Green Tea Frozen Yogurt Cups
February 21, 2016 by Ginger Hultin MS RDN
What are you eating for breakfast these days? Same old thing? Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I actually make time for it every single day of the year even if I’m running out the door. It’s easy to get into a rut with breakfast, creating the same thing over and over. That’s where Green Tea Frozen Yogurt Cups come in! A frozen on-the-go treat, it’s not a muffin, it’s not a smoothie, it’s not a yogurt container but it does travel well. These little breakfast cups are perfect before a morning workout or on your commute: high in protein, low in sugar, and packed with antioxidants with a little punch of caffeine. They also make a great snack later in the day because they’re sweetened naturally (with banana) so no danger of a sugar crash.
I’ll be honest, I liked the green tea frozen yogurt breakfast cups more than my husband did. He said that they taste like a popsicle…which they do. I thought they were great but if something this chilly sounds strange to you as a breakfast meal, tuck this recipe away until summertime when a cool breakfast will be perfect.
Why Green Tea Frozen Yogurt Cups Are Healthy For You
It’s important to fuel yourself with nourishing foods so that you have enough energy to get you through the day. Having a balanced meal with protein, healthy carbohydrates and fats is important. Luckily these green tea cups have everything you need to feel energized.Â
Greek yogurt is packed with protein, with ½ cup providing 13g. Protein is important to help us feel satiated after a meal. Breakfast is usually the lowest protein meal of the day, but having protein at breakfast can help us feel fuller longer. Â
Bananas provide the natural sugars our body utilizes for energy. Sugar from fruit is paired with water and fiber allowing it to be absorbed slowly into our bloodstream for sustained energy. Bananas are not only high in potassium, but also B-vitamins like B6, vitamin C, and magnesium. Â
Green tea powder gives a boost of anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Green tea powder is made from the whole leaf, so it contains more nutrients than simply steeping the tea leaves. It is rich in catechins that have powerful antioxidant effects that help to protect the body from cell damage and lower your risk of chronic disease.
Shredded coconut provides added fat that helps you feel satisfied after a meal. Like protein, fat helps your body to feel full longer. Shredded coconut is also a rich source of copper and manganese, important trace minerals that play many roles in the body including immune support.
Tips for Making Breakfast a Priority in the MorningÂ
- Don’t eat so late at night! Your body needs to break the fast so if you have only been without food for 4-5 hours, then of course you won’t be hungry early in the day. A lot of folks I talk to eat dinner later than they want or they snack late into the night so no wonder they don’t feel hungry when they get up a few hours later. Sleep is a fat-burning time so let your body do it’s thing and take a break from eating at night so that you’re hungry in the morning.
- Eat non-breakfast food. A common complaint is that my clients don’t like traditional breakfast foods. If you prefer savory food, feel free to heat up leftovers for breakfast, make some soup or eat a sandwich instead. Who says you have to stick to eggs and pancakes?
- Be active in the morning. It’s hard…so hard when the weather is cold and dark but once you get into the habit of going to the gym or even taking a walk in the morning, you may find yourself becoming deeply committed. Fueling before morning workouts is the key to having enough energy to power you through. If I don’t have a good breakfast I feel myself dragging through my workout. This gives me extra motivation to eat something light like green tea frozen yogurt breakfast cups so that I can have a productive weight-lifting workout at the gym.
- Eat something…even a little something. Breakfast is a habit that you can form even if you aren’t naturally included to eat when you get up. Start with a bite or two of something that you enjoy and work up from there. The very act of eating gets digestive processed going so regularly preparing your body to expect food in the morning is important. It might take a few days or weeks but you’ll get there.
Making the Green Tea Frozen Yogurt Cups
This process is so quick and easy it is a great way to meal prep some delicious breakfast cups for the week. The first step is to get a 12-cup muffin baking sheet and place a muffin liner into each one.Â
Next you are going to place the greek yogurt, banana, green tea powder, and non-dairy milk. The greek yogurt can be swapped out for a non-dairy yogurt as well. The non-dairy yogurt brands that have the highest protein content are Siggi’s and Kite Hill, but any brand will work. Blend on the ingredients until smooth.Â
Pour the mixture out evenly into the 12-muffin cups that you prepared in the first step. Sprinkle with the coconut flakes and freeze for at least 2 hours until they completely set. When ready to eat, simply pop them out of the muffin tin and enjoy!
Need more breakfast recipe ideas? All of mine are quick, healthy and veggie. Check out my recipes below and enjoy your mornings!
Simple Vegetarian Egg and Veggie Breakfast Sandwich
Honey-kissed Autumn Cherry Breakfast Quinoa
Green Iced Tea Breakfast Power Smoothie
Ginger Pumpkin Breakfast Smoothie
Green Tea Frozen Yogurt Cups
Ingredients
- 12 oz Greek yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 medium frozen banana (peel off)
- 2 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
- 2-4 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond, oat or soy milk
- 1/8 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, pulse all ingredients (aside from coconut) until completely smooth.
- Spray muffin tins very lightly with oil then divide among a 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper cups.
- Sprinkle with coconut flakes and freeze 2 hours or more until completely set. To remove them, use a butter knife to gently slide down into the tin and pop them out.
6 Comments
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Ginger Hultin,MS, RD, CSO
Thanks for visiting! If you're struggling with a cancer diagnosis, autoimmune condition, gut health problems, or even a medical mystery, nutrition can make a HUGE difference in your day-to-day life. I run a virtual, concierge private practice where I partner with my clients over time to help them improve their health through nutrition. Be sure to visit the blog for easy, plant-based, anti-inflammatory recipes and our "Resources" page for a variety of self-paced programs, books, e-books, and nutrition podcast episodes.
What a great way to change up breakfast!
This is a really fun recipe – thanks!
I need to know more of these different things I can take as breakfast
Great! I have lots of breakfast ideas on the blog so be sure to check out that search tab 🙂
good to know of so many things to take as breakfast
Thank you so much – I hope you enjoy!