Healthy Recipes with Green Tea

The momentum behind functional foods and wellness elixirs is at an all-time high. Expensive products are touted as having the power to do everything from restoring gut health to boosting immunity and fighting inflammation, but their health claims are often backed by little solid science. So instead of pricy supplements, we're mixing up a more affordable antidote that's both healthy and homemade. A tonic, by definition, is a combination of ingredients that have the potential to enhance or restore health. While this tonic (or any tonic) is not a cure-all remedy, consuming more anti-inflammatory foods--like the ones found in this tonic--over time may only not only ease current symptoms (such as fatigue, joint pain and chronic bloating), but it may also reduce the risk of future diseases and s

Not loving your green tea? This recipe may change your mind. We start by boiling cranberries and mango slices with a bit of fresh ginger, and use that hot liquid to steep the tea bags. The fruity infusion and zing of ginger will definitely have you singing this tea's praises.

This light, lemon-poppy seed cake is filled and topped with a lemony blend of Greek yogurt and whipped topping and sprinkled with crisp pomegranate seeds.

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and has been shown to keep your blood sugar stable. We like it flavored with orange, lemon, and honey in this easy recipe.

This crisp and healthy low-calorie summer drink is easy to make and very refreshing. Sweeteners, like honey or stevia, are optional; the mint provides plenty of flavor without adding any calories or sugar.

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, and is a great beverage choice when you need a little pick-me-up. In this recipe it's steeped with ginger and flavored with orange juice.

Perfectly refreshing, this fizzy pomegranate drink is sure to quench your thirst!

Traditionally, the star of this famous Burmese salad, laphet, is made by fermenting just-picked tea leaves for several months underground. While laphet is starting to be imported, it is still hard to find. This version, using readily available green tea, offers a quick alternative. Mix the salad at the table so everyone can appreciate the diversity of ingredients--from crunchy to savory--that make it so special.

This weight-loss tonic might help you slim down, even though it's not a quick fix for healthy habits. Apple cider vinegar's sour flavor (the acetic acid) may help you eat less and stay more satisfied. Green tea has caffeine and antioxidants that may help boost fat loss. Ginger might help you burn more calories. And maple syrup adds a touch of natural sweetness to this hydrating drink. Add this tonic to your diet in addition to sensible eating and exercise to help boost your weight-loss efforts.

Take a moment out of your day to savor this soothing tea made with lemon peel, ginger, and green tea.

Green tea soba noodles, or cha soba, are buckwheat noodles made with powdered green tea, which imparts a subtle grassy note and pretty color. You can find them in Japanese markets or online. Regular buckwheat soba noodles work just as well in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar noodle soup.

Green matcha powder and spinach give this healthy smoothie bowl a beautiful green hue. Be sure to use frozen bananas (not fresh) to keep the texture thick, creamy and frosty.

Sweet peaches and creamy avocado combine in this vegan smoothie bowl recipe for a delicious new way to try matcha green tea. Top it with sweet and crunchy toppings for a fun, easy breakfast.

Green tea adds an energizing kick to this healthy fruit smoothie recipe to start your day on the right foot.

A touch of honey balances the bitterness of matcha in this healthy latte recipe. For a nondairy latte, swap unsweetened almond, soy or coconut milk for the low-fat milk.

In this festive sparkling-wine cocktail, homemade cinnamon-honey simple syrup is the base for this delicious cranberry-topped drink.

For this festive sparkling-wine cocktail recipe, Aperol--a bright red, mildly bitter Italian aperitif--is mixed with sparkling wine and homemade green tea-cinnamon simple syrup. If you can't find Aperol, Campari is an ideal substitute.

Powdered green tea blended with sweet whipped cream is a popular parfait topping in Japan, particularly in Kyoto. Here the cream is lightened with low-fat yogurt cheese to make a pretty and delicious topping for poached pears and other desserts.

Green tea, delicately flavored with ginger and almond, makes a delightful poaching medium for pears.

Japanese short-grain rice is sweet, pearly and sticky enough to pick up with your chopsticks. (Look for the excellent Nishiki brand of rice, available in most Japanese markets.) Do not skip the rinsing and soaking process: the initial rinsing rids the rice of the powdered bran and polishing compound, while the soaking plumps the grains with water to render them tender and slightly tacky.