sweet tea without sugar or honey is it possible

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Replies

  • evangey
    evangey Posts: 1
    I use something called ''sweet freedom'' it has 25% fewer calories than sugar and its 100% from fruit - great alternative and tastes yummy!
  • rwrealm
    rwrealm Posts: 4
    Like you, I couldn't stand unsweetened. That was 6 months ago, now I prefer it. In fact, I also abhored plain water as well, now I prefer that over anything else. In addition, I didn't much care for green tea at first. I just forced myself to drink water and unsweetened tea and now I drink unsweetened green tea because it actually tastes sweeter than black or white. A lot of people have given good responses. Stevia is an excellent choice. I used it and slowly cut it back until I no longer found the need for it. I also bought infused teas from Teavana, very good. Here's the thing, as you cut out the sugar in your diet your pallet changes. Things that you don't find sweet now, will once your pallet changes. If getting fit is truly important to you, you will learn to cut out any sweet drinks.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    You can at Stevia or Truvia. Those are sugar replacements without the issues of Equal if that bothers you.
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
    Stevia in the raw. It is a sugar substitute but is all natural, made from a plant! That'a what I use! :smile:
  • meeulk
    meeulk Posts: 246 Member
    I go back and forth between sweet and unsweet. When I'm really motivated to drink unsweet and stick with it, some unsweet teas start to taste naturally sweet.
  • KerryITD
    KerryITD Posts: 94 Member
    I like stevia as it's all natural, but some people notice a bitter aftertaste (my husband does, but I don't!). Lately I've been sticking a cinnamon stick in the cup--it gives a sweet mellowness and the stick can be reused multiple times.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    OP doesn't like green tea (or honey) but this can be adapted ....black tea, citrus, and stevia.

    CITRUS GINGER GREEN TEA

    1 1-inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced
    1 orange thinly sliced, leaving the peel on
    1 lemon thinly sliced, leaving the peel on
    2 family size green tea bags (8 single bags)
    1 tablespoon honey or to taste (optional)


    Heat 1 Qt of water with ginger slices to just boiling. Remove from heat and add tea bags, steep for 3-4 minutes. Add the fruit slices and steeped tea to a gallon pitcher. Let stand about 10-15 minutes, then add honey and stir. Add enough ice and cold water to fill the pitcher.

    Taste will be stronger the second day. Rub fruit slices against the back of a slotted spoon to release some juices.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I go back and forth between sweet and unsweet. When I'm really motivated to drink unsweet and stick with it, some unsweet teas start to taste naturally sweet.

    Re; naturally sweet

    I make iced tea with 1 family size bag of black tea and 2 pyramid bags of Bavarian Wild Berry (Lipton) - makes 1/2 gallon. I wouldn't say this is naturally sweet, but it is definitely more MELLOW than plain black tea. This needs no sweetener for me.

    The Lipton Superfruit Green teas are naturally sweet to me. These make great iced tea also.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    If you're looking for a sweet tea that also has caffeine, perhaps try mixing an herbal raspberry or peach tea with earl grey?
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Try some other fruit flavoured teas or infusions
    ^This. Not to be a commercial for Celestial Seasonings..... but I really like their Raspberry Zinger herbal tea. It has a very slightly sweet flavor, it's sugar and caffeine free, it's strong enough (no wimpy tea for me) and, because it has hibiscus in it, it is good for your blood pressure!

    Haha this was exactly the tea I was thinking!
  • MimiMedrano
    MimiMedrano Posts: 20
    Nectresse is the ONLY calorie free sweetener I've found that doesn't leave a nasty after taste. It's my go to when I want sweet tea!!
  • PinkyFett
    PinkyFett Posts: 842 Member
    I feel a riot amongst sotherners... sweet tea is pure sugar lol
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    Southern Sweet Tea? NO! :angry:
  • auntsammy88
    auntsammy88 Posts: 401 Member

    I'm an Equal girl too!! Sweet N Low in a pinch. I think Splenda and Stevia taste horrible. Splenda has a bad after taste to me. Every time I drink a Stevia drink I get a headache. I know it's natural and not do that but it does. I add lemon every once in a while. I don't care for mint in my tea.

    Stevia gives me headaches too! I'm not sure what causes that?

