Zero-calorie bubble tea does exist, but the healthiest bubble tea is a matcha bubble tea. "Here we can also create a close-to-zero-calorie drink: pure ice tea with zero sugar and chia seeds. "But if you want a nutritious rather than zero-calorie drink though, I'd go for a matcha bubble tea.
SINGAPORE - That zero per cent sugar level for milk tea does not mean no sugar – there are 1.5 teaspoons of sugar in an average 500ml drink, according to data from the Health Promotion Board's Food Composition System Singapore. Add tapioca pearls to it, and it goes up to three teaspoons of sugar.
And milk tea with no toppings at 0% sugar is 173 calories. In other words, even if you order a milk tea with boba and NO SUGAR, you're still looking at a whopping 372 calories.
A comparison showing the sugar level in seven types of bubble tea orders revealed that the unhealthiest option was brown sugar milk tea with pearls as it contained 18.5 teaspoons of sugar. Winter melon tea comes in at a close second with 16 teaspoons of sugar.
"Non-herbal teas like green and black tea are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which are both linked to reducing inflammation and fighting cancer." Ultimately though, the addition of milk, syrups, sugar, and tapioca pearls offer more nutritional disadvantages than advantages, says Chen.
The minerals in tapioca can provide important health benefits. For example, calcium is important for keeping your bones strong and preventing the development of osteoporosis. Tapioca also contains iron, an essential mineral we need to help transport oxygen throughout the body. Tapioca contains no saturated fat.
Milk tea is known to induce metabolism that helps with weight loss. Don't add extra sugar to your milk tea as it increases your beverage's calorie count. As aforementioned, milk tea contains antioxidants that fight off chronic diseases and their effects.
Sure, it has caffeine (sometimes), but the sugar content and empty calories make it a poor replacement for coffee or plain old tea. Bottom line: Feel free to enjoy boba tea in moderation, but definitely keep in mind that it does not meet the health criteria for a healthy, daily pick-me-up.
Limit yourself to 1 or 2 bubble teas in a week. You can share with a friend instead of buying 1 each, to split the calories and save money too. Plain teas such as green tea, oolong tea and black tea are available from many bubble tea outlets – and these have zero calories.
Unfortunately, boba itself provides very few health benefits, though its calories and carbohydrates can provide you with a boost in energy. In most cases, boba tea contains high levels of sugar, which is linked to long-term health conditions like diabetes and obesity.
White pearls, however, are considerably healthier than other varieties of boba. What is this? 100 grams of white pearls contain 70 calories of carbohydrates and no fat. Tapioca pearls contain 358 calories for the same amount.
Unsweetened or sugar-free tea that's sweetened without sugar is a great drink for anyone with diabetes. You'll get the benefits of tea, the sweetness you crave, but none of the sugar or calories!
So, the tapioca pearls in bubble tea are generally safe to drink. But there are a few reasons to enjoy this sweetened beverage in moderation. Drinking too much of it may increase your chances of developing diet-related diseases and leave you constipated.
But if you love drinking bubble tea, you are actually addicted to its sugar. Did you know? Sugar is as addictive as cocaine! However, it is widely used as a 'legal drug' worldwide, as it causes addiction in the brain.
A typical boba drink uses between 25 and 75 of these tapioca pearls, so that means that just the tapioca in your drink can easily add up to hundreds of calories. And that's without the tea blend! So, your boba drink will probably contain 400 - 1000 calories, depending on the size and the ingredients.
Benefits of Taro and Taro Bubble Tea
Containing a significant amount of dietary fibre, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, E, B6, folate, magnesium, iron, and more, taro is a fantastic supplement to vitamins and minerals that modern diets lack.
The regular milk tea prepared in most of the households contains a lot of milk and less water, which may not be an ideal choice of beverage when you are on a mission to lose weight. Besides, they are also high in calories due to high sugar content.
You'll lose weight.
"Any plain tea without sugar, honey, and syrups is great for weight loss," says Amanda A Kostro Miller, RE, LDN, who serves on the advisory board for Fitter Living. "Not only can you get fluid for hydration, [but you're also] filling up your stomach for only a few calories."
Results for "milk tea without sugar"
Other sizes: 1 cup - 345kcal, 1 oz - 37kcal, 100 g - 131kcal, more...
Lower Calories
Tapioca syrup contains fewer calories compared to sucrose. A quarter cup of tapioca syrup only contains 42 grams of carbohydrate and about 168 calories, while a quarter cup of sugar contains about 50 grams of carbohydrate and about 194 calories.
Tapioca pearls, which are usually made from starch, contained high levels of carbohydrates and was found to have about 78 Calories and 7 grams of sugar in total while jelly was found to have about 212 Calories and 12 grams of sugar in total.
It's not common to be allergic to tapioca, but it is possible. One 2021 study says that people with a latex allergy may have a higher chance of being allergic to cassava. Cassava is the root vegetable that tapioca starch is made from. So if you are allergic to latex, you might want to be extra cautious about tapioca.
Beverages Matter
The most recent 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend unsweetened tea as a smart beverage option since it is calorie-free and has zero grams of added sugar. The Guidelines showcase unsweetened iced tea as a primary beverage option with well-balanced, nutrient dense meals.