How to make green tea drinkable!!!

I recently purchased some green tea bags with raspberry. Brewed it and I couldn't stomach it. On the box of course it says sweeten to your taste but I didn't want to put sugar in it. I love the bottled lipton green tea with citrus. But it has so many ingredients including aspartame. So I'm just not sure what to do. I know its supposed to be really good for your health and for weightloss but I just couldn't drink it of course unless its the bottled kind. Any suggestions? :ohwell:
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Replies

  • blg5
    blg5 Posts: 89 Member
    Add honey. You could also drink it iced with honey.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    I recently purchased some green tea bags with raspberry. Brewed it and I couldn't stomach it. On the box of course it says sweeten to your taste but I didn't want to put sugar in it. I love the bottled lipton green tea with citrus. But it has so many ingredients including aspartame. So I'm just not sure what to do. I know its supposed to be really good for your health and for weightloss but I just couldn't drink it of course unless its the bottled kind. Any suggestions? :ohwell:

    If you do not like it, do not drink it. A calorie deficit is what is needed for weight loss, not green tea. Also, aspartame is not the devil. If you like the Lipton green tea with citrus, drink that and either pitch the new stuff you bought or give it to somebody else. (or play around with the taste by adding sugar, honey etc.) Just remember, a calorie deficit for weight loss, not green tea.
  • shivles
    shivles Posts: 468 Member
    DONT use boiling water! It gives it a bitter taste, stop the kettle when it's hot but not boiling and only brew for a couple of minutes. You can add honey to sweeten
  • upforthecount
    upforthecount Posts: 14 Member
    Many of the bottled green tea brands have just about everything but green tea in them (like the aspartame that you mentioned).
    If you want to try the real deal, go to uptontea.com. You can order sample packs of any variety of green tea leaves they carry. And they carry a very large variety.

    As for sweetening, if you want low caloric, you could try stevia.

    My personal preference is to drink tea/coffee without any sweetner. It is kind of an acquired taste, sort of like acquiring a taste for beer. Initially a person doesn't like the taste, but you get used to it for the effect it has.
  • paigebolling
    paigebolling Posts: 65 Member
    I just looked up the ingredients to the Lipton tea ( WATER, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), GREEN TEA, NATURAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, CITRUS PECTIN, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR)
    I'm somewhat new to clean eating but what I have found to be widely agreed upon was the fewer ingredients more than likely the better it is for you. And if you can't pronounce many of the ingredients its probably not so good haha. I may be wrong with that as well. I really like the Lipton tea and not so much the brewed tea from home. So are these ingredients things to stay away from or won't do so much harm? I guess I should also add the bottled tea I've been buying is the diet version.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I make a latte with mine. And then add stevia to sweeten it. :-)
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    I just looked up the ingredients to the Lipton tea ( WATER, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), GREEN TEA, NATURAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, CITRUS PECTIN, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR)
    I'm somewhat new to clean eating but what I have found to be widely agreed upon was the fewer ingredients more than likely the better it is for you. And if you can't pronounce many of the ingredients its probably not so good haha. I may be wrong with that as well. I really like the Lipton tea and not so much the brewed tea from home. So are these ingredients things to stay away from or won't do so much harm? I guess I should also add the bottled tea I've been buying is the diet version.

    If you like the Lipton, drink the Lipton and do not be afraid of those ingredients. There are chemicals in everything.
  • xAndreaWx
    xAndreaWx Posts: 17 Member
    The green tea's with different fruits are much nicer than plan green tea. I wasn't a massive fan when I first started drinking it... but persevere with it without any sugar/sweetener and i found the taste to grow on me and i really quite enjoy it now!
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
    I have Twinings fuit flavoured green tea selection. If you're drinking fruity green tea you need to brew it for less than 2 minutes, like a minute is usually more than enough, otherwise it's too bitter for me.
  • Honey or Stevia
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
    It all depends on the brand, I would recommend trying The Republic of Tea Honey Ginseng Green Tea, it is slightly sweet and mild tasting, you can get that at any food specialty store near you, or look for it online and I think if you put in your zip code it will give you a store near you that sells it. http://www.republicoftea.com/
  • Gestahl
    Gestahl Posts: 110 Member
    If you don' t want to sweeten it, try steeping it for less time. Green tea is usually very oversteeped. For a typical cup of tea, 30 seconds is enough... any more and the bitterness will set in.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    If you don't like green tea, don't drink it. It has no magical properties that make it worth forcing it down like medicine. I find it really bitter no matter how I brew it so I moved on to something I like.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    There is nothing magical about it so if you don't like the taste of it don't drink it.

    Add a bit of sugar to it to sweeten it, or some splenda or honey or sweet n low, etc.
  • divinenanny
    divinenanny Posts: 90 Member
    I drink green tea with mint. I also tried lemon but that was no good, and with jasmin, that was nice too.
  • Stevia is pretty tasty in green tea...or drink a blend. The only way I'll consistently drink any variety of green tea is in Tazo Zen.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    Here is the only way I like green tea. Even then it wasn't very good imo.

    green-tea-kitkat.jpeg
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I know its supposed to be really good for your health and for weightloss but I just couldn't drink it of course unless its the bottled kind. Any suggestions?