    As far as the op is concerned, I don't really like "southern" sweet tea (aka sugar with a little tea in it), but some of the flavored herbal teas have a touch of sweetness. Maybe just slowly reduce the amount of sugar you use until you don't feel the need? Also, as others have mentioned infusing it with dried fruit or adding a little bit of citrus is a good option.

    ETA: We have the little cubes of sugar. Maybe just allowing yourself 1 cube in your cup of tea and no more might help? I'm not sure how much sugar you put in your tea to begin with.
  • lemon629
    lemon629 Posts: 501 Member
    Try herbal teas or fruit flavored teas. (I second the recommendation for Celestial Seasonings' Red Zinger. Also Bigelow's Perfect Peach.) There are some really good ones.
    Also try gradually reducing the sugar in your tea. Eventually you will not like the taste of sweet tea.
  • mcwalker1126
    mcwalker1126 Posts: 12
    I used to drink sweet tea all the time, naturally being a Southerner and all. But then, like you, wanted to cut out some calories and started drinking unsweet. It's bitter at first, but after a while you won't want the sugary sweet tea anymore. Hot tea doesn't need sugar either. Try some of the different Yogi brand flavors. If you do still need something use stevia or lemon. Enjoy!
  • Great_Mazinga
    Great_Mazinga Posts: 214 Member
    When I was getting off sodas, I turned to tea, with various sweeteners. I then cut back, and ultimately eliminated sugar all together in my teas. Since then I can drink black, green, white....doesn't matter, and enjoy them. It took a couple weeks or more, but the longer I took the better.

    I can now barely tolerate a sugary beverage. Sweet tea in particular is actually a repulsive flavor now. Sodas are even way to sweet for me.

    I love this condition. I was just so used to everything being so heavily sugared I didn't notice it, until I made a new normal for myself. Dumping the sugar has really helped me lose so much weight.

    Also as a personal anecdote, teas have curbed my appetite, or perhaps more accurately the sugary drinks were driving my appetite.

    Also for reference I like my teas relatively weak. Without the sugars, you may find your steeping times and strength preference will also change. Brew teas too long, and heavy bitter flavors start to render out, hence why so much sugar is "needed".

    My personal favorite is a Bigelow peach green tea, and a Japanese black tea [will have to look for the brand, it is specific].
  • jessilee119
    jessilee119 Posts: 444 Member
    I really enjoy an apple tea in a local shop close to my work place. These are the closest recipes I have found to the tea (they refuse to give their recipe out). However the one I drink; has 2-3 fresh pieces of apple in it.

    Hot Buttered Apple Tea
    Ingredients
    12 cups of water
    2 Family sized tea bags
    ½ cup apple butter
    Directions

    Follow instructions on tea bags and while tea is hot, add apple butter. This smells and tastes so delicious - it is like a warm mulled cider.

    Turkish Apple Tea
    Ingredients:

    Servings:
    4-6

    8 ounces sliced dried apples
    2 cinnamon sticks
    4 whole cloves
    6 cups cold water
    honey

    Place all the ingredients except the honey into a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat & simmer for 15 minutes.
    Strain the hot tea into a teapot. Make sure to gently push on the apples to remove all the liquid.
    Sweeten with honey, if needed, then pour into tea glasses.

    Alternatively, you can also add dried raisins to the water while boiling it for a natural sweetness.

    These sound yummy...I'm going to have to try them.
  • 1992Leigh1992
    1992Leigh1992 Posts: 100 Member

    I'm an Equal girl too!! Sweet N Low in a pinch. I think Splenda and Stevia taste horrible. Splenda has a bad after taste to me. Every time I drink a Stevia drink I get a headache. I know it's natural and not do that but it does. I add lemon every once in a while. I don't care for mint in my tea.

    Stevia gives me headaches too! I'm not sure what causes that?

    .

    I think different people respond to/tolerate sweeteners differently.

    I REALLY loved the taste of Natvia but got a weird feeling in my stomach.

    During exam period last year, after consuming a WAY-more-than-normal amount of equal and coke zero, I started to get headaches. Note that this is an unusually high amount and something I would only do twice a year (again, exam block).

    I strongly object to the notion that aspartame is 'dangerous', I just went overboard. But it was just after that time I realised I liked splenda better (which is sucarlose). Now I know most of the widely-used sweeteners by their names and chemical numbers.

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