As the temperature outside goes up, so does the consumption of a favorite southern beverage, sweet tea. No wonder June is Sweet Tea Month!
While sitting down on the porch with a cold glass of sweet tea might sound refreshing, the reality is that sweet tea is loaded with calories, has little to no nutrients and does nothing to fill you up. One large McDonalds Sweet Tea packs 280 calories and 69 grams of sugar. What is not so sweet is that just one of these per day can pack on 29 pounds in a year!
This summer, cut your calories from sweet tea and maybe even lose a few pounds by trying some of these simple tips:
- Retrain your taste buds. With all of that sugar in your tea, your poor taste buds may think unsweetened tea is boring...but you can change that! Dilute your sweet tea with unsweetened tea.
- Start off with 3/4 sweet tea and 1/4 unsweetened tea. Each batch you make after that, use a little more unsweetened and less sweet tea.
On the road? Most restaurants and fast food establishments offer both types. Just mix the two and go!
- Down-size your drink. If you can't bear the taste of less-sweet sweet tea, order a smaller size or use a smaller glass. You can cut up to half the calories just by down-sizing!
- Sip solo. It's easy to gulp down 32 ounces of sweet tea while you're running errands or busy at work. It's no surprise that we drink more if we multi-task while eating and drinking! Take the time to really enjoy your tea and try gulping water while you multi-task instead.
- Skip the sweet and make it sassy. These teas may have less sugar but they'll still leave you saying, "Ahhhhh" after a big sip. Believe us when we say, your taste buds will not be bored.
- Honey Peach Tea: Add 1/3 cup honey to 8 cups of tea at room temperature and refrigerate. To serve: slice up fresh peaches into 1 inch chunks (1/2 peach per glass), and pour tea over fruit and ice. Garnish with fresh mint.
- Pomegranate Tea: Add 2 cups pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup honey and 3 thinly sliced limes to 8 cups of tea at room temperature. Refrigerate and serve over ice.
(Image provided by Buncombe County.)
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