Photo by Alex Boyd on Unsplash
So… one thing I have been focusing on improving is the amount of sugar I am drinking. I most recently was working at a chain coffee shop, and at the beginning of every shift I would make myself an iced Chai Tea Latte. Ugh… my absolute fav.! However, those contain A LOT of sugar. Literally, in a 16 oz., there are 42 grams of sugar! Want to hear the crazy part? It is recommended for adult women to not exceed 25 grams a day! So you’re telling me that in just ONE beverage (not even a huge drink), I have almost doubled my recommended sugar intake for the day?! Let it also be known my shifts at work typically used to began anywhere from 5am to 9am, so I was literally starting. my. day. with a cup of SUGAR.
Now that I’m not working there anymore, I don’t have that easy access to the chai tea lattes that I once had. Trust me, its for the better. I decided that I was just going to move forward with drinking homemade iced coffee, or cold brew. That worked well for a few days, until I realized I could be doing even better for myself. It was last night that I came to this realization.
Drinking coffee gives me chest pains. I know I’m not the only one, and I did give up drinking actual coffee/espresso temporarily due to that. Cutting back definitely helped, although I was a bit foolish to think going back to a daily cup of coffee was a good idea. However, I spent some time brainstorming so I could have an enjoyable caffeinated beverage, without all that sugar and without the chest pains.
For my Chai Tea lovers out there, I’m sure most of you know that chai is black tea. Another drink that I used to make at work also containing black tea, was called the London Fog Tea Latte. That drink was made with Earl Grey tea (this tea has lovely hints of vanilla), which typically is also made with vanilla syrup and steamed milk. Personally, I prefer my drinks iced, so I set out to make my own version of the London Fog Tea latte, with less sugar, with the ingredients I already had at home.
My version of a London Fog Tea latte recipe:
- 3 Earl Grey tea bags
- Fat free french vanilla creamer (I used the brand Delight)
- Liquid Truvia with vanilla flavoring
- Lots of ice!!!
1. Start off with steeping the 3 tea bags in 8 oz. of boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
2. Fill a 26 oz. cup with a bunch of ice!! I fill mine up 3/4 of the way. (The hot tea will end up melting a bunch of ice anyways.)
3. Remove the tea bags from your steeped tea and pour it right over your ice.
4. Add that liquid Truvia! Mine comes in a little squeeze bottle, so I will squeeze for about 3 seconds. This obv. varies based on preference.
4. Add a generous splash of the creamer. (The recipe typically calls for 1/2 tea and 1/2 milk, so you can adjust according to your preference. You can also use any milk. I’m thinking about switching to sugar free almond milk. Although the creamer is fat free, it still contains some sugar.)
5. Throw a lid on your drink and shake that baby up! There should still be enough room in the cup for you to be able to thoroughly mix everything.
6. Once shaken, I like to just throw a few more ice cubes on top and you’re all done!
Honestly, I just made this drink for myself and I am absolutely loving it. Like I mentioned previously, I made this to customize my specific taste preference. I feel much different drinking this versus coffee – no chest pains and no belly ache!
I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY
queen of excuses 