Homemade Matcha Latte Recipe and Week 3 of the Elimination Diet Meal Plan
I’ve been trying to master the art of the perfect matcha latte for over a year. I had been reading about the health benefits of matcha and was desperately looking for something to replace my coffee habit. I purchased a reasonably priced bag of matcha on Amazon and was off to the races. I’ve tried almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, maple syrup, honey, truvia, protein powder all with varying success. It was not until recently that I finally landed on a winning combination.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups dairy free milk of choice I am a fan of almond milk but when I was eliminating all nuts I used coconut milk and didn’t notice a substantial difference
- 1-3 teaspoons matcha I definitely started out with less and increased over time, this is all about how much matcha flavoring you want and depending on the brand of matcha you buy it could be bitter so less is more in the beginning.
- 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup I tried honey and truvia and nothing compared to the taste of pure maple syrup.
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter, optional adding ghee/butter gives the latte a creamier texture and flavor and more of a bulletproof feel. If you have a hard time incorporating healthy fat into your breakfast this is a perfect way to do it. However, ghee/butter can easily be omitted if you do not need the added fat.
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or MCT oil I personally use MCT oil because I do not like the flavor of coconut. Again, MCT oil gives it a more bulletproof feel but it is not essential to the latte.1 – 2 tablespoons collagen I love adding collagen to this drink. It’s a great way to get a little more protein and my joints love it!
Directions:
- Heat up the milk and butter (if using)
- Add in matcha, maple syrup, MCT oil, and collagen and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
This is a fun recipe to have in the morning for a nice little boost or in the afternoon to help with those 3pm coffee cravings. Additionally, this recipe is incredibly versatile so try it out and make it your own! Right now I cannot have dairy and so I’ve been leaving the ghee/butter out and it is still just as creamy and delicious as before.
Below is the meal plan I followed for the third week of the Elimination Diet. This week I started Phase 3: The Reintroduction. I’m experimenting with a different strategy than last time. I am not following the suggested reintroduction schedule mainly because I was forcing myself to eat certain foods that I wasn’t craving or had any desire to eat, which made me miserable. Instead, this time I’m focusing on those food categories that I really enjoy and that I am 90% sure I can have. This just makes my life a little easier and I’m still only eating those foods that I really want/enjoy. Additionally, I’m throwing out the 3 day reintroduction rule (the book suggests you reintroduce each item for 3 days and then move directly onto the next one if you do not experience any negative side effects). I think overall my reintroduction was really rushed because of the recommended schedule and the desire to reintroduce all foods by Thanksgiving.
This time, I’m slowing it down and taking it at my own pace. When I come to a food that I really want to introduce, I’ll do it on my own time and schedule. Thus far this week I’ve reintroduced: citrus, almonds, peppers, and chili pepper. I plan on reintroducing cashews tonight (hello cashew butter!). I do not currently have any set plans for the reintroduction next week but I have a feeling that potatoes will be making an appearance on my menu eventually. I’m just trying to really focus on how each food affects me taking each day and week as it comes and work the program so that it is more manageable for my lifestyle.
Saturday: Day 15
Breakfast: Black beans and Lemony Kale
Lunch: Chipotle – brown rice, beans, chicken, grilled onion/green peppers and guacamole
Snack: Applesauce with cinnamon
Dinner: ½ a chicken breast with roasted peppers, zucchini, and onions
Sunday: Day 16
Breakfast: Vegan Pancakes
Lunch: Spiralized Sweet Potato, Kale, and White Bean Bake
Snack/Pre-workout: Beanitos Chips
Dinner: Homemade Spring Roll Filling (I was munching as I was cooking)
Monday: Day 17
Breakfast: Vegan Pancakes
Lunch: Spiralized Sweet Potato, Kale, and White Bean Bake and Raisins
Snack/Pre-workout: Banana and Beanitos Chips
Dinner: Chicken and Mushroom with Brown Rice and One Homemade Spring Roll
Tuesday: Day 18
Breakfast: Black beans, Lemony Kale, and Matcha Latte with Almond Milk
Lunch: Chicken and Mushroom with Brown Rice
Snack: 1 rice cake with almond butter
Dinner: Chicken and Mushroom with Brown Rice
Wednesday: Day 19
Breakfast: Black beans, Lemony Kale, and Matcha Latte with Almond Milk
Lunch: 3 Homemade Gluten Free Spring Rolls with Coconut Aminos
Snack/Pre-workout: 1 rice cake with almond butter and Beanitos Chips
Dinner: 2 ½ Homemade Gluten Free Spring Rolls with Coconut Aminos
Thursday Day 20
Breakfast: Black beans, Lemony Kale, and Matcha Latte with Almond Milk
Lunch: ½ cup of black beans and 1 Homemade Gluten Free Spring Rolls with Coconut Aminos
Dinner: ½ cup of black beans and ¼ of a fried plantain
Snack: 2 rice cakes with almond butter and ¾ of a banana
Friday: Day 21
Breakfast: Black beans, Lemony Kale, and Matcha Latte with Almond Milk
Lunch: 1 cup black beans with ½ of a fried plantain
Snack/Pre-workout: Applesauce with cinnamon and 1 rice cake with cashew butter
Dinner: Taco Bowl
This week I’ve been more focused on snacking mindfully. I think I relied on snacks a bit too much during Week 2 so this week it was all about making sure I eat a balanced meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and limiting snacks to the late afternoon/early evening so that they double as a pre-workout boost. Justin and I got into a really great workout routine this week; spinning twice and lifting four times. Those added workouts mean that I need to make sure I’m fueling properly before and after each day. I’ll post more about our fitness routine soon!