How to Make Sweet Tea Without All the Sugar

I am a southern gal at heart. I love the taste of freshly brewed iced tea, on a hot summer's day. Iced tea must be poured over plenty of ice, with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Before drinking, a quick hand swirl to water down the sweet taste sets me up for a satisfying drink.

You also may consider sweet tea to be a staple on your family dinner table throughout the year. You may have family members that have to monitor their sugar intake. With obesity and diabetes on the rise, you may want to find a healthier alternative to using white sugar as your main sweetener of choice. There are some people, who will never give up on what they consider to be a grocery basic. White sugar.

Use Less.

Reducing the amount of sugar is a gradual way to change your palate. Your body will become used to the taste of less sugar. If you are making a half gallon of iced tea, aim to gradually work your way down to 3/4 to one full cup of sugar. It is common to use one to two cups of sugar per half gallon. Many times, you may be using a measuring cup that is not a standard measuring cup. You could be consuming more sugar than you thought. Always measure to know how much sugar you are consuming.

Splenda, Nutra Sweet , Sweet n Low

Artificial sweeteners are a great convenient way to avoid white sugar. First boil your water, and then let your tea bag steep. Then prepare your drink. Select your cup of choice, and fill it with plenty of ice. Add the artificial sweetener to your drink last. If you place the sweetener into the drink while it is hot, you will have to use more. The sweetness is lost in the heat of the drink. Letting your iced tea, get completely cold in the refrigerator for a few hours, makes better tasting iced tea, when using artificial sweeteners.

Making a conscious decision to lighten up your drinks this summer is a great way to feel good about what you are serving your friends, family, and yourself. You can avoid gaining extra weight, by limiting the amount of sugar and corn syrup that you consume in beverage form. You can experiment with different herbal and flavored iced teas. You may find another flavor that you enjoy so much, that you mix it in with your plain black tea for a new spin on traditional sweet tea.