Mega Matcha Addiction

My friend Eva recently blogged about a secret drink at Starbucks that is super healthy, tastes good, and costs under a buck.  When I first read her post, I thought it had to be too good to be true.  No way can you order a venti anything at Starbucks for that cheap.  I set out to my nearest store to try it out, and, low and behold, she was right!  This drink really is amazing!

So, on to the details.  The drink is called a Venti Matcha on ice.  You simply ask for three scoops of matcha powder (they use this to make their green tea lattes) mixed with water.  You'll end up with a big green refreshing beverage that tastes a lot like iced tea.  The reason it's so cheap is that they do not offer matcha as a stand alone item on the menu, so instead they just charge for an ice water and then hit the "add matcha" button.  The up-charge at my store is a whopping $.84! You can add in some sweetener or milk if you like (just wait to pour the milk in at the condiment bar so you don't get charged extra), but it is pretty delicious on it's own.

So what makes it so much healthier than green tea?  Well, when you drink matcha, you actually ingest the whole ground up tea leaf as opposed to just the brewed water.  It contains lots of trace elements and is rich in catechin polyphenols.  These compounds contain powerful antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart disease, and slow the aging process.  It also contains fiber and almost no calories!

I read recently that, in order to ingest enough of the catechin compounds to actually benefit your health, you would have to drink at least three glasses of green tea per day.  Well, I like green tea as much as the next person, but there's no way I am going to squeeze in that many cups on a regular basis.  Fortunately, just one glass of matcha is equivalent to TEN glasses of green tea in terms of it's health benefits and antioxidant content.  Now it is easy for me to get more than enough of these antioxidants on a regular basis.

Needless to say, Eva and I are both hooked on these drinks!

But at least our addiction isn't breaking the bank!