green tea soda- a great alternative

Active Work Time: 5-7 minutes
Time to Taste: 5-7 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

3 green or white tea bags (or loose tea equivalent)
Just-below-boiling water
Sparkling mineral water
Stevia or agave nectar

how to make it

Heat water until it’s almost boiling (I can tell from the almost-whistling sound my teapot makes).
Place tea bags in a heat-proof pitcher (I use a big Pyrex one), and add about 1/2 cup of the hot water. Wait about 45 seconds, and discard the water…and about 90% of the caffeine.
Now add about 4 cups of the hot water and steep for about 3 minutes.
Add anywhere from 1 to 4 cups of sparkling water (depending on your taste and preference for bubbles).
Add sweetener to taste and stir. (I usually transfer the drink to a fancier pitcher if I’m pouring for a crowd).

helping hands

Let the kids be in charge of deciding how sweet the soda is. With stevia there’s no downside, and since agave is 25% sweeter than sugar, but has a low glycemic index, it’s hard to go wrong!

Notes

By taking out the caffeine, I feel great about giving tea to my kids. So many studies have shown it to have fabulous anti-oxidant effects.
Most “real” sodas have high fructose corn syrup…something we would all do well to completely avoid!
There are lots of fun flavored teas to try.