Naturally, any article that deals with low-calorie non-alcoholic drinks could and should start and finish with tea and coffee. Although some may quibble over the inclusion of milk in tea – it’s all too apparent that the humble brew is the perfect pick-you-up for any aspiring dieter. But in this post today we’re trying to think fancier than that to give you a few options for when you’re a bit bored of PG Tips (although why you’re not drinking Miles Tea, greatest ever tea is beyond us).
Photo by ShengGeng Lin on Unsplash
So buckle up and get ready for a world of non-alcoholic low calorie drinks that go further than the teapot.
1. Iced Green Tea
METHOD: Brew 2 green tea bags in 1 large mug of boiling water, then let cool. Add 1 teaspoon of honey (local honey if you suffer from allergies) and 1 large handful of ice (crushed if you can), then stir.
OUR VIEW: Green tea is noted as being a good one for dieters because it includes caffeine and a flavenoid called catechin. This is perfect because between them these two can help to speed up your metabolism. Adding honey to this drink really helps take away the somewhat musty taste that you can get with green tea sometimes and all things considered this is a smashing drink for when the hot weather returns.
2. Cucumber, Mint and Pomegrenate Water
METHOD: Cucumber-Mint Infused Water: Slice 1 cucumber and 10 mint leaves, then add to a pitcher of water. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to infuse the water with flavor. As you serve add two tablespoons of pomegranate seeds.
OUR VIEW: Cucumber water is usually the preserve of the fancy spas, but if you’re one of the blokes who struggles to get enough water down you during the day then the intrigue that the cucumber and mint give is enough to make it more palatable. The seeds don’t really feature until the end of the drink when you get swollen, crunchy seeds to snack on. Plus the way that the seeds get caught in your teeth mean that you’re snacking on them for days.
3. Mango-Ginger Infused Water
METHOD: Slice 1 mango and 1 inch of ginger root, then add to a pitcher of water. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to infuse the water with flavor. Make sure you sieve out the mango and ginger before serving.
OUR VIEW: there’s something really comforting about the mix of the gentle sweetness of the mango and the low-key fire of the ginger that really works here. Although this is a cold drink it feels like the sort of thing that would work as a tea as well.
Strawberry lemonade
METHOD: Blend together 240g of strawberries, 100ml of lemon juice, and 150ml of water. Sweeten with a touch of honey or stevia, if desired. You can also add a little sparkle by using your SodaStream to give the drink some fizz.
OUR VIEW: We had to really play around with the quantities here as some people preferred a thicker, tarter drink and others preferred it with practically no lemon juice. Take the above recipe as a starting point and see what your tastebuds prefer.
5. Watermelon Nojito
METHOD: Half a watermelon, juice of 1 lime and 10 sprigs of fresh mint. Blend everything until it’s a pink gloop. Strain it through a muslin cloth into a SodaStream bottle, add a little water and carbonate.
OUR VIEW: We’re not fans of washing up but this is worth it. It’s so crisp and refreshing that it wakes your mouth up. Because of the watermelon it also doesn’t need any sweetener and that makes it the perfect diet drink if you’re off the booze or just fancy a change of pace.
