In case your common cup of tea feels too scorching for summer season, attempt iced tea as a refreshing beverage! Not solely is it cool and refreshing, it’s low in energy relying on the quantity and kind of sweetener you employ, and is more healthy than any aerated drink. So it is perhaps time to ditch that common cup of tea, and transfer on these wholesome iced tea recipes.

The Extraction Processes within the Meals Business, 2024, states that iced tea, whether or not on the spot or brewed, covers 80 % of the tea drunk in america. It provides that iced tea is an enormous part of a low-calorie food plan and 24–27 per cent iced tea is had by 30 to over 50 age group. Dietician Kejal Shah tells us all about this widespread beverage and provides us three refreshing and wholesome iced tea recipes.

What’s iced tea?

Iced tea is a chilly beverage made by steeping tea leaves in chilly water after which sweetening and flavoring the liquid to style. “It’s sometimes served over ice and will be loved plain or with added lemon, sugar, honey, or different flavors. Iced tea will be made with black tea, inexperienced tea, natural tea, or a mixture of various teas,” says Shah. It’s a widespread refreshing drink, particularly in hotter climate.

3 iced tea recipes you might want to check out!

Listed here are three refreshing iced tea recipes that you could simply make at residence:

1. Basic Iced Tea:

Components:

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• 4 cups water
• 4 black tea baggage
• Ice cubes
• Lemon slices (elective)
• Sweetener of alternative (sugar, honey, agave, and many others.)

Directions:

1. Carry the water to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Take away the pan from warmth and add the tea baggage.
3. Let the tea baggage steep for 3-5 minutes, relying in your desired energy.
4. Take away the tea baggage and let the tea cool to room temperature.
5. Add sweetener to style whereas the tea remains to be heat, stirring till dissolved.
6. Fill a pitcher with ice cubes and pour the tea over the ice.
7. Add lemon slices if desired, stir, and refrigerate till chilly.
8. Serve over ice and luxuriate in!

2. Peach Iced Tea:

Components:

• 4 cups water
• 4 black tea baggage
• 1 peach, pitted and sliced
• Ice cubes
• Sweetener of alternative (elective)

Directions:

1. Carry the water to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Take away the pan from warmth and add the tea baggage and sliced peach.
3. Let the tea baggage and peach steep for 5-7 minutes.
4. Take away the tea baggage and peach, and let the tea cool to room temperature.
5. Add sweetener to style if desired, stirring till dissolved.
6. Fill a pitcher with ice cubes and pour the tea over the ice.
7. Stir effectively, refrigerate till chilly, and serve over ice.

3. Mint-Lime Iced Inexperienced Tea:

Components

• 4 cups water
• 4 inexperienced tea baggage
• 1/4 cup recent mint leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• Ice cubes
• Sweetener of alternative (elective)

Directions

1. Carry the water to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Take away the pan from warmth and add the tea baggage and mint leaves.
3. Let the tea baggage and mint steep for 3-4 minutes.
4. Take away the tea baggage and mint, and let the tea cool to room temperature.
5. Add lime juice and sweetener to style if desired, stirring till dissolved.
6. Fill a pitcher with ice cubes and pour the tea over the ice.
7. Stir effectively, refrigerate till chilly, and serve over ice garnished with recent mint leaves.

Get pleasure from these selfmade iced tea recipes as a refreshing and scrumptious beverage in the course of the scorching summer season months!

The right way to make your iced tea wholesome?

When making iced tea, there are a number of issues to remember to make sure that it stays a wholesome beverage alternative:

1. Select high quality tea

Begin with high-quality tea leaves or tea baggage to brew your iced tea. Go for natural teas every time attainable to keep away from pesticides or different dangerous chemical substances.

2. Restrict added sugar

Keep away from extreme quantities of sugar in your iced tea to forestall consuming empty energy. As an alternative of sweetening with refined sugar, think about using pure sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, or stevia, or attempt including recent fruit for pure sweetness.

3. Watch your portion measurement

Be conscious of the portion measurement of your iced tea. Consuming massive portions of any beverage, even when it’s wholesome, can result in extra calorie and sugar consumption.

4. Brew it robust

When brewing tea for iced tea, make it stronger than you’d for warm tea to account for the dilution that can happen if you add ice. This can be certain that your iced tea has a strong taste.

5. Add taste with out additional energy

Improve the style of your iced tea by including pure flavors like lemon, lime, mint, ginger, or fruits with out including additional energy or sugar.

By maintaining the following tips in thoughts, you possibly can get pleasure from a scrumptious and wholesome glass of iced tea that gives hydration and potential well being advantages with out extra sugar or energy.

Iced tea v/s scorching tea: Which is best?

Iced tea can present comparable well being advantages to scorching tea, as it’s constituted of the identical tea leaves and accommodates antioxidants and different useful compounds. “Ingesting iced tea might help to remain hydrated and funky in the summertime months, making it a refreshing and fulfilling beverage alternative,” says Shah. Nonetheless, it is very important be conscious of the quantity of sugar or components which may be included in some industrial iced tea merchandise, as extreme sugar consumption can have adverse well being results. “Selecting unsweetened or calmly sweetened iced tea and including pure flavors like lemon or mint might help keep the well being advantages of the tea whereas maintaining it a refreshing summer season drink,” says Shah.

Are you able to drink iced tea each day?

On the whole, consuming iced tea each day will be part of a wholesome way of life, particularly in the event you select unsweetened or calmly sweetened varieties and devour it carefully. Nonetheless, there are some things to contemplate:

1. Caffeine content material

If you’re delicate to caffeine, consuming massive quantities of iced tea day by day could result in points resembling sleep disturbances, jitteriness, or elevated coronary heart fee. It’s necessary to be conscious of your caffeine consumption and contemplate consuming decaffeinated iced tea or switching to natural teas often.

2. Added sugar

Many industrial iced teas comprise excessive quantities of added sugar, which will be detrimental to your well being if consumed excessively. Go for unsweetened or minimally sweetened iced tea and contemplate sweetening it with pure options like honey or stevia.

3. Hydration stability

Whereas iced tea can contribute to your day by day fluid consumption, it shouldn’t be your sole supply of hydration. It’s important to drink loads of water all through the day to remain correctly hydrated.

4. Particular person well being issues

When you have any particular well being situations or issues, resembling kidney stones or acid reflux disease, you might have to restrict your consumption of sure varieties of tea, together with iced tea.