yucky green tea

tmkirk01
tmkirk01 Posts: 20
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
I have read that green tea can help you lose weight. I brewed some and it does not taste very good. What can I add or do to make the tea taste better without adding lots of sugar or caleries?
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Replies

  • Simonscat
    Simonscat Posts: 249
    Problem is, once you add things to green tea, those properties of helping with weightloss go away!
  • kmahly
    kmahly Posts: 39 Member
    You could try some different brands. I happen to love green tea- just plain and hot- yum... but I have noticed that different brands taste slightly different- some better than others.

    Even so, it might be an "acquired taste" sort of deal.

    So I would try a couple different brands, and if you still don't like any of them, take the the one you hate the least and try drinking that for a while and see if you ever warm up to the taste. If you never do, then I guess green tea just isn't your thing! Lol. :)
  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
    I buy green tea (the bags) that have lemon grass in them and it REALLY helps the taste.

    I've been told that Agave is the best sweetener to use when you are trying to lose weight, so you could try a small amount of that in your tea and see if it helps. Or lemon juice, since it's basically a "free" food.

    HTH!
  • Amcantar
    Amcantar Posts: 43 Member
    They make flavored green teas, always try to buy more natural ones. Lipton has these pyramid satchels filled with loose leaves and bits of orange rind, very yummy! I have drank tea all my life so I can stand it without sugar, but a little sweetener can go a long way.
    Hints: Always pour boiling water over a tea bag, one cup at a time. Only brew for about 3 minutes then take the tea bag out, otherwise it will get increasingly bitter. And, look for flavored ones in your tea department. Green tea is very earthy and somewhat bitter, it is an aquired taste type thing :)
  • naomihandler
    naomihandler Posts: 53 Member
    There are lots of kinds of green tea. If you check the tea aisle at the grocery store you will find orange green tea, lemon green lea, honey green tea, etc. I would try out a different kind to see if you like it any better. Also if it tastes bitter you probably left the tea bag in to long. So maybe just experiment with a different kind and also how long you let it steep.
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    Try a different brand? I found a lovely blend of Chinese green tea at a specialty food store. I had to try about 5 different brands before finding a good one.
  • Shehzaadi11
    Shehzaadi11 Posts: 1 Member
    Try green tea with honey by lipton. Tastes really good.
  • Thorneapple
    Thorneapple Posts: 154
    Try some of the flavored varieties. Or try adding things like fresh lemon, orange or mint.
  • Liatush
    Liatush Posts: 627 Member
    Just a tad of honey might help until you get used to it, but I agree with different brands of green tea. I love it but have tasted some that I did not like very much.
  • bbonney
    bbonney Posts: 18 Member
    You may have over cooked it...Green Tea gets bitter when over cooked or it could be the brand my favoriate is TAZO.
  • kelbel76
    kelbel76 Posts: 148 Member
    I'm not a big fan of the taste either but I don't add anything and just suffer through it since I keep hearing how good it is for me. Chug it quick like I do!
  • midgetjoness
    midgetjoness Posts: 27
    i used to hate it so just started by not brewing it for too long and then as time goes on you just get more used to it and can make it stronger. i'd also recommend getting the lomon or mint green teas as it takes the kick off! now green tea is the only tea i drink!
  • johnsgunn
    johnsgunn Posts: 1 Member
    Your best bet is to find some quality green tea, not just run of the mill green tea in bags. That stuff is terrible. If there's a good tea shop nearby that carries loose teas, go visit and talk to them. They can help you pick out a tea that will be good for you.

    Also, if you find one you enjoy, oolong and pu'erh tea are much better than even green tea for weight loss. They help up your metabolism, especially after a meal.

    @ashley0616 stay away from Agave! It's low in glucose, but extremely high in fructose, much higher than even HFCS. It is NOT good for weight loss, and triggers huge insulin spikes.
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
    Honey Lemon Ginseng green tea by Celestial Seasonings is my favorite. But like bbonney said make sure you don't steep it too long, the box might have directions on it but if not, start out with steeping for 2-3 minutes
  • BeTrue2Yourself
    BeTrue2Yourself Posts: 9 Member
    I drink 2 generic tea (tea bags) and put 3 Stevia packets in a 16 oz . mug. I drink this everyday now in place of my coffee. Yes, its an aquired taste but now, I look forward to it each day.:wink:
  • missmaya24
    missmaya24 Posts: 142 Member
    I really like jasmine green tea. The key is to not let it brew longer than 3 minutes. After that is when you get the strong, yucky taste.
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
    One of the few products that contains the appropriate properties of green tea

