Low Calorie Chai Latte – 10 Calories

Okay, okay…I know that it’s August. I totally get that most people are drinking iced coffee beverages this time of year. I. Am. Not. Most. People.

I could drink piping hot chai latte in the middle of the Gobi Desert, for crying out loud. Don’t judge. Plus…and don’t hate me…but I have to point out that fall is coming. There, I said it. Whew, that felt good. Imma say it again…

FALL. IS. COMING.

Break out the spiced beverage and apple-pumpkin recipes people! What a glorious time of year. I love life. And I love this recipe.

Low Calorie Chai Latte – 10 Calories
(originally from AngelVDevil)



Ingredients (makes 4 cups):

• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
• 8 Cloves
• Peeled and Grated Ginger (0.5″ for a mild cup/1″ for some spice/1.5″ for a fiery cup)
• 3 Cups Water
• 1 Cup Almond Milk (you can also use soy/coconut milk)
• 2 Black/English Tea Bags
• 4 Squirts of Liquid Stevia (Vanilla Blend)

Directions:

Peel and grate the ginger (using the larger hole side of the grater) into a dish or small bowl. Put 3 cups of water in a saucepan with all of the spices and ginger and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and steep for 15 minutes. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, add the 2 tea bags, stir and remove from the heat. Brew for 3-6 minutes, depending on how strong you want the tea flavor to be. Strain the tea through a sieve and then pour the strained tea back into the saucepan. Discard the teabags and spice residue. Mix in the Stevia and almond milk, and then return to the heat just long enough to heat through. Serve and relax! Allow any remaining tea to cool before decanting into an airtight container. Keep refrigerated. A one cup serving with Stevia contains 10 calories, 1g fat and 0.25 g protein.

Benefits:

Ginger:
• Improves digestion - helps with nausea, motion sickness, gas, constipation, stomach upsets, and loss of appetite.
• Antacid
• Detoxifying - has a thermogenic effect.
• Antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory - can ease muscle pain and works well whether heated or raw.
• Helps ease migraines and can lower blood pressure (WebMD)
•
Cardamom:
• Helps with digestion problems similar those that Ginger helps with.
• Can be used to treat minor infections such as colds, coughs and sore mouth/throat (WebMD)

Cloves:
• Antibacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Aids digestion (nausea, gas, motion sickness)
• Expectorant
• Eases bad breath

Cinnamon:
• Decreases pain and muscle spasms
• Assists indigestion; relieves stomach upsets
• Boosts immune system (Medical News Today)
• Regulates blood sugar
• Lowers LDL cholesterol levels
• Lowers blood pressure