Mint Green Iced Tea
When it gets warmer, I find sweet drinks a lot harder to resist. It’s been years since I felt the pull of most fizzy drinks, but sometimes on a sunny day, the appeal of an iced tea or a cold fruit juice or smoothie is strong.
This is a new favourite cold drink for me. I was creating a cucumber, mint & strawberry cooler for Veg Power (which is amazing, by the way, and a great caffeine-free alternative to this for kids), and I put the kettle on to make myself a green tea. Inspiration struck, and next thing I know I was sipping on what felt like a really great mocktail, was super refreshing, and gave me a lovely caffeine boost for a sun-filled day.
So if you are looking for a cooling pick-me-up that is sugar free, give this one a go. Green tea is an amazing drink, boasting health benefits that may include boosting brain function, regulating glucose levels, aiding weight loss, possible lowering of the risk of certain cancers (and diabetes and Alzheimers), improving dental health and more.
Plus, it tastes delicious as an ice cold drink!
A delicious cooling drink for a warm day, this mint green iced tea is a perfect pick-me-up full of vitamins, minerals and general goodness, and no sugar at all. A great alternative to the sugar-laden drinks that look so appealing on a sunny day.
- 2 green tea teabags (or 3 tsp green tea leaves)
- boiling water and ice cold water (you can use cold sparkling or soda water instead of still if you like)
- a large handful of ice cubes
- handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 large cucumber, sliced thinly or peeled into long strips with a vegetable peeler
- a few slices of lemon or lime, optional
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Pour half a cup of boiling water into a large jug over the green tea teabags (or tea leaves). Leave to steep for 5-10 minutes, until dark in colour, then remove the teabags (or strain, if using tea leaves). Allow to cool a little, then pour into a carafe or large water jug and top up with ice cold water (or sparkling/soda water if you prefer). Add a handful of ice cubes, some fresh mint leaves, sliced or peeled cucumber and the lemon or lime slices (if using). Serve cold over more ice, if you like.
