When you think of refreshing drinks for a midday pick-up, some options can come to your mind: smoothies, juice and more recently-OBA tea. Also called bubble tea, Boba is from Taiwan in the 1980s. Since then, it has become a basic treat around the world, especially in American communities of Asian origin.
But while Boba is loved for its soft tapioca pearls and its endless flavors, it is not always considered the most nutritious choice. The good news? With some smart exchanges and a little know-how, you can build a healthier boba tea order that satisfies your desires without compromising your wellness goals.
The debate on milk tea against fruits
When you enter a boba store, the two main types of drinking options are milk tea and fruit tea. Milk tea generally consists of infused tea mixed with milk or powdered milk. Fruit tea is a mixture of flavored tea and juice and syrup.
Myfitnesspal Dietician recorded Brookell White dit Fruit tea is often a healthier option. At the same time, fruit tea can still be rich in sugar depending on the amount of sugar or syrups used (1).
Comparison of tea bases
Milk teas and fruit teas use various tea bases, each including a unique flavor profile to respond to the type of boba you prefer. These basic teas include:
- Black tea
- Green tea
- Oolong tea
Different varieties of these teas can have variable quantities of caffeine and other nutrients, but White says that in general, the The basic tea you select does not matter too much. “All the infused tea is very low or devoid of calories and has many nutritional advantages, including different levels of antioxidants and polyphenols,” she says (2).
About the expert
Brookell White, MS, RD is a food preservative at MyfitnessPal. She obtained her baccalaureate and her masters at the San Diego State University and finished her internship in Diet in Sodexo. His experience extends to the facilitation of nutrition courses at the San Diego State University, participation in patients as a food technician and work as a deputy principal. His areas of interest include metabolism, intestinal health, obesity and weight management.
What to know about drinking garnishes
Although the typical black black boba usually comes to mind when it comes to boba tea, there are so many top fittings. But what should you choose to make a sound order of boba tea?
Insane tapioca
Tapioca Boba is the soft and sticky complement that we know and all love. It is generally composed of Tapioca starch (from cassava root flour) and water, with a sweet syrup coating to ensure that pearls do not stick (3, 4). According to the USDA database, a portion contains 90 calories and 1 g sugar When there is no syrup coating (5). Keep in mind that almost all Boba stores use syrup, however.
While Boba
Have you ever heard of panda milk tea? Well, Agar Boba is the white counterpart of the Black Tapioca. Agar Boba is the clear and more crunchy brother of Tapioca Boba typical. Often called Crystal Boba, it is made from agar, a substance similar to a jelly extracted from algae. The agar boba is sweet and contains 57 calories and 9 g of sugar by portion (6).
Boba in Poping
According to White, the Boba bursting is made by thickening a drink to add sugar to a pearl using a chemical reaction between sodium alginate and calcium chloride. The liquid that “jumps” in your mouth generally contains a substantial amount of sugar. A portion of Boba in Popping contains 85 calories and 18 g of sugar (7).
Sago
Sagou is a mini, a type of light boba that is often found in thicker mango drinks. It is extracted from certain tropical palm stems and made by mixing the sagou starch with water. The Sago provides an abundance of resistant starch.
Jelly
Boba jelly is available in many flavors: herb jelly based on plants, coconut jelly, litchee jelly and coffee jelly, to name just a few. The jelly contains almost no nutritional value – containing 65 calories and 15 g of sugar by portion (9, 10). The calorie and sugar content of frosts can vary depending on the type and the brand, as a study Nata de Coco (coconut jelly) as having 212 calories and 12 g of sugar by portion (3).
Red bean
White says that red beans are a better option because it is made by boiling Adzuki beans and adding sugar. It is rich in fiber, but can also be rich in sugar. Two tablespoons of red beans contains 90 calories and 13 g sugar (11).
Taro Boba
Taro Boba is made in the same way as Tapioca Boba, with the addition of Root Taro Root. “This is another option that introduces more nutritional value than others, because Taro Root contains fibers and potassium,” explains White. She says Taro is relatively dense in nutrients in general (12).
Egg pudding
Egg pudding tends to be lower in calories, but contains more sugar than other garnishes. It contains 54 calories and 18 g of sugar per portion (3, 13).
Chia seeds
White says that chia seeds are a great way to add more nutrients to your boba tea because they are rich in fiber, proteins, omega-3 and calcium fats (14).
Salted cream cheese mousse
Salted cream cheese foam is a thick and creamy garnish that floats at the top of an ordinary tea base. Consider it as a boba-fied version of the cold foam, but with a salted flavor. The salted cream cheese mousse is made by mixing milk, stabilizer, sugar and salt. “This will probably increase sodium and calories in the drink,” explains White.
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How to build your boba order
So, we have examined different varieties of drinks and types of garnish, but what should you really order in a boba store to build a healthier boba tea?
The simplest, the better
Regarding Boba, White recommends keeping things simple.
Opt for a Basic milk or fruit tea. The filling options in Boba stores tend to have added sugar, so try to limit yourself to a garnish.
In most Boba stores, you can customize the level of sugar and ice syrup in your drink. For a healthy boba tea, opt for Less sugar and more ice cream. “Remember that sugar is incorporated in most or all bubble tea components,” says White. Most toppings have added sugar, so that will probably soften a basic tea with less sugar. In addition, having a higher volume of ice will reduce the liquid and sugar to your cup.
Try these fillings
For less sugar and more nutrients, consider the whole topping of foods such as:
- Fresh fruit
- Chia seeds
Other good options include:
- Red bean
- Taro Boba
- Insane tapioca
The bottom line
At the end of the day, boba tea is a treat. Order what you like the most, but you can make light adjustments to your order for a healthier option.
Keeping simple things, choosing more nutritious fillings and opting for less sugar and more ice – you can build a healthy boba tea command which is not only more concerned with health, but delicious. Oh, and make sure you really get involved when you sink a straw in your cup (a stronger blow means less waste).
The post what the dietitian would command in a boba boutique appeared first on myfitnesspal blog.
