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Novella Lui

Taiwanese singer and actor Jay Chou, a big fan of boba tea and spokesman for milk tea brand You Le Mei, has quit the drink because he was gaining weight, and in order to prepare for his next film. But how fattening is bubble tea, and can you drink it without feeling guilty?

A typical 500ml milk tea with tapioca pearls consists of 325 calories. Most places now offer a larger 700ml as the regular size, which has 455 calories. A healthy snack has 150 to 300 calories.
So drinking one standard-sized milk tea already takes up the quota of one of your snacks for the day, and drinking the 700ml portion is equivalent to eating 1.5 snacks in a single sitting.
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If you drink one 500ml or one 700ml milk tea with tapioca pearls once a day, without modifying your diet or exercise, you could gain 3lbs to 4.5lbs (1.3kg to 2kg) in weight, in one month.
Before you decide to skip your comfort drink entirely, this is where the calories come from.
Milk tea (without sugar being added) is healthy



 

 
 


 


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Did you know that most bubble teas are loaded with sugar, condensed milk and even colours and preservatives? Our new Bulletproof Superfood Latte blends make a great healthy alternative to these sugary drinks. Our lattes have no added sugar and are all based on different herbal teas to boost your antioxidant intake ‍♀️ With MCT oil and plant based protein they will keep you satisfied all day long! Try our Minty Matcha to boost your metabolism and support your energy Vegan wholefood ingredients gluten free no nasties 100% organic all natural ingredients www.fnvs.com.au by @the_home_maker
A post shared by Organic Smoothie Blends Perth (@judys_fnvs) on Nov 2, 2018 at 1:38am PDT



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Tea without any milk or other ingredients, is a zero-calorie beverage. It is hydrating and satisfying, especially when served over ice, on a hot and muggy day. It contains antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of heart issues or cancer.
The nutritional benefits of tea are boosted when milk is added, as milk provides some protein, calcium and vitamin D.
However, once things like flavouring (in the form of powder or syrup), honey, and toppings are added to the beverage, the antioxidants found in tea are reduced.
Where does the sugar come from 

Syrups, flavoured powders and honey are forms of added sugar, but toppings like tapioca pearls and grass jellies also contribute to the added sugar present in the beverage.
To make these toppings soft and sweet, they are cooked in boiling hot water with sugar.
While ready-to-eat toppings like aloe vera, red bean, lychee jellies and coffee jellies are not cooked before service, they are immersed in a sugary liquid to keep them moist and fresh.
Move over, bubble milk tea – meet Taiwanese coffee
How to reduce the calories

If you have been drinking a bubble tea that offers regular sweetness, consider reducing to less sugar (about 70 per cent sweetness), then to half sugar (50 per cent) and eventually to slight sugar (30 per cent).
Cutting down on sugar may make the drink fattier  

The calories are also coming from the toppings. For beverages with dairy, the calories come from the milk ingredients.
Some vendors add more milk, cream or creamer to drinks with dairy to compensate for the flavour. So, while your drink is not as sweet, it might be slightly fattier than the regular version, with a caloric count similar to the regular.
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What about the cheese tea?
When your usual bubble tea no longer satisfies your cravings, you might start looking into new trends such as cheese tea.
Cheese tea, where sweet meets savoury, is made with black or green tea topped with cheese cream that consists of foamy milk, whipped cream, cream cheese and a hint of salt.



 

 
 


 


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Kiu kiuu ada yg segerrr nih. Taro Gemini Cheese~ . . .
A post shared by Manja Cheese Tea Makassar (@manjacheesetea.mksr) on Mar 17, 2019 at 11:58pm PDT



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A regular-sized milk tea with tapioca pearls contains 10.5 grammes of fat, with most of it coming from the milk ingredients.
A cheese tea would have similar amounts of sugar added, but it provides at least 16 grammes of fat because of the ingredients used to make the cheese cream.
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Other points to consider

If you are still concerned by the calories, think about reducing the number of toppings that accents your drink or asking for half of that amount.
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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Can you really drink bubble tea without feeling guilty?

Can you really drink bubble tea without feeling guilty?