OrganicMom Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Perhaps I'm being naïve or hopeful, but isn't there a difference between stevia and stevia leaf as per additions to say tea? I've tasted the leaves before in the past and they didn't seem sweet to me at all- certainly not addictive. I'm looking for light flavored teas I can drink during the whole30 that will not have artificial flavoring. I can't tolerate the black teas at all without a sweetner so I'm looking for white or green or roobois teas, etc. that do not have artificial flavoring, colors,,etc. So far what I'm finding are the Yogi teas but most have stevia leaf. Is Stevia leaf (since it's a whole form) allowed or not? If not, are there brands/teas anyone would recommend that are of herbal variety that perhaps are a little on the somewhat 'sweeter' side- or at least not bland as I find green, white or other such teas all on their own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottagequeen Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I suspect the leaf is probably not a problem, but, I'm guessing the answer is no for simplicity sake and for the sake of whole30 philosophy. There are some Organic India Tulsi teas that have a bit of sweetness to them and don't have stevia leaf. You have to read tho, the cinnamon rose does have stevia leaf. The Raspberry Peach has a sweetness to it and no stevia leaf. I blend it with green. I just found this out recently, after drinking part of a cup one night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted February 13, 2015 Administrators Share Posted February 13, 2015 No go on the stevia leaf, sorry. Here's Robin Strathadee explaining why http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/931-stevia/?p=7261: This one is hard for many already "clean eaters" to get used to. Aside from any actual physiological issues that may occur, the bottom line is that stevia is used to either a) make things sweet that shouldn't be sweet or 2) make things sweeter than they are in nature. And, since one of the purposes of the Whole30 program is to reacquaint your taste buds with the flavors of real, whole foods, Stevia doesn't exactly fit the bill. Fortunately there are lots of teas available that do not have stevia leaf in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted February 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted February 13, 2015 No, stevia leaf is not allowed. We want you to wean your tastebuds completely off sweetness. You'll be floored at the flavor and sweetness of real, whole foods once you adjust from the supernatural, not-found-in-nature sweeteners that are almost ubiquitous in packaged and processed foods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted February 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted February 13, 2015 Perhaps I'm being naïve or hopeful, but isn't there a difference between stevia and stevia leaf as per additions to say tea? I've tasted the leaves before in the past and they didn't seem sweet to me at all- certainly not addictive. I'm looking for light flavored teas I can drink during the whole30 that will not have artificial flavoring. I can't tolerate the black teas at all without a sweetner so I'm looking for white or green or roobois teas, etc. that do not have artificial flavoring, colors,,etc. So far what I'm finding are the Yogi teas but most have stevia leaf. Is Stevia leaf (since it's a whole form) allowed or not? If not, are there brands/teas anyone would recommend that are of herbal variety that perhaps are a little on the somewhat 'sweeter' side- or at least not bland as I find green, white or other such teas all on their own? I have some Tazo Organic Vanilla Rooibos Parfait and their Wild Sweet Orange that are compliant (always read your labels, though, companies can change recipes or recipes can differ in different areas). I've also found compliant teas from Yogi, Stash, and Numi brands. I'm sure there are others, too, I just know I've found some in these brands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkers Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I've been drinking Raspberry Hibiscus tea lately. It's intensely fruity even without sweetener. I've also been drinking Numi brand Chocolate Pe-erh tea. The smell is incredible and if you let it cool a bit I think the cocoa flavor is more pronounced. Moroccan mint green tea is also yummy (this is a flavor carried by multiple brands). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpinSpin Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I really like Numi rooibos chai which is totally yummy--very good with coconut milk in it. They also have a winter white tea that is spicy in an orange-ie citrus way that is very nice as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottagequeen Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I can't seem to get my taste buds to like rooibos tea. May have to find the Numi one and give it a try. SpinSpin, what's the name of the citrus/spicy winter white one, that sounds yummy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpinSpin Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Cottagequeen-- The numi tea is Winter Spice. It has the white tea, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel. I liken it to a light chai. Their rooibos chai is the only rooibos tea that I have found so far that I like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicMom Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 Thanks for all the ideas everyone! I'll take a list with me to the store Monday- That will be day one for us on this go round..... This is Whole30 #2. I went without tea for the most part during the first one but would like to have a cup of warm something this time and I just can't do black tea (my usual) or coffee without the sugar....so time to change teas! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottagequeen Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 one trick to good black tea is don't boil the water and don't steep longer than 5 minutes. I think it makes a big difference in taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTNan Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Tazo wild sweet orange, that Shannon mentioned above, is my favorite! It has a really nice smooth flavor, with just enough sweetness to make me wonder how on earth it's whole30 compliant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldb326 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Thanks for posting all of the tea ideas. I am having a difficult time without the stevia, it will pass. I make a drink with cocoa, water and stevia to help with sugar cravings during PMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted March 10, 2015 Moderators Share Posted March 10, 2015 Thanks for posting all of the tea ideas. I am having a difficult time without the stevia, it will pass. I make a drink with cocoa, water and stevia to help with sugar cravings during PMS. During PMS, try increasing your starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, and winter squashes. Google Whole30 PMS cravings for lots of discussion on this, but this thread has a good explanation of why it happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 As a certified British tea drinker I must object to this post To make a perfect cup of black tea you must use freshly drawn water and bring it all the way to the boil then pour over the tea, it is actually best if the water is boiling as it pours so there is lots of air in the water. Let is steep for as long as you need depending on how you like your tea, I often leave the tea bag in as I like "builders tea" which is very strong. The longer you leave it the more tannins are released so it can become bitter. You should never use water that has been boiled before as that leads to flat tasting tea. Loose leaves are always better than bags and tea made in a pot is always better than that made in a mug however any tea is better than no tea at all one trick to good black tea is don't boil the water and don't steep longer than 5 minutes. I think it makes a big difference in taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.