How to Make Bubble Tea Healthy

There’s one big reason why Bubble Tea has become so popular ever since its introduction to the UK around 2010; it’s versatility. Whereas many find it difficult to drink their coffee or tea without milk and sweeteners, the fruity flavours associated with bubble tea offer a completely different scenario.

Bubble tea can be made as indulgent or as healthy as you like, and the best part is either way it’s always going to be delicious and refreshing - especially during these summer months.

5 ways you can make bubble tea more healthy are:

1. Choose honey as a sweetener
2. Avoid a dairy milk bubble tea
3. Choose grass jelly topping
4. Choose fruit or herbal tea
5. Drink gradually throughout the day

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1. Choose Honey as a Sweetener

We all need a sweet kick in the day, and I’m not going to pretend that bubble tea is just as good without a sweetener, however choosing a healthier sweetener is a fantastic compromise.

Whilst there is little calorie difference between sugar and honey - no such thing as a free lunch right? - You will find that pure honey is sweeter than sugar and therefore you can ask for less honey at the bubble tea cafe counter.

There are also some surprising health benefits when it comes to consuming honey:

• Honey contains traces of healthy vitamins and minerals.
• Raw honey helps alleviate allergies - perfect for hayfever time.
• Honey can ease coughing and sore throats - perfect if you’re recovering from illness.
• Honey may help kill off germs because it has antimicrobial properties.

So when you’re next ordering your bubble tea, be sure to give honey a go. You might even prefer the flavour.

2. Avoid a Dairy Milk Bubble Tea

There is no reason you can’t enjoy a refreshing and tasty bubble tea without including milk. However with that said if you can only drink bubble tea with milk, try using almond or oat milk as an alternative. 

Plant-based milks are not only generally lower in calories, but also offer other health benefits like vitamin B and lower cholesterol. Oat milk is even great for bone health.

If you’re keen on cutting out milk completely from your next bubble tea fix, I’d highly recommend trying either a green tea or oolong tea - beautifully flavoursome and offer a plethora of health benefits.

Think of this like a chance to try new things and expand your tastes, rather than a health kick.

3. Choose a Grass Jelly Topping

If you Google images search for bubble tea, chances are you’re going to see a tea with pearls or bubbles. However, a popular topping especially in parts of Asia where the drink originated from is grass jelly.

Grass jelly is a jelly-like dessert and is created by using the Platostoma palustre plant (a member of the mint family) and has a mild, slightly bitter taste. The best part is that 15g of grass jelly only contains around 15 calories, whereas you’re looking at a couple of hundred calories for a serving of tapioca pearls.

Whilst the slippery texture can take getting used to, you will be able to enjoy your drink keeping its consistency for longer. This is because grass jelly doesn’t break down throughout the day like pearls or bubbles.

4. Choose Fruit or Herbal Tea

Leaving out milk and dairy from your bubble tea has never been easier with green tea and oolong tea providing refreshing alternatives - which also aid healthy digestion.

If you’re looking to drop tea all together, a fruit-based drink offers a plethora of refreshing options which we find become increasingly popular during the summer months. The most popular fruit teas usually include:

• Banana
• Coconut
• Lychee
• Mango
• Strawberry
• Vanilla
• Watermelon

Any good bubble tea menu will offer even twice as many options as above, so explore and enjoy trying new flavours each visit to your local bubble tea cafe.

5. Drink Gradually Throughout the Day

Though many of us may not expect it, eating too fast is actually a massive problem in the UK. According to Healthline, eating too fast not only increases your risk of becoming overweight and obese, it's also linked to other health problems, including: Insulin resistance.

The same applies to drinking too fast, therefore a great way to make your bubble tea consumption healthier without having to drop your favourite sweet ingredients is to simply drink slower. 

The best part is that bubble tea, unlike other teas and beverages, can keep throughout the whole day and even longer with the help of fridge storage. We offer reusable and refillable cups for this very reason, not only for the environmental benefit but for their durability and easy storage.

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We are Bubblebase: Wales’ first Bubble Tea Bar. We believe in using the best quality of 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 Aled, for Bubblebase.