    http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Green-Tea-Extract-500-mg-300-Capsules
  • rogers8702
    rogers8702 Posts: 533 Member
    i put local raw honey in mine. the tea is good for my weight loss and the honey helps tremendously with my seasonal allergies.
  • MGJ123
    MGJ123 Posts: 31 Member
    Wow, I didn't know about the it being good for weight loss....but I drink it every day at work. I just started drinking it because I freeze in my office at work and needed the help to keep warm and didn't want to drink coffee all day ( i would be wired, so I drink decaf green tea). I put a tea bag in my mug in the morning and just keep adding water all day. I have a warming plate on my desk to keep the tea warm. I do add a packet of splenda here and there too. I can't say if it has helped with me losing weight though. Just adding my take on your topic : )
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    I have read that green tea can help you lose weight. I brewed some and it does not taste very good. What can I add or do to make the tea taste better without adding lots of sugar or caleries?

    LoL
    You don't!
    It's supposed to taste a tad bitter and adding sugar for example sounds pretty similar to adding choclate to fish stew or salt to ice cream!

    The taste might take some getting used to if you're accostumed to drinking your tea sweet. Anyway. To really get the health benefits, you'd need to drink several cups a day. I do, sometimes, but they also have green tea supplements that you can take to get enough.
  • sarahpwilhelm
    sarahpwilhelm Posts: 2
    Someone mentioned this briefly, but its KEY so I'll mention it again: You prob. burned it. All teas have a temp they brew best at. Its very, very easy to burn white and green teas - that makes them taste AWFUL! Here is a guide: http://coffeetea.about.com/od/teabrewing/a/teatemp.htm The best thing to do is let the water sit and cool for a bit before you put your tea bag in. Also, a good quality tea will make a difference. I love http://www.adagio.com/ - they also sell an electric water boiler that has temp settings for the different types of tea - money well spent if you are a big tea drinker!
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    Someone mentioned this briefly, but its KEY so I'll mention it again: You prob. burned it. All teas have a temp they brew best at. Its very, very easy to burn white and green teas - that makes them taste AWFUL! Here is a guide: http://coffeetea.about.com/od/teabrewing/a/teatemp.htm The best thing to do is let the water sit and cool for a bit before you put your tea bag in. Also, a good quality tea will make a difference. I love http://www.adagio.com/ - they also sell an electric water boiler that has temp settings for the different types of tea - money well spent if you are a big tea drinker!

    Good points! I can't seem to open that page. It's really slow! :(

    Btw. Someone else mentioned over brewing too. If you have those Japanese sencha tea bags, there is no 3 minute rule. It is really third rate stuff but can be passable. The trick is to only dip the bag into the water a couple of times. No more or the color will change to yellow (It probably will quickly do anyway..) and what ever taste it might have had, is ruined..
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    It's the brand you bought. The more expensive ones are generally better. I like Numi and The Republic of Tea are my two favs. Be careful of some of them they are high in contaminates and other toxins.
  • reander
    reander Posts: 175 Member
    I was told to add honey to sweeten it. But i've tried several brands of green tea now and can't stand the stuff!
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
    Wow, I didn't know about the it being good for weight loss....but I drink it every day at work. I just started drinking it because I freeze in my office at work and needed the help to keep warm and didn't want to drink coffee all day ( i would be wired, so I drink decaf green tea). I put a tea bag in my mug in the morning and just keep adding water all day. I have a warming plate on my desk to keep the tea warm. I do add a packet of splenda here and there too. I can't say if it has helped with me losing weight though. Just adding my take on your topic : )

    Hah that sounds just like my office! Tea is a great help in warming up from the inside out.
  • mwar056
    mwar056 Posts: 3 Member
    Teavana has the best tea out there. Green tea is best when you use the actual leaves, not bags. Take a look at their website. www.teavana.com
  • starkiss100
    starkiss100 Posts: 235 Member
    I like the Bigelow brand of light green tea. It has a mild flavor and you can drink it without adding anything to it.
  • snerk
    snerk Posts: 51
    The Starbucks Tazo brand Green Tea is yummy. It is flavored with lemongrass and spearmint. Stay away from the full leaf green tea from there though...its not nearly as enjoyable.
  • marsbar_0789
    marsbar_0789 Posts: 34
    bump to read later
  • Jaedynmoon
    Jaedynmoon Posts: 280 Member
    What type did you try? I use the Tazo Green Tea bags and drink it plain...really good!
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