Reboot with tea infused recipes

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Unilever as part of my participation in the Unilever Agents of Change program.

Reap all the benefits of herbs and natural spices with delicious and health-promoting teas and better yet, creative tea infused recipes like -turmeric tea golden milk nice-cream, chai overnight oats, matcha chia pudding, or even lemon tea poppyseed pancakes!

We’re spilling the tea on all the ways you can easily sneak extra nutrition into your drinks and dishes!

Ask the RD: What are the health benefits of tea?

Turmeric tea - anti-inflammatory + digestive support + lower stress response
- Turmeric is one herb I personally use most and recommend to my clients to incorporate into their diet! Turmeric is a root and an Indian spice that has been utilized for thousands of years. Curcumin in turmeric is the most medically active component of the plant (source). Turmeric is an easy addition to smoothies, soups, seasoning or marinade, yogurt and of course, tea!
Green + Matcha tea - anti-inflammatory + detoxifying + boost metabolism
- Green tea
  - Similar to turmeric, green tea is a powerhouse of health rebooting phytochemicals and polyphenols.

Matcha tea
- Matcha means “powdered tea” and that is exactly what it is! With matcha, you’re drinking the actual green tea leaves. Matcha tea has been finely powdered and made into a solution, traditionally mixing a tsp. of matcha powder with a third cup of hot water (heated to less than a boil), which is whisked until it frothed! Matcha is much higher in the health promoting polyphenol phytochemical known as “catechins,” (source) actually 137 times the amount of catechin to be exact (source), compared to some brands of regular green tea!

Chamomile tea - lowers stress response + sleep aid
- With 50% of Americans struggling to get their 7-8 recommended hrs of sleep each night - as a Dietitian, I am a big supporter in sleep hygiene for optimal health. What can you consume that could help improve sleep? Chamomile is an incredible nighttime routine tea (source) and one I incorporate into my daily practice! For a nighttime routine, I recommend sipping on up to two cups of strongly brewed (2 teas per cup) chamomile tea before bed.
Other teas
- Lemon and hibiscus tea are sources of vitamin C, aiding in hydration, and perfect refreshment on a hot Spring or Summer day!
- Ginger is known to help with digestion and assimilation.
- High quality honey is not only a great sweetening addition to your tea but, has been none to help with coughs and when taken with hot water can help to ease symptoms

So have I convinced you to add in tea into your diet yet!?

Ask the RD: How can I make drinking tea a daily practice?

When looking to incorporate a new habit, it’s always easiest to add it to an already existing habit or part of our daily practice such as - meal times, morning or your nighttime routine!

Therefore for me, the easiest (and thus best way to make a new habit long lasting) is to piggyback tea onto my meal times - using tea as a “closer” at the end of my meals for lunch and dinner! This really helps me cap off my meals, allowing me to be much more mindful of my hunger cues before reaching for seconds and allow my body to digest first before going for a late night sweet! Instead, I’ve created a habit of drinking tea after meals and I now always get excited for my post-lunch or dinner tea!

New habits should always feel easy and achievable. Ask yourself, is there a time of day you could easily incorporate tea? Maybe it's matcha mornings, green tea midday pick-me-up at the office, or winding down to a post-dinner chamomile ginger tea to relax your muscles and get you into sleep mode!

Ask the RD: What are creative ways to add tea into things I eat to Reboot my health?

We know that drinking tea is good for you but what about eating it? There are so many fun, nutritious and flavorful ways to incorporate tea into dishes that take your iced tea up a notch and get you creative in the kitchen throughout the day! I used TAZO® Turmeric Bliss Tea in an unexpected way by combining delicious ice cream with one of TAZO®’s newest Turmeric blends in my Coconut Golden Milk Nice-Cream recipe below. I love that nearly all of TAZO®’s teas are Non-GMO Project Verified, and this radiant, caffeine-free herbal turmeric blend was the perfect addition to my nice-cream recipe!

From coconut golden milk nice-cream to matcha chia seed pudding and lemon tea poppyseed pancakes, we have you covered!

Watch my tea infused recipe Good Morning Washington TV Segment!

Coconut Golden-Milk Nice-Cream

Dietary needs: vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free

Ingredients:

2 can full fat organic coconut milk
2 Banana
6- 8 steeped bags of TAZO® Turmeric Bliss Tea
2/3rd cup raw pecans plus extra for crunch topping
1/2 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon
1/8th teaspoon cardamom
1 inch segment fresh ginger
1/4th teaspoon turmeric
3 dates
dash black pepper (optional)
dried banana (optional crunch topping)

Directions:

Heat coconut milk over medium-high heat and steep 6-8 bags of TAZO® Turmeric Bliss Tea until coconut milk is golden in color.
Once coconut milk steeped golden and cooled, add to a high speed blender (such as a Vitamix) with all other ingredients and blend until smooth and fully incorporated.
Add golden milk mixture into popsicle molds for a refreshing popsicle treat or add mixture into a slow churning ice cream maker for soft serve nice-cream! Top with extra pecans, coconut flakes or dried banana for a crunch!
Reboot and enjoy!

Lemon Tea Poppyseed Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (whole-wheat pastry or all-purpose)
1 teaspoon monk fruit sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (can sub for coconut)
1/2 cup strong brewed lemon tea (two bags)
3 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon rind
1 tsp almond extract
1-2 tsp poppyseeds

Directions:

Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In another bowl, add milk, tea and almond extract and whisk until incorporated.
Add wet to dry and slowly whisk until just combined. Small lumps are okay - don't overmix.
Spay with oil and preheat your griddle or pan to medium-low heat.
Once hot scoop pancake mixture 1/4 cup measurements. Should make ~5-10 pancakes . Flip when bubbles appear on top - 2-3 minutes.
Top with more freshly grated lemon rind and pure honey or maple syrup.
Reboot and enjoy!

Chai Tea Overnight Oats + Matcha Chia Seed Pudding

Chai Oats Ingredients:

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup Chai Latte mix
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon
1 scoop protein powder
1/3 cup organic pumpkin puree (optional)
Top: chopped dates (optional)

Directions:

Add all dry ingredients to a mason jar.
Add chai latte mix and full fat coconut milk and mix until incorporated.
Let oats soak and absorb liquid overnight until soft! Eat cold or microwave to eat warm!
Reboot and enjoy!

Matcha Chia Pudding Ingredients:

1/3 cup chia seeds
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1-2 teaspoons high quality matcha powder (add more or less depending on desired flavor)
2 dates or 1 teaspoon pure honey for sweetness
Topping: Dried coconut flakes (optional)

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a mason jar and mix thoroughly.
Put jar in refrigerator and let chia seeds absorb liquid until soft and pudding like, at least 2 hours.
Reboot and enjoy!

P.S. NEED TO RECHARGE + REFOCUS + RESET YOUR HEALTH?

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