Tea Alternatives to Soft Drinks

Studies show that drinking tea regularly can benefit your health. Teas contain polyphenols, which act as antioxidants that protect your body against cancer. Teas may lower cholesterol, protect against heart disease and protect against problems that come with aging, such as loss of bone density and cataracts. Some tea beverages use sugar, but if you want to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet, you can replace the sugar with real fruit juice where appropriate, or a no-calorie sweetener that dissolves easily in liquid. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Basic Sweet Tea

Sweet tea is a popular drink in the American south and works as a template for other iced tea variations. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 6 regular-size black teabags (Orange Pekoe works well), and let steep for 15 minutes. In another saucepan, create a simple syrup by dissolving 1 cup sugar in 2 cups boiling water. Remove the teabags and pour the tea into a large heatproof container. Add the simple syrup and 6 cups cold water and stir. Let the mixture cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Serve with lots of ice and sliced lemons to taste.

Mint Green Tea

Follow the recipe for basic sweet tea with some minor variations. Instead of black tea, use your favorite kind of plain green tea. Add the simple syrup, cold water, and refrigerate until ice cold. When serving, replace the lemons with fresh mint leaves to taste. Crush the leaves with the back of a wooden spoon before adding them to the tea, to release the mint flavor.

Lemon Lime White Tea Spritzer

If you like to drink lemon lime sodas, this is a good alternative for you. Follow the recipe for the basic sweet tea, substituting white teabags for the black tea. After refrigeration, add sliced lemons and limes to the pitcher, squeezing some of them to release their juices. To make it a spritzer, pour only half of the tea mixture in a serving glass and fill the other half with plain club soda. If you want to cut back on sugar, replace the simple syrup with 1 cup of sugar-free lemonade.

Fruit Tea Spritzer

Follow the basic recipe for sweet tea, but replace the black tea with a fruit tea like the pomegranate raspberry green tea made by Stash. When ready to serve, put ice in a tall glass, pour in the tea mixture to the halfway point, and fill your glass the rest of the way with club soda. Garnish the tea with a couple of fresh raspberries or some fresh mint leaves. To reduce the amount of sugar, replace the simple syrup with 1 cup of light cranberry juice.