Love matcha but worried about the high calories? Homemade 3-course matcha light meal with zero burden!

In recent years, the matcha trend has risen in Japan. Although I am a nutritionist, I love matcha desserts like the general public. All kinds of matcha-related products, such as matcha cake, matcha bread, matcha latte, matcha chocolate, matcha biscuits, matcha ice cream, etc., have always been my favorites. When dining out with family and friends, we will never miss the word "matcha" on the menu. This shows that matcha has become very popular and is loved by everyone.

It was not until I started calculating the calories and nutritional content of various matcha desserts that I realized that I had been accidentally eating too many calories every time, and my weight had soared without me noticing. Many people think that anything related to matcha is low in calories and calories, but this is not the case. Although matcha itself is low in calories and rich in nutritional value, after being processed and added with extra sugar, flour, milk powder and creamer, it may not be as healthy as we think.

Matcha has high dietary fiber content and many benefits, which is 52.8 times that of spinach!

Without adding any seasoning, matcha itself does have many benefits and promotes health. Matcha is rich in nutrients such as catechins, amino acids, caffeine, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, flavonoids, polyphenols, minerals (potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc) and dietary fiber. In particular, catechins have a very strong antioxidant capacity. They can remove harmful free radicals in the body and prevent lipid peroxidation, thereby protecting and repairing tissue cells. They have significant effects on enhancing immunity, preventing cancer, and anti-aging. In addition, matcha helps maintain blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Matcha is different from other teas. It is not a tea soup that you drink after soaking the tea leaves alone, but is made by grinding whole tea leaves. Because of this, Matcha contains relatively complete nutrients and a very high dietary fiber content, about 52.8 times that of spinach and 28.4 times that of celery. It can effectively improve intestinal function and prevent constipation.

Are matcha-flavored desserts low in calories? wrong!

In order to cater to the public's taste, a lot of syrup or sugar is added to matcha when it is made into desserts to neutralize the bitterness of matcha. At the same time, creamer, whole milk, flour, chocolate and cheese are added. It is high in sugar and fat, and eating too much will increase the burden on the body. Many people order matcha cake rolls when they go to a matcha dessert shop, but do you know? Don’t be fooled by the delicate and small appearance, sweet taste and faint matcha aroma of the matcha cake roll. In fact, a small piece of it has as much as 200 calories, which is equivalent to about 3/4 bowl of rice!

In addition, many people often have the illusion that matcha ice cream is low in calories, so they eat a lot of it with peace of mind. This is totally wrong! Ice cream, known as the "fat incarnate", has a calorie content that does not lie in its taste. The fact is that fat alone accounts for more than 35% of the calories. Eating a stick of ice cream is equivalent to drinking 4 tablespoons of oil. Add in the extra ingredients (biscuits, nuts, chocolate), and the calorie content can be close to 400-450 calories, which is amazing!

Matcha light dishes make eating less burdensome!

After reading this, are you thinking, "I can't eat this because it's very high in calories, but what can I do if I just love matcha?!" In fact, as long as you choose your meals wisely when ordering, you can at least reduce your calorie intake. When you want to drink matcha drinks, it is recommended to choose Japanese matcha or matcha latte, and ask the store to change to low-fat or skimmed milk for brewing, and do not add any additional sugar or cream. Some stores also offer matcha jelly series, which are low in calories and high in fiber. They can not only satisfy your cravings but also increase your sense of fullness and reduce calorie intake. If you really want to eat cakes, it is recommended that you do not eat them alone. You can share them with friends to share the calories.

If you want to eat matcha desserts, you don’t have to go out. You can also make simple and low-calorie matcha desserts at home. Provide the following 3 recipes:

Matcha agar jelly

Ingredients: Matcha powder 2g, agar powder 10g, water 750cc, honey 5g

Calories: 25 kcal

practice/

1. Put agar powder, water and sugar into a pot and bring to boil over high heat.

2. After the agar powder is completely dissolved, add matcha powder and mix well.

3. After cooling, put it into a container and refrigerate.

Matcha Soy Milk Latte

Ingredients: 2g matcha powder, 130cc unsweetened soy milk, 120cc low-fat milk

Calories: 68 kcal

practice/

Mix matcha powder, unsweetened soy milk and low-fat milk evenly, and add appropriate amount of honey according to personal taste.

Matcha Tofu Tiramisu

Ingredients: 4g matcha powder, 100cc unsweetened soy milk, 70g Japanese tofu, 8g sugar, appropriate amount of finger biscuits

Calories: 140 kcal

practice/

1. Put matcha powder, tofu and sugar into blender and blend well.

2. Pour out the tofu puree and drain the excess water with a strainer.

3. Put the finger biscuits soaked in soy milk into the box.

4. Stack a layer of biscuits and a layer of tofu paste.

5. Sprinkle matcha powder on the last layer of tofu paste.

6. Just refrigerate.