Improve hydration, skip added sugars with better-for-you
beverages
MISSION, Kan.,
Aug. 1,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- (Family Features) How you start
your morning can impact the rest of your day. If you're looking to
incorporate healthier choices into your morning routine, try a
concept known as "habit stacking." Building tiny, healthier habits
into routines you already have, like enjoying a morning beverage or
breakfast before you check your email instead of jumping right into
the day's tasks, can make it easier to stick to a new habit when
it's built into an existing routine.
If you already enjoy the routine of breakfast to start the day,
consider swapping sugary drinks for beverages without added sugars
like unsweetened green or black tea. When incorporated as part of
an overall healthy diet, unsweetened tea can help support heart
health.
If you need help getting started, Lipton, a proud national
sponsor of the American Heart Association's Life is Why campaign,
created these easy-to-make, better-for-you tea recipes.
A small handful of ingredients makes a big splash in Green Tea
Berry Banana Smoothies, ideal for an on-the-go breakfast. For a
little refreshment any time of day, simple Sparkling Green Tea
Cranberry Spritzers offer a solution with 0 grams of added sugars
while non-alcoholic Green Tea Mojito Mocktails provide natural
sweetness with 100% fruit juice.
Choosing beverages with no added sugars can contribute to a
healthy heart, according to the American Heart Association, making
these recipes perfect for daily habit stacking. Water is needed to
keep your body running at its best, and because unsweetened tea is
99.5 % water, it provides a delicious way to help hydrate.
Discover more ways to improve daily routines at
Heart.org/eatsmart.
Green Tea Berry Banana Smoothies
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
3 cups
water
8 single-serving
green tea bags
16 ounces frozen mixed berries
(about 3 cups)
2 medium bananas,
peeled, cut in half and frozen
1 cup fat-free
plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons
fresh-grated peeled gingerroot (optional)
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract (optional)
2 teaspoons chia
or flax seeds (optional)
In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove
pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea
bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher.
Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
In food processor or blender, process tea, berries, bananas and
yogurt until smooth. Add gingerroot and vanilla, if desired, and
process until smooth. Pour into four glasses. Sprinkle with chia
seeds, if desired.
Nutritional information per serving (without optional
ingredients): 136 calories; 1 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans
fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 3 mg
cholesterol; 23 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 18 g
total sugars (0 g added sugars); 8 g protein.
Green Tea Mojito Mocktails
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
4 cups
water
4 single-serving
green tea bags
32-40 sprigs fresh mint, plus additional for garnish,
divided
2 cups ice
cubes
1 cup 100% white
grape juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4
medium limes)
1 medium lime, cut
into four wedges or lime zest twists (optional)
In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove
pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea
bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher.
Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
At serving time, add mint leaves to four glasses. Using muddler
or wooden spoon, mash mint leaves several times to release juices.
Don't mash into pulp. Add ice.
Stir white grape juice and lime juice into tea mixture. Pour
into glasses. Garnish each with lime wedge and mint leaf.
Tip: To get more juice from citrus, before slicing, microwave
fruit on high 30 seconds, or until warm. When cool enough to
handle, use citrus reamer or handheld juice press to juice
citrus.
Nutritional information per serving: 45 calories; 0 g total fat
(0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and
monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 mg sodium; 13 g
carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 10 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 1 g
protein.
Sparkling Green Tea Cranberry Spritzers
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
4 cups
water
4 single-serving
green tea bags
1 cup 100%
cranberry juice or 100% cranberry-pomegranate juice
2 cups ice
cubes
1/2 cup seltzer (flavored or plain)
or low-sodium club soda, chilled
4 orange slices or
lime wedges (optional)
In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove
pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea
bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Stir in
cranberry juice. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
At serving time, put ice cubes in four glasses. Pour tea mixture
into glasses. Top each serving with seltzer. Garnish with orange
slices.
Tip: To create cranberry-flavored ice cubes, fill ice cube tray
with 100% cranberry juice and freeze.
Nutritional information per serving: 32 calories: 0 g total fat
(0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and
monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 mg sodium; 8 mg
carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 8 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 1 g
protein.
Michael French
mfrench@familyfeatures.com
1-888-824-3337
editors.familyfeatures.com
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SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate