Banana, Cinnamon and Matcha Breakfast Smoothie for Morning Energy

This matcha, cinnamon and banana smoothie is simple to make, full of nutritious ingredients and is a delicious way to start your day.

It can be used as a replacement for coffee in the morning and provides a more long-lasting energy than the quick hit and crash of caffeine.

Why This Green Smoothie is So Energizing

Banana

It’s no surprise the athletes like tennis players often snack on bananas during their matches. The fruit gives a fast and satisfying energy boost and is full of beneficial nutrients.

Bananas are particularly rich in potassium. They are also a good source of dietary fiber and contain other minerals like magnesium and manganese, as well as vitamin C and B vitamins for energy production.

Grass Fed Whey

Your body needs protein to operate at its best but many people get insufficient amounts or use poor protein sources like processed meat. Grass fed whey powder is an excellent source of amino acids and is particularly high in lactoferrin.

The substance lactoferrin is up bioactive compound that helps regulate iron homeostasis within your body and combats fatigue and lethargy associated with low iron levels.

There is minimal lactoferrin in cheap heat processed whey protein. Good organic and low temperature filtered whey powder is often full of it though, along with other nutrients like immunoglobulins, conjugated linoleic acid and cysteine for glutathione production.

Cinnamon

The spice cinnamon adds a wonderful aroma and taste to this green smoothie but its real purpose is to prevent sugar rushes that can crash your energy, particularly mid morning.

It’s recommended to add a teaspoon of real Ceylon cinnamon to any smoothies with banana or other fruits with reasonably high levels of natural sugars.

Matcha Green Tea

Matcha is a powdered version of green tea that is made from specially shade grown young tea leaves. It is full of antioxidants like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for improving circulation as well as cleansing and energizing chlorophyll.

Many people drink it on its own but I’ve found matcha to be great in smoothies where you want energy, particularly for breakfast or early in the day.

Matcha green tea has about half the caffeine of coffee but also contains high levels of l-theanine. This special amino acid moderates the caffeine in green tea and prevents it from being too stimulating.

Instead the combination of caffeine and l-theanine in matcha provides a more gentle, balanced and longer lasting energy than the jittery buzz of coffee or other highly caffeinated products.

Coconut Oil

The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil are a good source of slow burning energy and add a creamy texture to this energy smoothie recipe.

A tablespoon of organic coconut oil goes into all of my smoothies. Both for the good fats and to gently slow down the rate at which the body uses the nutrients. This helps provide a longer lasting and more stable energy source.

Ingredients List

• 1 banana.
• 30 g of grass fed whey protein.
• 1 teaspoon of real Ceylon cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon of organic matcha green tea.
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
• Healthy milk of your choice such as half coconut milk and half water, hemp milk, almond milk or kefir.
• Optional: A powdered greens supplement, like Grown American Superfood, will boost the energy delivery potential of this blend with a wide variety of nutrients.

Instructions

This breakfast smoothie is designed to be quick and simple and has just a few ingredients. If you’d like to make it for 2 or even 3 people you could double the amounts and add extra milk.

You could also make it up as a quick energy shake if you like by mashing the banana and coconut oil well with a fork in a bowl and then adding them and all the other ingredients to a shaker bottle.

I’ve always preferred the well blended texture and taste of real smoothies though so the instructions below are for making this recipe with a blender.

1. To begin, peel and break up your banana and throw it into your blender.
2. Add the whey, matcha, cinnamon and coconut oil.
3. Top up your blender jug to about two fifths up with your coconut water.
4. Switch on your blender and blend until it’s all mixed together.
5. Pour it into a tall glass and enjoy immediately.

When to Drink This Green Smoothie for More Energy

Morning is the best time to make up this energizing smoothie recipe, ideally as a breakfast replacement or late morning pick me up.

With the small amount of caffeine from the matcha and natural sugars in the banana it’s not really recommended for the evening, unless perhaps you plan on a big night out on the dance floor.

With a bit of practice you should be able to make it up in under a minute, with another minute for a quick wash of your blender. Even the busiest person has time for that in the morning and it certainly beats sugary cereal, both in terms of taste and nutrition.

I’d appreciate your comments if you make up this breakfast energy smoothie for yourself and any other ingredients you’d suggest adding to it. If you’ve never tried matcha green tea in the morning before I think you’re going to love the way it makes you feel.