CHAPTER 10

DRINKS

Brimming with sugar, additives, and colorings, store-bought soft drinks, lemonades, and iced teas are definite no-nos when you’re kicking the sugar habit. Luckily, it’s simple to prepare healthy, sugar-free versions of all of these and more, using clean, natural ingredients that are suitable for both kids and grownups. On hot and sweaty summer days, you’ll want to make a batch or two of Basic Sugar-Free Iced Tea, Guilt-Free Lemonade, or Apple Pie–Infused Water. Or serve up a round of my Mighty Mint Lassi or Supreme Orange Creamsicle Shake for a refreshing after-lunch treat.

When the weather turns cool, look to hot drinks such as the Creamy No-Sugar Hot Chocolate, or the Healthy PSL. Both are scrumptious, warming, and nutritious. And as for the holidays, you can rest assured that my silky-as- mousse Rich Sugar-Free Eggnog will delight you and your guests. It’s so good that they’ll never guess it’s sugar-free. Cheers!

BASIC SUGAR-FREE ICED TEA

If warm summer days make you crave a pitcher of iced tea, throw out that yucky powdered stuff and try this version instead. To help you quit sugar, it’s not overly sweet, but it’s still plenty refreshing. Adding a pinch of baking soda to the tea while brewing guarantees a smooth taste—minus the bitterness that’s typical of black tea. (Baking soda is highly alkaline, so it helps neutralize the bitter acids in black tea.) Use this recipe as a template and experiment with different types of tea and stevia flavors. I bet you’ll come up with dozens of unique combinations.

INGREDIENTS

1 pinch baking soda

4 bags orange pekoe or other good-quality black tea

1 cup (240 ml) boiling water

1/2 cup (100 g) erythritol crystals

5 cups (1.2 L) ice-cold water

1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

40 drops lemon stevia

Ice cubes for serving

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1. Put the baking soda into a small bowl and add the tea bags. Pour in the boiling water, add the erythritol, and mix gently. Let the tea steep for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the tea bags, squeezing them carefully to retain all the liquid. Discard the teabags.

3. Transfer the mixture to a 64-ounce (1.9 L) glass pitcher. Add the ice-cold water, lemon juice, and lemon stevia, and mix well. Adjust the taste by adding more lemon stevia or unflavored stevia, if you prefer a sweeter iced tea. Fill the pitcher with ice cubes and serve.

TIP: Can’t find lemon stevia? Just place 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest into a mesh tea ball and steep it together with the tea. Remove it along with the tea bags, and increase the amount of erythritol to 3/4 cup (155 g).

◁ GUILT-FREE LEMONADE

This easy, four-ingredient crowd-pleaser is relatively mild and sweet, thanks to two different sweeteners: Erythritol and stevia work especially well together, yielding the desired level of sweetness without any bitter aftertaste. Be sure to use freshly squeezed juice from organic lemons for the best taste and healthiest result here. Organic lemons always taste nicest—and, of course, they’re free from potentially harmful pesticides.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 quarts (1.9 L) lukewarm water

1 cup (200 g) erythritol crystals

4 teaspoons liquid stevia, or to taste

Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Yield: 6 servings

Combine all ingredients in a 3-quart (2.8 L) pitcher. Stir until the erythritol is completely dissolved. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until ice cold. Serve over ice cubes or crushed ice and lemon slices.

◁ APPLE PIE–INFUSED WATER

Are you in the mood for sugar-free, calorie-free, all-natural apple pie? I thought so! This is a guilt-free liquid apple pie you can enjoy to your heart's content. It won’t spike your blood sugar, as traditional sugar-laden apple pie will, and it’s hydrating, too. Be sure to use Ceylon cinnamon here, and in all recipes that call for cinnamon: Unlike the more commonly used cassia, or Chinese cinnamon, it isn’t toxic to the liver.

INGREDIENTS

7 ounces (200 g, or about 1 large) sour apple such as Granny Smith, sliced, seeds removed

2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean, cut into 4 pieces (first lengthwise, then crosswise)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

11/2 quarts (1.4 L) water

Yield: 6 servings

Place the apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean pieces in a 2-quart (1.9 L) pitcher. Place the grated ginger in a tea ball and close the ball tightly. Place the tea ball in the pitcher and then pour in the water. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving, so that the apple and the vanilla bean have time to release their flavors. Stir gently before serving.

TIP: For a warmer, spicier flavor, omit the vanilla bean and add 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves to the tea ball together with the grated ginger.

