Citrus Squeeze
A glass of sweetened lemonade (typically 8 ounces) that comes from a mix or carton has about 120 calories and about 7 teaspoons of sugar. When I checked out the options at my local grocery store, I found most are sweetened with tons of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, while the low-calorie version are drowning in artificial sweeteners.

Go for the real deal — lemons, a small amount of sugar and water are all you need. Not only do you skip the preservatives and processed ingredients, but fresh lemon juice has a hefty dose of vitamin C and some potassium. Stick with fresh lemon (pass on the bottled stuff) — it’s a little more time consuming to do the squeezing, but you’ll taste the difference. An average lemon yields about 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) depending on the size. Use a juicer or a handy reamer to get every last drop.

A Sprinkle of Sweetness
When you make your own, you can control the amount of sweetener — and sugar’s not your only option. If sugar is your top choice, opt for the superfine variety, which dissolves into drinks better, or make a simple syrup. This way the sweetness distributes evenly in every glass — no watery lemonade at the top of your pitcher and inches of sugar sinking to the bottom. You can also infuse your simple syrup with herbs like mint, basil, or orange peel for some extra (calorie-free) flavor.

Honey and agave nectar are some other sugar alternatives to try. Some of these sweeteners are actually sweeter than sugar, so you’ll most likely need to use less. Start by swapping half the recommended amount of sugar (for example, if the recipes calls for 1 cup of sugar, then use no more than 1/2 cup of agave nectar). Then let your taste buds decide — you can always add it a bit more. Since most of the calories in lemonade come from sweeteners, keep portions to a few teaspoons per person max.

Adding a splash of fresh fruit juice is my favorite way to add sweetness — not to mention it boosts vitamins and antioxidants and gives your drink a dash of color and a bit more zing. I found this Food Network Magazine recipe that mixes mashed fresh strawberries, guava juice and lemon juice to make an interesting combo.

And then, of course, there’s always the “Arnold Palmer,” which is when you mix your lemonade with some iced tea.

Lemonade recipes to try:
• Pink Lemonade
• EatingWell’s Lemonade
• Berry-Guava Lemonade
• Arnold Palmer
• Blood Orange Lemonade
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

TELL US: Do you like your lemonade straight or pepped up with other flavors?

The Tea
Cold tea is one of the simplest, tastiest summer drinks out there — and my all-time fave. It’s just so easy: brew up some tea, add a few sweeteners and pour over ice. There are many tea varieties you can choose, from a sweeter fruit flavor to a more bitter green tea. All make for a great iced tea, given the right ingredients. (Look for directions on the amount of bags and brewing times to use on your tea containers — they all vary.)

Now just because love it, doesn’t mean you should go overboard. Many people overdose on tea during the summertime. Yes, tea by itself is no calories — but it contains a compound called oxalates, which prevents your body from absorbing calcium. So stick with 1 to 2 cups per day.

The Sweeteners
Here’s where problems start — many folks like their iced tea sweet. Now a little granulated or brown sugar is fine, but once you start dumping cups of sugar, you’re putting yourself on sugar overload long before dessert hits the table. One tablespoon of sugar has 45 calories (there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon). As a rule of thumb, stick to a maximum of 1.5 tablespoons of sugar per person.

You can sweeten your iced tea without sugar, too. Juice like apple, grapefruit or mango are good choices, but with around 60 calories for 1/3 cup, you still should portion it out to about 1/4 cup of juice per serving. I like to add a splash of lemonade to my black iced tea — but only a splash! Lychee juice, agave nectar and grenadine are other sweeteners you might try. As I always say, think outside the (sugar) box. (Check out this post we did on popular, natural sweeteners.)

Other Added Flavors
Mint is a classic addition to tea. When I visit Israel every year, the iced tea automatically comes flavored with fresh mint (or nana in Hebrew). I like to also add little spiciness with ginger root or drop in fresh fruit like star fruit, strawberries or apple slices — the fruit also adds its own natural sweetness, meaning you can cut back on other sweeteners.

Alcohol like rum is another typical iced-tea add-in, but keep in mind that 1.5 ounces (about as much as in a shot glass) contains 100 calories and has no nutritional value. One or two glasses on a weekend are fine, but guzzling down pitchers of spiked iced tea isn’t going to do your waistline any favors (think, beer belly — or iced tea belly in this case).

