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Photo:Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images
Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images
During the lazy, hazy days of summer, nothing hits the spot like a tall glass of iced tea. And no one knows this better than Ina Garten.
Healthy Iced Tea Recipes
In one of her latest Instagram posts, the Barefoot Contessa posted a photo of what looks like fruit punch. But when you read the caption, you realize that it’s herbal iced tea, which she served her guests “after a very hot garden tour.”
At the end of her post, Garten teases followers with a question. “Do you know the secret ingredient I use as a sweetener?”
Of course, that just made me want to look up the recipe, which I found on Garten’s website. It consists of three ingredients:
Yes, the secret sweetener is apple juice—which adds sweetness and apple flavor to this icy, zingy drink.
And the recipe is simple: Steep all 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes and then discard the tea bags. Then, combine the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve it over ice. This recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Tea Every Day
Each of these plant-based ingredients adds its own health benefits to the (tea) pot. For example,peppermint contributes soothing mentholthat may ease stomach upset and can have a calming effect on your mood. And like the flesh and juice of these citrus beauties, orange andlemonpeel contains nutrients and antioxidants. The peel also houses the fruits’essential oil(the combination of peppermint and sweet orange essential oils is one of my favorites to diffuse too!).
These teas are considered herbal and caffeine-free, so you can sip them without getting the caffeine jitters.
With that said, this iced tea recipe isn’t one you’ll want to imbibe all day long. While theapple juiceadds sweetness and nutrition with no added sugar—1 cup of 100% apple juice provides over 100% of your day’s worth of vitamin C—it also adds calories. There are 114 calories in that same cup of juice, which could add up quickly if you drank it all day long (remember, we want to eat and drink a variety of foods!). And apple juice lacks the fiber that awhole appleprovides.
Overall, this tangy refresher is a healthy way to cool down and stay hydrated during the dog days of summer. Just enjoy it in moderation. Now, please pass the ice.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Barefoot Contessa.Herbal iced tea.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Barefoot Contessa.Herbal iced tea.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Barefoot Contessa.Herbal iced tea.