MIGHTY MINT LASSI

In Indian cuisine, lassis are traditional companions for spicy food, and are usually made with yogurt, ice, sweetener, and a variety of spices, such as cumin or turmeric. And both kids and adults love this mild, creamy, cooling, sugar-free version, which is flavored with fresh mint. To make it even more refreshing, add 1 cup (150 g) of crushed ice to the other ingredients and blend well—then sit back and sip.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (480 ml) ice-cold water

7 ounces (200 g) plain, organic, full-fat Greek or Turkish yogurt

10 to 15 fresh mint leaves

10 to 15 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Yield: 4 servings

Simply place all ingredients in a blender jar and blend until smooth and frothy. Serve over ice cubes—as an accompaniment to spicy food, or on its own as a pick-me-up on a warm day.

SUPREME ORANGE CREAMSICLE SHAKE

You know those creamy-citrusy ice pops you loved when you were little? Well, I’ve given them a low-sugar makeover, and now you and your kids can enjoy their great taste in this healthy, dairy-free shake. Add 1 cup (150 g) crushed ice for extra cooling power and an especially slushy result. As it’s a drink and a dessert all in one, it’s the perfect way to end a light summer meal.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup (60 g) Low-Sugar Orange Marmalade

1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream or coconut cream

1 cup (240 ml) ice-cold unsweetened almond milk

20 drops orange stevia

2 drops 100 percent orange essential oil

Pinch of turmeric, for natural orange color (optional)

Yield: 1 serving

Simply place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

TIP: Replace the Low-Sugar Orange Marmalade with Easy Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam, omit the orange essential oil, and sweeten with vanilla stevia instead of orange stevia, and voila!—you’ve got a low-sugar strawberry shake.

VARIATION: To turn this shake into a power breakfast or snack, add 1 scoop grass-fed, vanilla-flavored whey protein powder before blending.

◁ CREAMY NO-SUGAR HOT CHOCOLATE

Next time you or one of your kids need a mug of something hot, sweet, and comforting, try this nutritious version of traditional hot chocolate. Since it’s sugar-free, it won’t wreak havoc on your blood sugar, and the dark cocoa powder delivers a healthy hit of minerals, including iron, copper, magnesium, and potassium. It’s best served with an ample amount of whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings, but if you don’t tolerate dairy, it’s easy to make a dairy-free version by using thick coconut cream—preservative-free, if possible—instead.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water

2 tablespoons (28 ml) heavy cream or coconut cream

1 tablespoon (7 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder

10 drops vanilla stevia, or to taste

Yield: 1 serving

Combine all the ingredients in a large mug until well mixed. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

HEALTHY PSL (PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE)

Forget those artificially flavored, carb-laden pumpkin spice lattes: They don’t contain real pumpkin at all! This healthy version, on the other hand, does. Plus, it not only tastes wonderful, it also nourishes you from head to toe, thanks to the cream and coconut oil, both of which contain healthy fats. Better yet, this easy drink hardly takes more than sixty seconds to make—just mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water

1/4 cup (60 g) 100 percent pure pureed pumpkin

2 tablespoons (28 ml) heavy cream or coconut cream

1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin coconut oil

1 to 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

10 drops vanilla stevia, or to taste

Whipped cream, for garnish (optional)

Yield: 1 serving

Combine all the ingredients in a large mug and stir until well mixed. (Use an immersion blender for best results, but be careful not to burn yourself when handling hot drinks!) Top with whipped cream, if desired, and serve immediately.

RICH SUGAR-FREE EGGNOG

Ready for the ultimate eggnog eggsperience? This velvety, mousse-like eggnog is sure to be memorable. Because regular milk contains milk sugar, I use carb-free unsweetened almond milk. Thanks to its rich texture and delicate, lingering taste, you won’t miss the milk one bit.

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs, separated*

1/2 cup (65 g) powdered erythritol

25 drops vanilla stevia, or to taste

1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk

1 cup plus 1/2 cup (240 ml plus 120 ml) heavy cream, divided

1/3 cup (80 ml) bourbon whiskey or dark rum (optional)

Freshly grated nutmeg, for serving

Yield: 8 servings

1. Place the egg yolks, erythritol, vanilla stevia, almond milk, and 1 cup (240 ml) of the heavy cream into a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. When it is about to boil, remove it from the heat. Stir in the alcohol, if using. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.

2. Meanwhile, place the egg whites into a deep, narrow bowl. Beat until soft peaks form. Set aside.

3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) of cream into a clean bowl. Beat until soft peaks form.

4. Remove the chilled custard from the fridge. Add the beaten egg whites and the whipped heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate the eggnog for 1 hour before serving.

5. When you’re ready to serve, whisk the eggnog well, pour it into glasses, and grate a little fresh nutmeg on top. Serve immediately.

TIP: Don’t like your eggnog too thick? Worried about serving raw eggs? Just leave out the beaten egg whites.

*Please note that this recipe contains raw egg white. See the tip for making an egg-free version.