if it works out.
Well guess what? It did. Or at least I think so. You’ll need to let me know if it works out for you, too, because you can find the recipe below.
But first, what is matcha and why is it so great?
Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea, but instead of steeping the leaves, they’re ground up into a fine powder. Matcha is basically the super-hyped-up version of green tea. Because you’re drinking the actual tea leaves with matcha, the benefits are much greater than when drinking green tea (where the leaves are discarded).
Some benefits of matcha:
- Matcha is rich in a type of antioxidants called polyphenols; these can help protect against diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
- Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of matcha’s polyphenols, is actually shown to increase metabolism and decrease the formation of new fat cells. This can help with weight loss.
- Matcha is a source of caffeine. While caffeine is not for everyone, some people might find it a better option than coffee. Because matcha contains l-theanine, it helps induce relaxation (not drowsiness) while at the same time increasing alertness.
- Some studies have shown that regular green tea drinking is associated with lower blood pressure and decreased risk of stroke.
- The antioxidants in green tea can also help support skin health by fighting free radicals (that speed up skin aging) and by reducing inflammation.
It’s important to note that the quality of matcha widely varies. There are concerns about lead content in the matcha, even when organically grown, because we are consuming the entire green leaf. It’s important to know where your matcha tea is coming from if you enjoy it often. Do your research and make sure you’re consuming high quality matcha.
But enough about why you should be consuming matcha. Let me show you a non-traditional way you can enjoy it!
- 1 cup gluten-free oats
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 2+ tbsp shredded coconut
- Add all ingredients, except shredded coconut, to a medium-sized bowl. Mix well.
- Add shredded coconut to a small bowl. Using your hands, begin rolling balls with your mixture. Roll the exterior of the balls in the shredded coconut to coat.
- To store, freeze energy balls. Take them out of the freezer about 10 minutes before eating them. They should last a few weeks in the freezer.
References:
http://news.health.com/2015/03/27/what-is-matcha/
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