Love your tea sweet? Dietitian explains 2 simple swaps to replace sugar without compromising on flavour or health

You can enjoy your tea sweet while protecting your health. There are two simple swaps that can help keep the flavour you love while making your drink healthier.

Tea is a daily staple in many Indian households. With the tendency to like tea a bit sweet, many have the habit of stirring extra sugar into every cup. And tea is not once-a-day drink either, as it typically makes multiple appearances, from your morning bed tea to evening tea. Along with this, the sugar intake also adds up. While the comfort of a good cup of tea is difficult to let go of, you can make it healthier by cutting out the sugar.

Dietitian Juhi Arora, who frequently talks about nutrition, shared in an August 14 Instagram post how you can make your cup of tea healthier by letting go off sugar and what to opt for instead.

How many calories do you consume every month with your cup of tea?

Juhi explained that one teaspoon of sugar contains over 16 empty calories. Empty calories here mean that it doesn’t provide any nutritional value. She said, “Ek teaspoon sugar ke andar hota hai 16 plus empty calorie aur agar aap do se teen teaspoon sugar lete ho, that means aapki body thousand plus empty calories leti hai in a month” (One teaspoon of sugar contains over 16 empty calories, and if you take two to three teaspoons, that means your body is consuming over a thousand empty calories in a month).

So, if you are adding two to three teaspoons a day, she cautioned, it can add up to more than 1,000 extra calories a month. Over time, this build-up can significantly affect your health, increasing the risk of weight gain, blood sugar spikes, and related health concerns.

What are the alternative swaps?

Jaggery and cinnamon powder are the alternatives. (Shutterstock)

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth and can’t compromise on the sweetness, there are healthier options that retain the flavour while also being nutritious and offering added health benefits.

Juhi recommended jaggery as it is naturally rich in iron and lends a pleasant sweetness, making the tea both tasty and nourishing. The second is cinnamon powder. She said that it is a naturally sweet spice and helps to improve the flavour profile of tea, while keeping the blood sugar level in control.

Further, they come with the added benefit of controlling the glycemic index of tea. For the uninformed, the glycemic index is a scale that ranks how quickly foods raise blood sugar after eating them. Sugar heightens the glycemic index, making tea harmful to health.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.