Product Review: Nestea Sweetened Lemon Flavored Iced Tea in Cans

My husband and I had been weaning off of soda for a while. When we first married we were die-hard Coke and Diet Pepsi fans. Then when I was trying to get pregnant I stopped eating artificial sweeteners and we both drank Coke. Later as our family grew and our budget tightened we switched to Great Value (Walmart brand) Cola. As our budget tightened even further we started drinking only water or Koolaid that we mixed in a big pitcher ourselves. Becoming more health conscious, we started questioning the artificial additives in Koolaid and looked into instant sweetened tea as a sweet beverage to enjoy.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Nestea comes in easy to transport cans and is found in the soda section. In looking at the additives, I see that there are no artificial colors. This is a big selling point for me. I first picked up Nestea Sweetened Lemon Flavored Iced Tea at our local grocery store, VanDykes in Roundup, MT. The price for 12 cans was comparable to soda, but still less expensive than buying fountain soda from a fast food restaurant when out running errands. It was $3.88 for a 12-can case. I bought one to try it, brought it home, and placed it in the refrigerator. This is too pricey for us to drink as an everyday beverage, so I instructed my family to pour a glass of pre-made tea from the pitcher and save the cans for when we were on the run.

The next day was our first opportunity to try Nestea Sweetened Lemon Flavored Iced Tea. We were visiting family about an hour away and would be leaving at lunchtime. I packed a lunch and tossed a few cans in the cooler. I also brought water as I was unsure that we would like the tea. We ate our lunch and tried the tea. We were pleasantly surprised! The tea was a great flavor and sweetness and was much more thirst quenching than soda.

Pros

The flavor was clean and had just the right amount of lemon in it. The cans are easy to pack and use. The fridge pack is convenient to keep cold. The price isn't more than regular soda at our local grocery store. The appearance is appealing both in the can and when poured into a glass. The drink contains no artificial colors. The caffine content seems to be slightly less than soda, but enough to give a pick-me-up in the afternoon.

Cons

The price is much more than instant iced tea that you mix from a powder, but it is to be expected to pay for convenience. Nestea is made by Nestle, who has questionable ethical practices in marketing of their infant formula. If shaken, the can does explode like soda does, but not to that extent. The amount of tea is drunk quickly, if it was available in a larger size can that would be better. My husband is a big guy and would choose to drink 3 cans in one sitting if I let him. There are artifical flavorings, which I try to avoid.

The Verdict It has been 3 months since we first brought home Nestea in cans. We choose this beverage over soda in cans now! We no longer buy soda, but choose Nestea in cans as an alternative when looking for something that is refreshing and easy to transport.