Travel Friendly Matcha Latte
My matcha mornings are incredibly important to me.
They set the tone for the entire day.
Making matcha each morning at home has become such a staple part of my routine, and a morning doesn’t even really feel complete without it anymore.
When I travel, a lot of my schedule is already up in the air, so it's really important for me to be able to carry that little part of my routine with me wherever I go. Bringing along my makings for a matcha latte when I travel brings a little piece of home with me. And it doesn't require bringing tons of equipment. Other benefits of making your own matcha on the road? It is more cost effective as I don't have to go out and buy matcha. It saves me time so I'm not spending hours on my phone hunting down matcha lattes at nearby restaurants. And, it's healthier, since a lot of cafes use pre sweetened matcha or even sugar-y almond milk.
BUT FIRST...WHY MATCHA?
Matcha gives me steady energy and focus without the crash, anxiety and jitters that coffee can give me. I gave up coffee (read the full story here) because of my health issues and matcha became my caffeinated beverage of choice.
Matcha is a powder made from the whole green tea leaf. It is known to give drinkers a ‘calm euphoria’, thanks to the high levels of L-theanine. L-theanine alters the effects of caffeine, promoting alertness and helping avoid the crash in energy levels that can follow caffeine consumption (Source). Matcha is also beneficial for the skin due to its high levels of antioxidants and liver-protecting qualities.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH YOUR MATCHA LATTE MATERIALS
2-1-1 COLLAGEN AND MATCHA Vital Protein's new Matcha Collagen product combines 2 key ingredients of my matcha lattes in one, matcha and collagen. Before this product came out, I would bring little jars of matcha, single use packets of collagen, and whisks with me. Now, I just bring a few servings of their matcha collagen in a stasher bag or the whole container if I am going away for an extended period of time. This product contains 10g of collagen per serving which helps support healthy hair, skin, nails, and leaky gut. Read more about collagen on my Collagen Blog Post.
COCONUT BUTTER Bring some with you or purchase a local health food store, up to you. Just make sure if you are flying with it, you are checking your coconut butter when traveling or the TSA may deem it a liquid and confiscate it. Sad.
CINNAMON I usually purchase a little cinnamon at a local grocery store when I arrive to my destination. If unavailable, bring some with you in its original jar. Make sure it is sealed tightly so it does not explode!
BLENDER If there is a blender at my Airbnb or hotel I'll make the matcha latte in that. Always ask your Airbnb host if there is a blender available to your use. If not, I'll use an aerolatte whisk (which you can purchase on Amazon) and make it in my hotel room. These are small, compact, and super easy to travel with.
NO NUT MILK I don’t need to use almond or nut milk because the coconut butter adds a nice thick and creamy taste without having to go out and buy almond or another nut milk. I'm all about the convenience factor.
HOT WATER Most hotels will bring up a thermos of hot water free of charge to your room. Just call and ask. If staying in an Airbnb or home, use their stovetop and kettle or a saucepan to heat water.
ADAPTOGENS bring with! I like to bring a few different jars of adaptogens with me when I go away. Ashwagandha or yin power are favorites.
HOW I DRINK MY MATCHA
The addition of collagen and coconut butter adds protein and fat, which help to prepare the stomach lining. Green tea and plain matcha on an empty stomach can cause digestive irritation, nausea or other stomach issues which you may have noticed. Adding collagen and coconut help make this problem go away.
I drink my matcha collagen latte in conjunction to food. This does not replace food for me. I usually wait until after my workout to drink my matcha unless my workout is later on in the morning.
I follow the 12-hour window in which I wait 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. This helps give my digestive system a break.
Ingredients
1 scoop Vital Proteins Matcha Collagen
1-2 tbsp coconut butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp adaptogens of choice (ashwagandha and chaga are a favorite of mine for travel)
14 oz. hot water
Instructions
Blend matcha, coconut butter, cinnamon, yin and water together in a high speed blender.
Blend for 2 minutes so as to get the most froth possible.
Drink immediately or store in an airtight container to drink cold over ice within 24 hours.
This post is sponsored by my favorite collagen brand, Vital Proteins. THANK YOU Vital Proteins for supporting me and making Lee From America possible.
