Sparkling Antioxidant Citrus Tea

Enjoy a cool tall glass of this sparkling citrus tea and not only quench your thirst, but get in a dose of antioxidants! Sencha and matcha green tea mixed with fresh citrus, give you a healthy dose of all you need to get you through those warm days.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NOW Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

Warmer days call for fun sparkling beverages by the pool and I have got you covered! This antioxidant green tea cooler is filled with healthy ingredients so that you can get through summer feeling hydrated and happy. It's the perfect combination of tang and sweet, and so delicious you will keep going back for more.

The perfect mixture of ingredients for the best sparkling summer beverage

It's so important to stay hydrated in the summer, but water can be so mundane and boring. Sometimes you need a little oomph in your glass and today this oomph is filled with healthy ingredients! So what makes the perfect summer liquid treat?

• Green tea
• fresh citrus juice
• sparkling water
• sweetener

It's that easy! The citrus of choice used here are naval oranges, Meyer lemons and limes. There is nothing more refreshing than perfectly naturally sweet citrus, and naval oranges and Meyer lemons are huge winners in this category. Citrus fruits are also high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. You can definitely use the regular variety, but both of these are so naturally delicious you may never look back.

The benefits of Green tea

Green tea has been a phenomenon here for quite some time, with the list of benefits going on and on. Not only does it promote heart health, but it also has Polyphenols which help maintain cellular health.  My green tea of choice is the one by NOW®, the Organic Green Kick Tea. I love this tea for the flavor but also for the awesomeness it provides:

• It has 3 well-known Green tea polyphenols
• They use unbleached tea bags with no staples
• And it contains no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sugars

Now do you see why I just had to use it in my sparkling creation?

To sugar or not to sugar

The next ingredient on the discussion table is sweetener. This is such a personal decision with many factors including medical issues that prevent sugar in your diet, to health preferences. My opinion is that some sugar from time to time is no big deal. We try and use mostly unrefined sugar here at home, and don't sweat it when we are out. My favorite sweeteners when I cook and bake are maple syrup (I love the one by NOW Foods), dates and coconut sugar.

I have never been much of a stevia fan, it tastes like soap to me (I think I have an off taste bud, lol). But I know so many people out there use it for it's zero-sugar bonus. Well, I had the opportunity to sample a new type of liquid sweetener, the new NOW® Monk Fruit Liquid Sweetener. Although I am still more of a naturally sugar filled ingredient fan, I must say that it is WAY better than Stevia.

Monk fruit is a naturally occurring fruit from Asia and is a great low-calorie, no-sugar, alternative to sugar and synthetic sweeteners. If this is what you are looking for, definitely give this a try! I even included it as an alternative to maple syrup in this sparkling antioxidant citrus tea drink!

More awesome summer drinks!

And if you're looking to mix it up, here is a collection of other amazing drinks to keep you hydrated this summer, and even some fun cocktails:

• Fresh Anti-Inflammatory Juice
• Blueberry Mint Lemonade
• Grilled Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita
• Strawberry Thyme Vodka Spritzer

Sparkling Antioxidant Citrus Tea

Sophia DeSantis

Enjoy a cool tall glass of this sparkling citrus tea and not only quench your thirst, but get in a dose of antioxidants! Sencha and matcha green tea mixed with fresh citrus, give you a healthy dose of all you need to get you through those warm days.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Shop Ingredients

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course 30 Minutes or Less, Drinks

Cuisine American, Asian

Servings 4

Calories 66 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 cups brewed green tea (I use NOW Brand Organic Green Tea)
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice (naval orange yields the best flavor)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (meyer lemon yields the best flavor)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup maple syrup (or use sugar free option below)
• 24-32 drops no sugar liquid sweetener , use for sugar free option (try Monk Fruit Liquid Sweetener by NOW Foods)
• 1 ½ cups sparkling water or soda water

Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions

 

• Brew the green tea following the tea box directions, I used 2 tea bags for the 2 cups of green tea needed.
• Put the brewed green tea in the refrigerator to cool while you prep the rest of the recipe.
• Combine orange, lemon and lime juice in a pitcher or large drink container.
• Add either the maple syrup or liquid no sugar sweetener and mix well.
• Add the cooled green tea to the pitcher. Mix again to combine.
• Add the sparkling water and mix.
• Serve over ice!

Notes

• Makes 4 cups, serving size is 1 cup
• Do not use both sweeteners, pick one or the other.
• Nutrition facts use the maple syrup option

Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 39mgPotassium: 91mgSugar: 13gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 15.9mgCalcium: 31mg

Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.

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