Can Kids Drink Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea is a very popular and aesthetically pleasing drink. With such a range of flavours available that come in a variety of colours, it’s not surprising that children might be interested in trying bubble tea if they see it while out and about. 

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But can kids drink bubble tea? That answer is yes but it also depends on a number of factors regarding what you want your child to consume as part of a healthy diet. 

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Have a look at the reasons you’ll need to know before deciding if your child can drink bubble tea: 

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1. Bubble Tea Contains Caffeine
2. Do They Want to Drink Milk Tea
3. How Sweet Do They Want Their Bubble Tea
4. Can You Make Their Bubble Tea Healthy

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1. Bubble Tea Contains Caffeine

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Depending on the type of tea you get in your Bubble Tea drink, it can contain varying amounts of caffeine. 

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There are 4 main types of tea you can have in your bubble tea: Black, Green, Jasmine and Fruit tea. Black tea contains around 40-50mg of caffeine in one cup, which is the most out of the teas listed.  Green and Jasmine cups of tea contain 20-30mg of caffeine. And lastly, fruit tea does contain caffeine but as the tea is mixed with fruit syrup, it is significantly less than raw teas. 

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To give some perspective, a cup of coffee contains 80-110mg of caffeine. If you’re uncomfortable with your child consuming any caffeine then you shouldn’t give your child bubble tea. However, as highlighted, bubble tea does contain a small amount of caffeine which could be acceptable and safe for your child to drink. 

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You might find some reasoning in the fact that a 44g bar of chocolate contains 8.8 grams of caffeine. 

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2. Do They Want to Drink Milk Tea?

It does sound obvious but the additional ingredient in Milk Tea is in fact, milk! The other ingredients in it are tea, sweetener and toppings. 

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The milk that is put in the Milk tea can vary. Traditionally, Milk tea is made with cow's milk. So long it is pasteurised it poses no risk. Unpasteurized milk has not been processed so that any bacteria within it has been killed off. Therefore, we would not recommend giving your child unpasteurised milk in their bubble tea. Pregnant women can also not drink unpasteurized milk. 

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There are milk substitutes available if you’re raising your child on a specific diet or they have dietary restrictions. As a general rule, milk alternatives such as soya, oat and almond milk in their natural form contain less calories than normal milk, which is something to bear in mind when deciding if your kid can drink Bubble Tea. 

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3. How Sweet Do They Want Their Bubble Tea

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We’ve discussed tea and caffeine in the previous paragraphs. You may be worried about the calories that tea contains but it actually contains very few calories. 

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The sweetener and the level of sweetness could have a large impact on if you decide to give your kid bubble tea. Bubble tea stores use a variety of ingredients to make your tea sweeter, such as white sugar, brown sugar, sugar syrup, fructose and honey. Most bubble tea stores (including us!) allow you to choose your level of sweetness. Therefore, you’re able to control the level of sugar that your child’s bubble tea drink contains. 

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The less sweet their bubble tea is, the less sugar will be in it and therefore it will have lower calories and will be relatively healthier. Convincing your kid on their chosen sweetness level is up to you. 

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4. Can You Make Their Bubble Tea Healthy

The toppings that you decide have the largest impact on if a bubble tea drink is healthy and therefore if you would like to give it to your kid. Tapioca pearls and popping bubbles will add to the sugar present in your drink. For every 15 g of pearls added to your drink, it adds an extra 280 calories. 

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Alternatively to Tapioca pearls, a lower calorie alternative to them is grass jelly. It is not as dense in calories. A 15 g portion would contain around 30 calories, which is significantly less than the same amount of Tapioca pearls. 

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While this is a hard bargain to drive with a child, the lowest calorie topping is no toppings at all! However, I can’t imagine there are many children that wouldn’t mind not having any toppings in their bubble tea. Especially if they see everyone else at the store having some.

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Overall, it is your judgement on what you should give your child to drink. We’re just here to inform you of the facts. 

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We are Bubblebase: Wales’ first Bubble Tea Bar. We believe in using the best quality ingredients to consistently serve our customers with a delicious range of drinks that have not only been created with utmost care, but also with the sharpest appearance.

Order online with our exclusive Bubblebase app and earn 9 stamps free when you register! Or place your order through our delivery partners and get Bubblebase delivered right to your doorstep. 

Written by Zac Marley for Bubblebase.

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