Vegan Green Tea Ice Cream Smoothie

I love a hot cup of green tea. I also love a delectable Japanese meal. I must have been Japanese in a former life. I just love Japanese food; and no self-respecting Japanese feast would be complete without a generous helping of green tea ice cream. But after rubbing my belly on way too many Japanese feasting occasions I decided to look for a healthy vegan green tea ice cream recipe that would enable me to feed my green tea ice cream addiction without the need to coat-check my liver!

So, when I was asked to create some healthy anti-cancer smoothies for The Thrive Alive Foundation in Canada I decided to create a vegan green tea smoothie where green tea and green tea ice cream lovers could get their fix in a more decadent way in minutes! We have already sampled the Raw Vegan Brazil Nut Berry Smoothie, Salty Alkaline Kale Green Smoothie and Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie, so here is something a little bit different. 

Now, this smoothie will not be for everyone. If you are not a green tea lover, you might want to move on to the next smoothie. It does have a strong green tea flavour. But I can’t get enough of this smoothie. It is delicious! What I love the most about it is that is not too sweet. But besides the delicious flavour, green tea has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, because it contains powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols (catechins), which have shown in some studies to prevent cancer cells from dividing.

I have used organic tofu to thicken and flavour this dairy free smoothie. But soy is a little controversial. Some studies suggest that organic soy products like tofu contain pythonutrients (isoflavones  like genistein and safonins) that can inhibit that tumour growth, and contain powerful anti-carcinogenic properties. Then other studies suggest soy contributes to cancer. I will let you and your medical advisors decide if soy is a responsible choice for you and your health. I only include a little bit of soy in my diet. I do not overload on it because of the estrogenic properties. I find adopting the “Everything in moderation” philosophy creates nice dietary balance for me. If you do decide to include soy in your diet, always purchase organic tofu that does not contain genetically modified soy beans.

If you want to make this smoothie soy free, you could thicken this smoothie with more avocado. I have added ½ an avocado for a subtle green colour. But you could always add more. Avocados are my favourite way to add a beautiful creamy texture to smoothies. I think avocados are god’s butter. They are rich in a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, that can attack free radicals in the body. They also contain more potassium than bananas, without the high sugar content, and are also a good source of beta-carotene.

This smoothie tastes delicious either way. Be bold and give this vegan green tea ice cream smoothie a go. You might be pleasantly surprised.