The Cubes
Here is a genius idea: infuse flavor via your ice cubes. Add lemon juice and honey to water before freezing it into cubes, or freeze a half-and-half mixture of water and juice like orange or pomegranate. Ellie Krieger makes an amazing Lemon-Ginger Iced Tea with Berry Cubes — a perfect treat to impress guests with.

Say “No!” to Instant Mixes
An iced tea purists would faint if you tried to serve her a tea made from one of those powdered mixes. Many of my clients confess to relying on these. Don’t! All you’re doing is dumping tons of sugar (not to mention chemicals and preservatives) into water. Sure, the mixes are super easy to make, but it’s better to take those extra steps to brew your own.

Iced tea recipes to try:
• Lemon-Ginger Iced Tea with Berry Cubes
• Chica Iced Tea
• Iced Tea with Grenadine
• Lychee Iced Tea
• Carambola (Star Fruit) Iced Tea
• Raspberry Iced Tea (shown above)

[Photo: Mizz Nezz / Recipezaar]

TELL US: What’s your favorite way to serve up iced tea?

Get the recipe »

Legend says that in 2737 B.C., tea leaves blew into a Chinese emperor’s pot of boiling water and voilà, tea was born! January is National Tea Month (bet you didn’t know that?), and to honor one of our favorite hot — and cold — beverages, we put together a short-and-sweet guide to this 5,000-year-old delight.

Tea 101
We are talking about the real stuff! The four main varieties of tea (black, green, white and oolong) all come from the leaves, stems and buds of the Camellia sinesis plant. They are grown and harvested in different ways to create teas with varied flavors and colors. Like many other plants, teas grown in different parts of the world take on unique characteristics.

Once tea is dried, it is portioned in bags or left loose. Loose leaves can be placed in a variety of brewers such as infusers, strainers and teapots. After you select your favorite preparation method, just add water, steep and sip.

Herbal Teas such as ginger or chamomile are delicious, but they come from the leaves, seeds, flowers and bark of various other plants, not the Camellia plant; they have different health benefits, tastes and are usually not caffeinated. (Look for a piece on why we love herbal teas next week.)

Fun Facts
• Americans drank 2.5 billion gallons of tea in 2007.
• 80% of American households are stocked with tea.
• Iced tea was invented in 1904, born out of necessity at a very hot world’s fair in St. Louis, Missouri.

Nutrition Benefits
• Tea contains flavinoids, antioxidants with potential cancer-fighting benefits.
• Bagged tea may be healthier — leaves are ground finer, allowing for more antioxidants to steep into your cup.
• Caffeine content varies but the average for a cup of black tea is about 40 mg (a cup of coffee has about 100 to 120mg).
• Tea is very low in calories and contains theanine, an amino acid which may help strengthen the immune system.

Black, Green or White? Hot or Iced?
Black tea is most popular amongst Americans. The media has hyped the weight-loss benefits of green tea lately, but it turns out that you would have to drink more than 10 cups a day to experience any effect. So enjoy your green tea but don’t rely on it to help with slimming down. White tea is getting a lot of the spotlight these days, too. You might see it listed on bottled tea drinks. There is some info that shows white tea varieties have less caffeine than green and black tea and may retain more antioxidants. Because white tea is more rare, it tends to carry a higher price tag.

Approximately 85% of the tea consumed in America is the iced variety. Though iced tea is always light and refreshing, watch out for those sugar-laden, ready-to-drink iced teas. Some are not even real tea, just a combination of artificial tea extracts and sweeteners.

The healthiest way to enjoy tea’s natural flavor is to add a touch of sugar or honey and a squeeze of lemon, lime or even blood orange. Brewed tea can be used in sauces, smoothies and baked goods. Add tea dried leaves to a spice rub for meat or fish.

When I’m just settling down for a simple, steaming cup, I love Tazo’s “Zen,” a green tea with citrus and lemon grass. Republic of Tea, which is carried by most health food stores and some mainstream grociers, has many varieties to choose from; some of my favorites are Raspberry Quince Black Tea, Pineapple Guava White Tea and Vanilla Coconut White Tea.

Tea recipes to try:
• Lemon Ginger Iced Tea with Berry Cubes
• Green Tea, Honey and Nutmeg Smoothies
• Tea-Scented Sponge Cake with a Honey Tea Glaze

To learn more about tea, check out Planet Tea.