Iced Matcha Limeade with Chia

by | Updated: July 18th, 2017

Lemonade has had its moment in the sun. From beach days to stands on the front lawn to park picnics, lemonade was once the quintessential warm weather beverage. But nowadays all that sugar can be tough for your body to handle. The next time you’re catching some rays, sip on a thirst-quenching limeade instead. This one proves it deserves a place in the sun with good-for-you ingredients like matcha green tea powder, chia seeds and stevia for sweetness.

Chia-Matcha Limeade in jar with ice and limes www.vitacost.com/blog

Yields half a gallon

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. black chia seeds
1-1/2 tsp. matcha green tea powder
10 packets stevia or preferred sweetener, to taste
1-2 limes, sliced
6 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice, about 7 medium-size limes
4-5 cups filtered water, separated, to taste

Directions

  1. In small bowl, combine fresh lime juice with chia seeds and stir rapidly for 1 minute. Let stand for about 5 minutes to thicken.
  2. In small jar with lid, mix 1 teaspoon matcha powder with 1 cup water at room temperature. Shake with lid on or stir to fully dissolve powder. Set aside.
  3. In separate jar also with lid, combine stevia packets with 1 cup water at room temperature (or your preferred sweetener, to taste). Shake or stir to dissolve powder. Set aside.
  4. In half gallon pitcher or jar, add sliced limes. Then add chia-lime juice, matcha green tea and stevia water. Add remaining 2-3 cups of water. Add ice.

Margaret’s tips:

  • If you’re making a big batch for the week, skip adding lime slices. Instead, freeze chunks of lime in an ice cube tray and add those into each serving.
  • If you’re adding ice, you may want to add more lime juice. The ice will water it down pretty quickly, and you’ll lose the tart lime taste. You could always make a batch of limeade specifically to freeze as ice cubes so you don’t lose any flavor.