Iced Tea and Cold Drinks Without Much Sugar

FOOD & DRINK · GLOBAL

Iced Tea and Cold Drinks Without Much Sugar

What is in a bottle, caffeine, making your own and teeth

Iced tea sits between a soft drink and a cup of tea, and how close it is to either depends entirely on what has been added.

Read the sugar per 100ml

Compare per 100ml rather than per bottle, since bottle sizes vary considerably. Many commercial iced teas contain as much sugar as a cola, which is the thing the tea leaf on the label distracts from.

No added sugar does not mean no sugar, since fruit juice content counts as free sugars.

Caffeine

Black and green tea both contain caffeine, and a bottle can hold as much as a cup of tea. Check the label if you are sensitive, since caffeine has a half-life of around five hours and affects sleep well into the evening.

Rooibos, peppermint and most fruit infusions are naturally caffeine-free.

Making your own

Cold brewing is the easiest method and produces a smoother drink. Put tea bags or leaf in cold water in the fridge overnight, then strain — no bitterness, no sugar needed to cover it.

Hot-brewed tea cooled down extracts more tannin and usually needs sweetening, which is why commercial versions contain sugar.

Add lemon, mint, ginger or a few berries rather than syrup.

Teeth

Fruit and citrus-flavoured drinks are acidic, and acidity erodes enamel regardless of sugar. Drink with a meal rather than sipping through the day, and wait an hour before brushing afterwards.

Hydration

Tea counts towards fluid intake despite the persistent myth about caffeine. Water is still the cheapest and best default.

Children and drinks

Water and milk are the recommended drinks for children, with juice limited to a small glass with a meal. Caffeinated drinks are not recommended for children, which includes many iced teas and all energy drinks.

Check the label rather than assuming a fruit-flavoured tea is caffeine free.

Tea generally

Black, green and white tea all come from the same plant and differ in processing. Green and white are more delicate and scorch in boiling water, which is why they taste bitter when brewed like builder's tea.

Loose leaf in a large infuser gives room for the leaves to expand and makes a noticeably better cup than a cramped bag.

Buying

Buy in quantities you will get through within a few months, since tea fades. Store airtight, cool and dark, away from strong smells.

Caffeine and sleep

Caffeine has a half-life of around five hours, so a mid-afternoon drink is still working at bedtime. Cutting it off by early afternoon is one of the more reliable sleep interventions.

Decaffeinated tea and herbal infusions cover the evening without changing the ritual.

Storage

Home-brewed iced tea keeps two or three days refrigerated in a sealed bottle.

WHERE TO BUY

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