    There's nothing magical about green tea. If you don't like it, don't drink it. You can get all of those nutrients elsewhere in your diet...you don't have to drink green tea. Also, it really doesn't do much of anything for weight loss. I have always drunk green tea and I got fat as hell.
  • donna710
    donna710 Posts: 91 Member
    I don't care for any of the cold green tea drinks.... I do like the hot Celestial Seasoning Green Tea K cup with a packet of Stevia. I could drink that every day.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    I agree. The bottled, sweetened green tea is garbage. I admit, I like the taste of plain hot green tea, or the fruit infused versions, but feel free to add your own honey and/or lemon. As someone else mentioned, if you don't like the taste, don't drink it. Good luck!
  • Don't make it too strong. The longer you leave the bag in the more bitter it is gonna get. One minute tops for me, and even then I add water to make it weaker depending on the kind of tea i am using. I don't sweeten it. But I agree with most that's written before me, don't force anything you don't like.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    DONT use boiling water! It gives it a bitter taste, stop the kettle when it's hot but not boiling and only brew for a couple of minutes. You can add honey to sweeten

    ^^This.

    I learned this when I got an electric kettle that has pre-sets for different types of teas. I went from simple liking tea to really enjoying it because the temps and timings really do make a difference.

    Here is a handy steeping chart for various tea types. http://lifehacker.com/5974068/make-the-perfect-cup-of-tea-with-these-steeping-times-and-temperatures

    As others have mentioned, it is also good to play around a little with the temps and times, starting with the above guidelines, to find what suits you best.

    I really enjoy using honey to sweeten tea, if I add a sweetener.
  • MissKitty9
    MissKitty9 Posts: 224 Member
    I love green tea plain, & I agree that the bottled kind of junk (unless you get the plain unsweetened "just tea" brand) Of course, that's just my opinion.

    If you want to try drinking it even though you can't stomach it, try adding some lemon? You could even add flavored almond milk, just a TINY bit to sweeten it without too many calories.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I just looked up the ingredients to the Lipton tea ( WATER, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), GREEN TEA, NATURAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, CITRUS PECTIN, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR)
    I'm somewhat new to clean eating but what I have found to be widely agreed upon was the fewer ingredients more than likely the better it is for you. And if you can't pronounce many of the ingredients its probably not so good haha. I may be wrong with that as well. I really like the Lipton tea and not so much the brewed tea from home. So are these ingredients things to stay away from or won't do so much harm? I guess I should also add the bottled tea I've been buying is the diet version.
    Most people can't pronounce the real chemical names of actual foods, so whether you can pronounce it or not is a ridiculous criteria, what if I can't pronounce pomegranate (I can barely spell it lol?) as for those ingredients, most of the are vitamins and minerals that your body needs anyway, so nothing to worry about (even aspartame is just protein.)
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    Here is the only way I like green tea. Even then it wasn't very good imo.

    green-tea-kitkat.jpeg

    Holy crap! This has to be the best food I never knew existed. Immediately upon seeing this I went online and ordered a bag!
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    Here is the only way I like green tea. Even then it wasn't very good imo.

    green-tea-kitkat.jpeg

    Holy crap! This has to be the best food I never knew existed. Immediately upon seeing this I went online and ordered a bag!

    If you like Green Tea you'll like it. It tastes like Green Tea with chunks of Chocolate in it.
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    It is all about the brand you buy, many of the better known brands are too bitter, STASH is pretty good---instead of purchasing with added fruit--try this--USE a different tea bag for your fruity taste, (decaf) so as not to get you confused purchase peach tea, mango tea or cherry tea.

    Use both tea bags and also immerse clementine/orange slices/ lime. I love this and i don't use any artificial sweeteners, none at all. ("STASH") wildberry hibiscus works nicely, Other great brands are 'the republic of tea" , " DeLish" and "Teavana".
  • ggmom55
    ggmom55 Posts: 1
    When I started drinking green tea, I had the same problem. One day I had a cup after brushing my teeth with a minty toothpaste, I brewed a cup found it a rather pleasant drink. The minty taste was the trick for me. Now I can drink plain green tea and I can drink it with no sugar or sweetners added hot or iced.
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
    I haven't met a tea I didn't like. LOL :wink:

    That said, I do sometimes add a teeny bit of honey, lemon, or sugar to sweeten non-flavored teas, but I don't normally add anything to flavored teas. Granted, it did take me some time to work down to that - when I started drinking tea, I added honey and sugar to EVERYTHING! LOL :laugh: I gradually reduced how much I put in to get to where I am now.

    BUT, you need to be careful with how you brew your teas, as they are NOT created equal. Green tea has a different brewing requirement than black tea, which has a different requirement than white tea, which has a different requirement than red tea. Google to learn how each type of tea leaves prefers to be brewed to result in the best tasting tea it can be. :happy:

    ETA: my favorite brand of tea is Mighty Leaf - the Orange Dulce is to DIE for. :love:
  • varchar
    varchar Posts: 8
    If You want to drink green tea, buy the leafy one. I stopped drinking the tea from bags, cause you never know what they put there as "tea" ;) And avoid any aroma - as it usually makes tea smell nice but taste bad.

    My favourite green tea is with jasmine flowers - it's mild and I didn't feel the need to add sugar, even I was adding some to my black tea.
    The tea shouldn't be poured with boiling water. The ideal temperature for black tea is 95 and for green 85. So wait 5-10 minutes to let the water cool a bit or turn the kettle few seconds before water boils.
    And brew it shorter than a black tea - 3 minutes is enough for green tea. After 5 minutes a bad quality green tea gets bitter.