There are times in life — and dining — when two items come together to form a sum greater than their parts. Tea and smoothies are delicious on their own, but pair them with the right snack and you get a culinary alchemy that turns an ordinary bite into something extraordinary.
The next time hunger strikes, try one of these expert-tested snack pairings and see how your taste buds react.
Tasty Snack Pairings: How to Choose the Right Snack for Your Drink
Snacking with purpose always beats mindless noshing, which is why it's important to figure out what drink and snack pairing is best for you.
Best Snacks to Pair With Herbal Teas
Herbal teas are infused with plants that carry a lot of flavor, including herbs, fruits, flowers, and spices. From light and air brews with a hint of peach to richer concoctions laced with blackberry and sage, options abound. But the same abundance that makes you excited to explore your tea collection can make it difficult to decide what snack to pair with your herbal tea.
One rule of thumb is to pair like with like. That means the flavors in your tea and snack should align.
For example:
- Mint tea paired with fruit and garnished with a chiffonade of mint
- Vanilla rooibos tea paired with vanilla-cinnamon overnight oats
But some snack pairings come to life when you aim for contrast instead of total harmony. A soft herbal tea can be the perfect foil for a handful of rosemary-dusted Marcona almonds. Sweet and fruity herbal teas, such as jasmine and hibiscus, are delicious with umami-forward soups. Think jasmine tea with chicken noodle or wonton soup and hibiscus tea with Mexican pozole.
Best Snacks to Pair With Black Teas
Black tea is typically richer and more robust than its herbal counterpart. That full-bodied taste demands snack pairings with the flavor profile to hold their own. Black tea is also heavy in tannins. These polyphenol compounds, found in tea leaves, can make tea taste bitter and dry out your mouth.
To balance the characteristics of your black tea, reach for boldly seasoned food and dishes that are spicy and fatty.
For example, you might pair black tea with:
- Roasted meats
- Cheese and crackers or a more expansive snack board
- Ravioli with meat sauce
- Blackened lamb chops
- A wedge of dark chocolate or healthy chocolate fudge with dried fruit
Traditional English and Irish breakfasts are rich affairs, historically served with several cups of black tea, and for good reason. A big plate of fried eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, seared mushrooms, and black pudding needs the tannic black tea to clear your palate. Apply that same concept to lighter breakfasts, such as a cup of Earl Grey with your feta egg white bites, studded with turkey bacon.
Best Snacks to Pair With Fruit Smoothies
Smoothies vary wildly in color, flavor, and sometimes texture. To pair a smoothie with a snack, consider how your ingredients break down experientially and nutritionally. That way, you can choose complementary snacks that create a balanced nutritional profile and harmonious eating experience.
Here are some healthy snack combos starring fruit smoothies:
- Whole-grain toast topped with avocado and paired with a banana, date, spinach, and chocolate protein powder smoothie
- Almond butter on a rice cake paired with a strawberry, banana, and matcha smoothie
- Macadamia nuts and your favorite cheese with a pineapple, mango, coconut, and orange juice smoothie
When you break down each pairing, you might notice they create a lot of balance. The tropical smoothie with high-carb fruit has healthy fats and proteins to help stabilize blood sugar. On the other hand, the banana and date smoothie contains whole grains and healthy fats to help sustain your energy. These combinations work well as a morning pick-me-up or a quick after-school snack.
Best Snacks to Pair With Vegetable Smoothies
Vegetable smoothies can feel like a snack on their own, but you might want more bite with your sip. A veggie-forward smoothie or juice can be trickier to pair than a fruitier drink because vegetables are more likely to have earthy and bitter notes. Too much contrast can make those notes seem overwhelming.
Look for similarities between your smoothie and potential snacks and pair accordingly. The spicy-meets-sweet kick of red bell pepper calls out for a salty-spicy snack, such as lentil chips and salsa. Adding guacamole or mixing plain Greek yogurt with the salsa can round out this pairing's sharp edges. The earthiness of a kale-centric smoothie matches up well with equally earthy but rich snacks, such as hummus or nuts.
Use these ideas for inspiration:
- Spinach, apple, ginger, and lemon smoothie paired with spiced, roasted chickpeas
- Chocolate, beet, banana, and cherry smoothie paired with baked oat cups
- Carrot, orange, ginger, and coconut smoothie with spiced nuts or cranberry trail mix
Also, consider the texture. Thinner vegetable smoothies need the balance of a heavier snack. In Spain, they often serve gazpacho (a chilled vegetable soup) with bits of salty and nutty Manchego or Parmesan cheese.
Drink and snack pairings are part science, part experimentation. Trying little bites of your favorite snacks alongside your go-to smoothie or tea gives you an opportunity to see what you like best.
Tea and smoothies are quick drinks you can easily fit into a busy day, and your snack stash should be just as approachable. Nature's Garden trail mixes, nut mixes, and probiotic fruit snacks are just what you need to design playful pairings unique to your needs and tastes.
