When it’s sweltering outside a calorie free, refreshing and delicious beverage that’s packed with nutrients and an entire month dedicated to this wonderful beverage seems too good to be true. But it IS true! Iced tea is the delish incredible beverage with healing properties to boot and June is National Iced Tea Month!

Tea is packed with powerful phytochemicals (plant nutrients) called polyphenols and catechins that aid in protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals and that help to fight off disease. The longer you steep your tea the more catechins and polyphenols there will be. So don’t rush the steeping process!

 Surprise tea bonus:

Tea actually helps protect your teeth from tooth decay and gum disease! Tea itself contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay. So add unsweetened tea drinking to your daily dental routine of brushing and flossing for healthier teeth and gums. It’s also one the least expensive beverages out there! Now that’s worth your money.

Tea does have added calories from sweeteners and includes caffeine. However, the caffeine content is relatively low. While an eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. Sweetened tea is more of a concern as often boatloads of sugar are added to it. So be sure to limit the amount you have or drink unsweetened ice tea, like our delicious Minted Iced Tea!

This month – and all summer long, hydrate with this delish Mint Iced Tea!

Mint Iced Tea

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 8 cups cold water
• 8 tea bags, tags removed
• 8 sprigs fresh mint, plus additional for serving
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes) or 3 tbsp ReaLime 100% Lime Juice
• Ice cubes

Directions

• Boil 4 cups of water over high heat in a covered 3-quart saucepan., .
• Once water has boiled, remove from heat and stir in tea bags and mint until evenly distributed in water. Cover and let steep 5 minutes.
• Stir tea slowly and then remove tea bags and mint. Pour tea, lime juice, and remaining 4 cups of water into a large pitcher or bowl. Cover and let stand until ready to serve or overnight.
• Serve over ice with mint and Enjoy!

NOTE: If you refrigerate the tea after preparing it, it will become cloudy. If this occurs, feel free to add up to 1 cup of boiling water and then slowly stir until tea is clear.

What are some other ways you’ve sweetened up your iced tea? Apples? Strawberries?

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Serving Size: 1 cup: 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 12 mg sodium